Knowledge

1. CHAPTER 7:
FROM CALAMBA TO EUROPE
FOR THE SECOND TIME

2. Hounded by powerful enemies, Rizal was forced to leave his country for the second time in
February 1888. He was 27 then, a practicing physician, and a recognized man-of-letters.
The Trip to Hong Kong
 February 3, 1888 – after a short stay of six months in his beloved Calamba, Rizal left Manila
for Hong Kong on board the Zafiro
 February 7, 1888 – their ship made a brief stopover at Amoy and for three reasons he did
not get off (1) he was not feeling well, (2) it was raining hard, and (3) he heard the city was
dirty
 February 8, 1888 – Rizal arrived in Hong Kong. He was welcomed by Filipino residents,
including Jose Maria Basa, Balbino Mauricio,and Manuel Yriarte (son of Francisco Yriarte,
alcalde mayor of Laguna)
 Victoria Hotel – it is where Rizal resided during his stay in Hong Kong
 Jose Sainz de Varanda – a Spaniard who was a former secretary of Governor General
Terrero shadowed Rizal’s movement in Hong Kong. It is believed that he was commissioned
by the Spanish authorities to spy on Rizal.
 February 16, 1888 - Rizal described on his letter to Blumentritt that Hong Kong is a small,
but very clean city. Many Portuguese, Hindus, English, Chinese, and Jews live in it. There are
some Filipinos, the majority of whom being those who had been exiled to the Marianas
Islands in 1872. They are poor, gentle, and timid. Formerly they were rich mechanics,
industrialists, and financiers.

3. VISIT TO MACAO
 February 18, 1888 – Rizal accompanied by Basa, boarded the ferry steamer
Kiu-Kiang for Macao and on that same ship, he was surprised to see Jose
Sainz de Varanda
 “Macao is a Portuguese colony near Hong Kong. According to the diary of
Rizal, the city of Macao is small, low, and gloomy. There are many junks,
sampans, but few steamers. It looks sad and is almost dead.
 Don Juan Francisco Lecaros – a Filipino gentleman married to a
Portuguese lady. He was rich and spent his days cultivating plants and
flowers, many of which came from the Philippines. It is in his home where
Rizal and Basa stayed during their visit to Macao.
 During his two-day brief stay, Rizal visited the theatre, casino, cathedral and
churches, pagodas, botanical garden, and bazaars. He also saw the famous
Grotto of Camoens, Portugal’s national poet.
 February 20, 1888 – Rizal and Basa returned to Hong Kong, again on board
the ferry steamer Kiu – Kiang.

4.  The following are some of his diary entries regarding his experiences (observations):
1. Noisy celebration of the Chinese New Year which lasted from February 11th (Saturday) to
13th (Monday). Continuous explosions of firecrackers. The richer the Chinese, the more
firecrackers he exploded. Rizal himself fired many firecrackers at the window of his hotel.
2. Boisterous Chinese theatre, with noisy audience and noisier music. In the Chinese dramatic
art, Rizal observed the following: (1) a man astride a stick means a man is riding on
horseback, (2) an actor raising his leg means he is entering a house, (3) a red dress
indicates a wedding, (4) a girl about to be married coyly covers her face with a fan even in
the presence of her fiancé, and (5) a man raising a whip signifies he is about to ride a horse.
3. The marathon laureate party, wherein the guests were served numerous dishes, such as
dried fruits, geese, shrimps, century eggs, shark fins, bird nests, white ducks, chicken with
vinegar, fish heads, roasted pigs, tea, etc. The longest meal in the world.
4. The Dominican Order was the richest religious order in Hong Kong. It engaged actively in
business. It owned more than 700 houses for rent and many shares in foreign banks, it had
millions of dollars deposited in the banks which earned fabulous interests.
5. Of the Hong Kong cemeteries belonging to the Protestants, Catholics, and Muslims, that of
the Protestants was the most beautiful because of its well-groomed plants and clean
pathways. The Catholic cemetery was most pompous, with its ornate and expensive
mausoleums and extravagantly carved sepulchers. The Muslim cemetery was the simplest,
containing only a little mosque and tombstones with Arabic inscriptions.

5. Departure from Hong Kong
 February 22, 1888 – Rizal left Hong Kong on board the Oceanic, an American steamer.
His destination was Japan.
 Rizal’s entry point in Japan was Yokohama and he registered at the Grand Hotel
 The next day, he proceeded to Tokyo and stayed at Tokyo Hotel for few days.
Letter to Professor Blumentritt
Tokyo is more expensive than Paris. The walls are built in cyclopean manner. The
streets are large and wide.”
 He was visited by Juan Perez Caballero, secretary of the Spanish Legation and was
invited to live at the Spanish Legation.
2 Reasons why Rizal accepted the Invitation
1.) He could economize his living expenses by staying at the legation
2.) He had nothing to hide from the prying eyes of the Spanish authorities
 He and Perez Caballero became good friends
 He described the Spanish diplomat as “a young, fine and excellent writer” and “an
able diplomat who had traveled much”
 He visited Japanese provinces, learned Nippongo and studied Japanese art and culture.
 He was impressed with the city of Tokyo.

6. Rizal’s favorable impression of Japan
1. The beauty of the country- its flowers, mountains, streams, and
scenic panoramas.
2. The cleanliness, politeness and industry of the Japanese people.
3. The picturesque dress and simple charm of Japanese women.
4. There were very few thieves in Japan so that the houses
remained open day and night, and in the hotel room one could
safely leave money on the table.
5. Beggars were rarely seen in the city streets, unlike in Manila and
other cities.
Rizal was disgusted seeing Japanese men pulling the kuruma or
rickshow like horse.

7. Romance With O- Sei- San
Rizal’s romance with O-Sei-San began in the early spring of March. After moving to the
Spanish Legation, Rizal saw her walking near the gate of the legation. Charmed by her beauty,
he tried to find a way by which to meet and know her. Through the serious inquiry that Rizal
undertook, he learned from the gardener of the legation that the beautiful lady was Seiko Usui,
called fondly by her friends as O-Sei-San.
In Seiko, Rizal saw the ideals of womanhood, namely: beauty, charm, intelligence, and
modesty. The aforementioned ideals made Rizal too much attracted with Seiko. The friendship
established between Rizal and Seiko developed into a love affair. While Rizal had a good
impression of Seiko, Seiko also had a good perception of Rizal. To Seiko, Rizal was a man of
versatile talents, a man of gallantry, a man of dignity, and a man of courtesy. O-Sei-San loved
Rizal sincerely and Rizal responded by his sincere affection. They spent joyful and
unforgettable days visiting temples, shrines, and castles and even watched Kabuki plays. There
was even time when O-Sei-San invited Rizal to a cha-no-yu (tea ceremony), a social tradition
of the Japanese people, signifying harmony, purity, tranquility and reverence. Owing to
the irresistible beauty, affection and warmth of O-Sei-San, Rizal felt that he had other duties to
fulfill for his country. So he left Japan, with sayonara from O-Sei-San. About 1897, a year after
Rizal’s execution, Osei San married Alfred Charlton, a British teacher of chemistry of Peer’s
school in Tokyo. Their wedlock was blessed by only one child – a daughter Yuriko.

8. RIZAL AND TETCHO SUHEIRO- a passenger befriended by Rizal on board the
steamer Belgic. He was a fighting Japanese journalist, novelist, and a champion of
human rights, who was forced by the Japanese Government to leave the country; he
further came to admire Rizal, whose patriotism and magnificent talents greatly
fascinated him and influenced him to fortify his own crusade for human rights in his
own country.
RIZAL IN UNITED STATES
 Rizal arrived in United States on April 28, 1888 via English Steamer Belgic.
 Rizal and other passenger were not allowed to disembark until May 4, 1888
 Rizal’s entry point in the U.S. was San Francisco.
 The reason for the quarantining of their ship was narrated by Rizal in his diary,
“ They put us in quarantive because our ship carried 600 Chinese; elections were
being held in San Francisco and the government seeking votes, was making a great
show of adopting rigorous measures against Chinese to capture the sympathies of the
people. They notified us of the quarantive verbally, without telling us how long it was
going to last, yet on the same day they unloaded 700 bolts of silk without fumigating
them.”

9. Good Impression of Rizal to United States of America
 The material progress of the country
 The drive and the energy of the American people
 The natural beauty of the land
 The high standard of living and
 The opportunities for a better life offered to poor immigrants
Rizal’s negative impression about US
 Non-existence of the true civil liberty, as a Negro cannot marry an
American and vice-versa
 The existence of racial prejudice, as shown in their hatred of the
Chinese, Japanese and Negroes and
 The valuing of money over human life.

10. RIZAL IN LONDON
During his Trans-Atlantic voyage, Rizal entertained the American and European
passengers with his marvelous skills with the yo-yo as an offensive weapon (the yo-yo is
a small wooden disc attached to a string from the finger; it used by Filipino children as a
toy).
Rizal arrived at Liverpool on May 24, 1888. After staying for one night at Adelphi
Hotel, he moved to London. Rizal resided in London from May 1888 to March 1889. He
opted to stay in the city and make it his second home for three reasons:
1. To improve his knowledge of the English language;
2. To study and annotate Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas;
3. To carry on his fight against Spanish tyranny safely.
Upon arriving in London on May 25, 1888, he stayed as a guest at the residence of Dr.
Antonio Ma. Regidor, a practicing lawyer in London and an exile of 1872. Later, he lived
as a boarder of the Beckett Family at No. 37 Chalcot Crescent Primrose Hill.
Rizal eventually became acquainted with Dr. Reinhold Rost, the Librarian of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It was Dr. Rost who recommended that Rizal be allowed to
undertake research at the British Museum and he was able to spend time reading
Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas.

11. Good and Bad news from home
 Persecution of the Filipino patriots who signed the Anti- Friar Petition of
1888 addressed to the queen regent requesting the expulsion of the
friars , including Archbishop Pedro Payo;
 Persecution of Calamba tenants, including Rizal’s family and relatives for
their courage to petition the government for reforms;
 Exile of Manuel Hildago to Bohol , the husband of his sister Saturnina,
on the order of Governor Valerio Weyler without due process
 Furious attack on Rizal by Senators Salamanca and Vida in the Spanish
Cortes
 Arrest and incarceration of Laureano Vida, a medical student of UST for
finding copies of Noli in his residence ,and
 Rev. Vicente Garcia’s defense of the Noli against the attacks of the friars.

12. Romance with Gertude Beckett
 Gertrude Beckett- known for his nicknames Tottie and Sissie. Smaller than
Rizal and chubby like Segunda Katigbak or Orang but less beautiful than Leonor
and Rizal was attracted to her
 Rizal attracted to her because of her propinquity and happy family but Rizal
suppressed his emotions for her when Rizal found out that she was falling in
love with him.
Rizal’s Annotation of Morga’s Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas
 Morga’s Sucesos of historical events of the Philippines Island was publish in
Mexico in 1605 to provide European leaders information about the Philippines
3 BASIC PURPOSES FOR RIZAL’S ANNOTATION OF THE SUCESOS
1. To awaken the consciousness of the Filipinos of their glorious or dignified ways
of the fast;
2. To correct what has been distorted and falsified about the Philippines prior to
Spanish conquest; and
3. To prove that the Filipinos were civilized, even before the coming of the
Spaniards.

13. SALIENT POINTS EMPHASIZED BY BLUMENTRITT
 That the Spaniards have to correct their erroneous conception of the Filipinos as
children of limited intelligence;
 That Rizal’s comments on the Spanish government were unique as they were given
from the point of view of the victims of the colonialism;
 That there existed three kinds of Spanish delusion about the Philippines;
1. That the Filipinos were an inferior race;
2. That the Filipinos were not already for parliamentary representation and other
reforms; and
3. That denial of equal rights can be compensated by strict dispensation of justice
 That Spain had to learn Philippine realities from Rizal’s new edition of Morga’s
Sucesos; and
 That if Spanish authorities will not listen to the Filipinos, the Philippines will be lost
through their own fault.
Rizal annotation consisted of 8 chapters (Guerrero, 1998). The first 7 chapters delved
on the events during the time of the first 11 governor-generals in the Philippines starting
from Legaspi to Acuña. The last chapter was focused on customs and usages of the
Filipinos. His notes were of three categories, namely: anti-clerical; sociological and
historical. Through his annotation, Rizal hoped that he could equal Blumentritt.

14. 3 MAIN PROPOSITIONS IN RIZAL’S NEW EDITION OF MORGA’S SUCESOS
 That the people of the Philippines had a culture of their own before the coming of the
Spaniards;
 That the Filipinos were decimated, demoralized, exploited and ruined by Spanish
colonization;
 The present state of the Philippines was not necessarily superior to its past.
With new edition of Morga’s Sucesos, Rizal was able to produce the first history book of the
Philippines, written for the Filipinos.
Founding Association La Solidaridad
 Asociation la Solidaridad- a patriotic society that work for reforms from the Spanish and
establish on December 31, 1888.
Officers :
Presidents- Galiciano Apacible
Vice- Pres- Graciano Lopez Jaena
Secretary- Manuel Sta. Maria
Treasurer- Mariano Ponce
Accountant- Jose Ma. Panganiban
 Rizal was chosen as honorary president even he is not present the organization of the society
and this implies that Rizal is already considered as leader by the Filipino
 On February 28, La Solidaridad was founded as a organ of the Propaganda Movement by
Graciano Lopez Jaena.

15. Aims of La Solidaridad
 To work peacefully for political and social reforms;
 To portray the deplorable conditions of the Philippines for Spain to redemy
them;
 To oppose the evil forces of the reaction and medievalism;
 To advocate liberal ideas and progress; and
 To champion the legitimate aspirations of the Filipino people to life,
democracy, and happiness.
La Solidaridad serve as an outlet to Rizal to express all his feeling and
thoughts fearlessly.
Los Agricultores Filipinos- first article written by Rizal that described the
deplorable conditions in the country which has brought it’s backwardness.

16. Other writings in London
 La Vision del Fray Rodriguez- reply to the attacks made by Fr.
Rodriguez on the Noli Me Tangere
 Letter to the Young women of Malolos- a letter that gives
advices to the young woman of Malolos and commended the
young woman for their courage.
 Rizal also contributed two articles in the Trubner’s Record, a
journal devoted to the literature of the East.
1. Specimens of Tagal Foklore- a collection of 14 proverbs, 8
puzzles and 2 verses.
2. Two Eastern Fables- compared a Japanese with that of a
Filipino fable

17. SHORT VISIT TO PARIS AND MADRID
 Rizal went to Paris in early of September 1888 in search for
historical materials in the Bibliotheque Nationale and Juan
Luna and Paz Pardo de Tavera- Luna was his host in the gay
city.
 He went to Madrid and Barcelona on Dec. 11, 1888.
 Rizal returned to London on Dec. 24, 1888 where he spent his
Christmas and New Year in Beckett Family.

18. Rizal left London for Paris on March 19, 1889 and
before he left, he carved fine and realistic sculptures
works: Prometheus Bound, Triumph of death over
life, Triumph of Science over death and composite
carving of the heads of Beckett sisters.
Rizal also received a gift from Mr. Beckett the book
entitled, “The life and Adventure of Valentine Vox.”

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