31 January 1892

Rednaxela Terrace, Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, Rizal’s family makes many comparisons between British and Spanish colonial rule — Because of hatred of the friars, mother, sisters, and others have lost their faith and they do not want to return to the Philippines – Horrible picture of the ejectment of householders! – Poor Kalamba people! Thrown out of their houses, they pass the night outdoors – The Dominicans have forbidden the townspeople to give them lodging – Terrified they looked on while the government soldiers destroyed and burned down their houses! – Rizal’s third novel in Tagalog – On the virtues and defects of the Tagalogs – Ravages of influenza – Rizal treats many patients in Hong Kong.

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2 Rednaxela Terrace, Hong Kong

31 January 1892

Jose Rizal

My Brother,

Here we all live together – my parents, sisters, and brother – in peace, far from the persecutions they have suffered in the Philippines. They are very much satisfied with the English government. They observe everything and in many comparisons they make, they find many things that I could not have noticed. My father is even more severe in his judgment and he does not want to go back any more to the Philippines. He says: “I want to die here, I don’t want to return home; life there is unbearable for me.”

It is a grievous consequence of hatred of the friars that my aged mother, who was so devout and pious, now does not want to believe any more. She says that everything is deceit, the friars have neither faith nor religion. She wants to believe only in God and in the Virgin Mary, and in nothing more. And like my aged mother so are my sisters, and like them are many women of the Philippines. Look, Spain, look, Catholicism, at the immediate consequences of your policy.

It is horrible to describe the dreadful happenings that my family has witnessed in Kalamba – sick persons thrown out of their houses; entire families had to pass the night outdoors; the Dominicans forbade the rest of the townspeople to give the unfortunates lodging and hospitality. Terrified, some say how their houses were being destroyed and burned down by the government soldiers, some of whom refused to do it! Yes, I lost my hope in Spain. For that reason, I shall not write one more word for La Solidaridad. It seems to me it is in vain. All of us are voces clamantis in deserto dum omnes rapiunt.[1]

My brother is translating into Tagalog the Noli me tangere. He has already translated a lot. He will write you.

While I rest from my professional work, I write the third part of my book in Tagalog.[2] It deals only with Tagalog customs, exclusively of the usages, virtues, and defects of the Tagalogs. I am sorry I cannot write it in Spanish, for I have found a very beautiful theme. I want to write a novel in the modern sense of the term – an artistic and literary novel. This time I want to sacrifice politics and everything for art. If I wrote it in Spanish, then the poor Tagalogs to whom the work is dedicated, will not get to know it, though they may be the ones who need it most. What will the Europeans do with it? Perhaps they would only laugh and mock at our defects. The book gives me much difficulty, for many of my ideas cannot be expressed freely without my introducing many neologisms, and moreover I lack practice in writing Tagalog.

Here I practice as a physician and I have already some clients. I have here many patients suffering from influenza, which is an epidemic here. Through the newspaper I have learned that this sickness is causing ravages in Europe. I hope that you, as well as your esteemed family, may not suffer for this disease. Here at home my mother, a brother-in-law, and a sister are sick. Thank God they are now out of danger.

I have no more news to communicate to you.

Through the next mail the little Blumentritts will receive something.

Greetings to all the family.

Yours,

Rizal

03-699 [Reformists]