The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 16 of 55 / 1609 / Explorations by Early Navigators, Descriptions of the Islands and Their Peoples, Their History and Records of the Catholic Missions, as Related in Contemporaneous Books and Manuscripts, Showing the Political, Economic, Commercial and Religious Conditions of Those Islands from Their Earliest Relations with European Nations to the Close of the Nineteenth Century

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The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898
Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the close of the nineteenth century,
Edited and annotated by Emma Helen Blair and James Alexander Robertson with historical introduction and additional notes by Edward Gaylord Bourne.
Title-page of Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas (Mexici ad Indos, 1609), another edition of Morga's work; photographic reproduction of the facsimile presented in Zaragoza's edition (Madrid, 1887); from copy in possession of Edward E. Ayer, Chicago, which is supposed to be the only copy extant of Zaragoza's edition. View of corcoa (the vessel known as caracoa ); photographic facsimile of engraving in John Stevens's Collection of Voyages and Travels (London, 1711), i.—in Argensola's Discovery and conquest of the Molucco and Philippine Islands, p. 61; from copy in library of Wisconsin Historical Society. Autograph signature of Antonio de Morga; photographic facsimile from MS. in Archivo general de Indias, Sevilla. Title-page of Conqvista de las Islas Malvcas, by Bartolome Leonardo de Argensola (Madrid, 1609); photographic facsimile, from copy in library of Harvard University.
In the present volume is concluded the notable work by Morga, Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas , which was begun in Vol . XV. The reader is referred to the preface of that volume for some account of the book, and of the manner in which it is presented in this series. Another book notable in the history of the Philippines is that of Argensola, Conqvista de las Islas Molvcas (Madrid, 1609). In presenting here this work, the Editors follow the plan which proves to be more or less necessary with many of the printed early histories of the islands—that of translating in full only such parts of the book as relate directly to the Philippines, and are of especial value or importance; and furnishing a brief synopsis of all matter omitted, in order that the reader may survey the book as a whole, and understand the relations and connections of the parts that are presented in full with those that are synopsized. This method is rendered necessary by the limitations of this series in regard to space, especially as most of the old histories—as Aduarte's, San Agustin's, and La Concepción's—are exceedingly voluminous; and, moreover, devote much space to the affairs of Japan, China, and other countries outside the Philippines. All matter of this sort must of course, be omitted; and much of what remains is more useful for annotations, or is relatively unimportant for publication. The Editors consider, as do many other persons interested in this series, that it is desirable to present (especially in the early period of the Philippine history) the larger part of these documents from the manuscript and hitherto unpublished material largely conserved in foreign archives; and that the needs of students and investigators will thus be better served than by occupying the valuable and limited space of this series with complete translations of books which can be found in large American libraries. The location of all these will be noted, so far as is possible, in the volume devoted to bibliographical information at the end of this series; meanwhile the needs of most readers will be suitably met by the synopses of omitted matter and the free use of such works as those of La Concepción and San Antonio in annotations. The Editors purpose to present a few of these histories, especially in the earlier period, in very full form, so far as they cover Philippine history; for these are original sources, from which later writers obtained much of their material. These methods render this series unusually rich in valuable historical material, all carefully selected, and much of it greatly condensed by the excision of extraneous, irrelevant, and unimportant matter. The parts thus omitted and synopsized will be, as heretofore, indicated by enclosing the synopses in brackets.