The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 18 of 55 / 1617-1620 / 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

by Unknown

Reforms Needed in the Filipinas

Sire:

Fernando de los Rios Coronel, procurator-general of the Filipinas Islands and of all their estates, declares that, inasmuch as all that community insisted that he come to inform your Majesty of the distressed condition which it has reached, and of what was advisable both for the service of your Majesty and that community’s conservation and advancement, he has come, for that reason, at the risk of his life, after suffering so great hardships, to serve your Majesty and those islands, for both of which services he has made this memorial of the most necessary matters that demand reform. Although he thinks that your governor, Don Alonso Fajardo, will remedy many of these things (inasmuch as that whole community writes that he is proceeding as its father), yet, since men are so liable to the possibility of death that most often the good lasts but a short time, and (as we all know by experience, for our sins), another may succeed who will inflict many injuries; and since before the complaints could reach your Majesty through so long a distance and the relief be sent, the men concerned might be dead: it is necessary to prevent the wrongs ere they come to be irremediable, as have been all those that have placed that country in so wretched a condition. He petitions your Majesty to examine this memorial with great consideration, for in [heeding] it consists the welfare and conservation of all the kingdom; for that country, being so far away, has no other remedy for its protection except your royal decrees. The first ten articles of the memorial were approved by your royal Audiencia, so that you may have no doubt of them. He did not inform the Audiencia of the others for just considerations, as was advisable—the city having given him instructions for most of them, which are those that he presents. In the authority that he has presented to your royal Council, the great trust reposed in his person has been evident; for he has served your Majesty and that community for more than thirty years, with so great a desire of acting rightly as is well known, and has never tried to further his own interests, as all [are wont to] do.

1. He declares that having obtained two decrees from your Majesty some years ago (while acting in this capital as procurator-general of the kingdom), with regard to the trading-ships, ordering that your governor and captain-general despatch them some time in the month of June, as the greater part of their success in the voyage consists in that, and as that country has no other fruits and harvests except that commerce, for its conservation and increase, and also for the increase of your royal treasury: not only have they not kept the said decrees but have even done the very opposite. Thence have followed very many great wrongs and annoyances; and that community is greatly exhausted for that reason, and your royal treasury deeply in debt. [This affects the community] not only in material possessions, but also in the loss of your vassals, many citizens and sailors having perished for that reason. Although it is believed that your governor and captain-general, Don Alonso Faxardo, will (as is judged by his method of proceeding), correct this matter, because he has entered upon his office with so good beginnings, still, as he is mortal, and as a person may succeed him who may not attend to this—as others of his predecessors have failed to do, as has been seen hitherto:

He petitions your Majesty to order that this command be observed inviolate. The most efficacious expedient would appear to be to place the governors under a heavy penalty, which they would incur whenever they did not observe it, and that it be made an important clause in their residencias.

2. Item: That your Majesty issued a decree in the year 605, granting favor to the citizens of that community, and ordering your governors that the posts in the trading-ships be given to the deserving citizens for their profit, and that many be rewarded with this. Inasmuch as this is very advantageous to your Majesty’s service and to the profit of trade, and inasmuch as the ex-governor always gave them to his relatives, and thus enriched them greatly, and the latter became very arrogant; and since, as this was the affair of the governor, no one dared to bring suit against them; and since this is greatly to the harm of the royal treasury, because they lade quantities of merchandise without registering it, and commit many illegal acts, and will continue always to commit them, for no one dares to speak plainly:

He petitions your Majesty to order the observance of the said decree by ordering the officials of your royal treasury, that should the governor appoint to such offices other persons than those whom your Majesty has ordered, no account be made of it in the royal books, that no salary be granted them, and that those appointed to these offices have their residencias taken at the end of the voyage; and that, until these shall be taken, they cannot be appointed to other posts.

3. Item: That your Majesty has granted to the citizens the toneladas of the said trading-ships, and that your governors allot these, to each one according to his rank and wealth. The citizens have been greatly injured in this, as happened in the year 613, when the governor despatched two small ships, and did not give the citizens one single tonelada; and under pretext of granting gratuities to retired officers, the citizens were obliged to buy space for their freight from those officers, at exorbitant prices. Further, he apportions a considerable number of toneladas to charitable institutions, so that they may sell the space and use, and the price obtained for it; and thus these toneladas are given to the great injury of the common welfare. The further disadvantage follows from this (besides defrauding the citizens of the reward given them by your Majesty) that the toneladas are sold to whomever will pay most for them, and they are bought for this reason by merchants who have companies in Mexico. Consequently, it is quite common for such men to own a great part of the said merchandise of the ships, and thus the citizens are deprived of the profits with which your Majesty has rewarded them.

He petitions your Majesty to order that these be not distributed at will, but that the orders given in this regard by your royal decrees be obeyed, and that the violation of your royal will in this be made a clause of the residencia, with the penalty that may be assigned to it.

4. Item: That your Majesty has ordered that four vessels be built for the trade, of 200 toneladas’ burden; and that two of them make voyages each year, while the other two remain in port getting ready for the next year.

He petitions your Majesty that they be not employed in other matters by your governors, unless it be an urgent necessity, as happened last year, when they went out to drive off the Dutch enemy who had besieged us. In such case the citizens themselves shall go out in them to defend the city, since the profit of the citizens is so necessary in order that that community may be settled, and have the sinews with which to defend and preserve itself. They shall not be sent to Maluco or any other district, since thus your Majesty is no less defrauded of your royal duties.

6. Item: It happens that your governor and captain-general has to send to Great China for ammunition and other articles very necessary for your royal service. In order not to anger the Portuguese of the city of Macan, the ships go to its port, although they could go to another. There they are compelled to buy through the Portuguese, and are not allowed to buy from the Chinese in the city of Canton, the Portuguese alleging that the Chinese would charge them excessive rates. But they, as we have experienced, buy the articles needed, and afterward oblige our agents to take them at excessive rates, reselling them to your Majesty to the great prejudice of your royal treasury. That happened in my presence when Don Juan de Silva sent Captain Francisco Lopez de Toledo for that purpose. He brought back the supplies at prices more than thrice their value. While I was acting as the said procurator in China, I bought nails for less than sixteen reals per pico, or five arrobas, and Toledo brought them hither at fifty-six; and other things after this manner, because the Portuguese compelled him to buy through them.

He petitions your Majesty to issue a royal decree, so that the persons sent on a similar commission by your governor may buy freely; and, where they cannot buy freely, they may make another port, where they can trade with the Chinese; and that the governor send an experienced and practiced person on this errand.

7. Item: Inasmuch as the ships built in the Filipinas cause your Majesty great expense, and have ruined and exhausted the natives; and inasmuch as your Majesty owes them a great sum of money from the time of Don Juan de Silva, for their personal services and things that he took by force from them: it is very advisable, not only for your royal service, but also for your royal conscience, to relieve them from so great oppression.

He petitions your Majesty to order your governors that they be prohibited from doing this, and that they send to Yndia to have the said ships built; for besides their incomparably greater cheapness there, one built there lasts as long as ten built in Filipinas, because the woods in Yndia are incorruptible. In this your Majesty will save a great sum of ducados, and the natives will be relieved of so much hardship. For that a decree from your royal Council of Portugal is needed, and it should be charged upon the governor of Filipinas to do this with the mildness and prudence advisable. If it is desired it can be easily effected, and it is of great importance. Of all this he has more minutely treated in clause 7 (which corresponds to this clause) in the memorial which he brings approved from Filipinas.

8. Item: He petitions your Majesty to do him the favor to order the viceroy of Nueva España[1] not to allow a vessel to go thither from Japon (which is a most serious evil), and to order that gate to be closed; and, inasmuch as the Japanese do not know how to navigate without a Spanish pilot and sailors, to have an edict published forbidding such persons under severe penalties (which he [i.e., Coronel] does not declare, because he is a priest) from sailing in such ships to Nueva España. For that, in another guise, means to teach a barbarous nation how to navigate, and is rash, and opens the gate to many evils, for which afterward there will be no remedy. It will even be advisable to order father Fray Luis Sotelo not to go to Japon, for he was the one who began this, and it may be feared that he will further it.

9. Item: There is no entrance to the city of Manila except by the mouth of the bay, and the Dutch enemy is wont to seize that mouth, and not allow any ship to enter or leave—as has happened thrice, namely, the years of 10, 15, and 17—thereby placing the city in great straits. But it may be presumed that this can be remedied by opening up two rivers—one in Zambales, called the river of Tarla; and the other in Laguna de Bombon, where it was resolved in the former year of 17 that some one should go to examine it, because of their great need—although this was not effected on account of the success obtained in driving away the enemy.

He petitions your Majesty, for the reasons here stated, to order the governors to consider that matter and examine this matter, and to charge themselves with it, as it is a thing of so great importance; and, if it be feasible, to put it into execution with the mildness and skill that is advisable, without injuries to, or extortions on, the natives; and that they send for that purpose a prudent and competent person. For, if the Spaniards possess these routes, the enemy can do no harm to the city, nor prevent it from being supplied with all necessaries. Besides, this is of the highest importance for the service and accommodation of the mines that have been ordered to be opened; and it will avoid the loss of many Spanish and native vessels that are continually being lost.[2]

15. Item: Inasmuch as the Indians of the islands of Mindanao and others near by are declared enemies and are in insurrection, and have embraced the religion of Mahomet; and inasmuch as they have confederated with the Dutch, and committed incredible depredations on the vassals of your Majesty, both Spaniards and natives, and there is no security there:

He petitions your Majesty to charge your governor straitly to try to punish them, and to attend to that carefully, since it is of so great importance; and inasmuch as it will be of great help in facilitating this, to declare those people to be the slaves of whomever captures them in war, since through the greed of gain the natives will help willingly, and the soldiers will go much more eagerly. He petitions that you have your governor proclaim them as such, establishing the above facts with sufficient investigation, and justice on the part of your Majesty to order it; and that this be done quickly, since it is so advisable to your royal service and the security of your vassals.

16. item: That whenever any cause that concerns the governor or any of your auditors or the fiscal is to be voted on in the sessions of your royal Audiencia, he petitions your Majesty to order that such persons shall not be present at the meeting; for their presence is very undesirable, and the execution of your royal justice is obstructed. In regard to this, many disorderly acts have followed, as has happened when opponents have left the session, and even offensive words have been bandied.

17. Item: That your Majesty order that neither governors nor auditors send people thence to this court. That is very annoying, as has been seen in the one sent by Don Juan de Silva.

18. Item: Your Majesty is served by the Indian natives as soldiers in Maluco and other regions—who, as we know by experience, serve very faithfully; and so long as they are at the war, they cannot attend to their fields and sustain their households. And in the repartimientos which are generally made by the governors, both in personal services and in food, the chiefs and cabezas [de barangay], through whom the apportionment is made, practice great cruelty on the wives of those soldiers upon whom they make the said repartimientos, thus giving occasion for the women to sell their children, or to take to evil ways.

He therefore petitions your Majesty that such repartimientos be not made on women whose husbands are thus engaged in the war in your Majesty’s service, and that they pay no tribute until their husbands return—also making this concession to those whose husbands shall have died in the war; for not only will this be a service to your Majesty and to our Lord, but the natives will thus be encouraged to go to service willingly, and many wrongs will be avoided.

19. Item: That the jurisdiction of ecclesiastical affairs in the islands of Maluco is subject to Eastern India. Innumerable troubles result from the archbishop of Goa having to place ministers there, who, being of another nation and under another prelate, act very badly.

He petitions your Majesty to grant him the favor to decide that this jurisdiction be subject to the bishop of Cibu, who is the nearest one, and that ministers be provided thence—which can be done easily, as it is so near, while it is done very inadequately from India.

20. Item: In regard to the trading-ships between Filipinas and Nueva España and the numerous things worthy of reform (which is advisable both for the royal treasury of your Majesty and for the community, and for the avoidance of many death of the seamen), that which it is advisable straitly to charge and order your governor is the following:

That the accommodations given the commander be moderated, conforming to the capacity of the ships. We have seen them during those years laden by the commanders with a third of the cargo, because they are relatives of the governor, under pretext of having a dispensation of taking the space of fifty toneladas.

20 [sic]. Item: That the said commanders, admirals, and masters, give the residencia for their posts before being appointed to others, which your Majesty has ordered by a decree of the year 604.

Item: That the masters in the port of Capulco [i.e., Acapulco], in addition to the duties that are paid to your Majesty, charge excessive prices for the guards of the boxes, barrels, and other articles of merchandise, without anything being due them; and these fees were not formerly charged, because their office is given to them for that purpose, and that duty [of guarding freight] is annexed to it. He petitions your Majesty to order the royal Audiencia of Manila, or the governor, to set the price that they can charge; and, if they exceed that price, those aggrieved can make claim in the residencia.

21. Item: That your Majesty be pleased to order your governor to be careful, in the muster-roll of sailors and common seamen made out by the royal officials, that all such be efficient; for it happens that a ship may take sixty sailors, thirty of whom are men who have been named as sailors without any knowledge of their duties, but only by favor. Then in times of need there are not any to work, and the few who do understand it cannot attend to the work, which should be divided among so many. Consequently there is signal danger, because the voyage is so long and difficult.

22. Item: That it be ordered that the common seamen who serve in the said ships, who are always Indian natives, be all men of that coast, who are instructed how to navigate; and that they be made to wear clothes, with which to shelter themselves from the cold; for, because they do not, most of them die in high latitudes, of which he [the writer] is a witness. Inasmuch as the factor enrolls other Indians who live in the interior, and who do not know the art of sailing, and as they are a wretched people, they are embarked without clothes to protect them against the cold, so that when each new dawn comes there are three or four dead men (a matter that is breaking his heart); besides, they are treated inhumanly and are not given the necessaries of life, but are killed with hunger and thirst. If he were to tell in detail the evil that is done to them, it would fill many pages. He petitions your Majesty to charge your governor straitly to remedy this.

Item: That inasmuch as the kitchens where the food is cooked are not located in the first part of the forecastle, as is seen in [ships on] these seas, but in the waist; and inasmuch as at the first storm the sea carries them away, after which each one cooks his food in his messroom where he can make a fire (and it is a miracle from God that the ships are not burned)—he petitions your Majesty to order your governor to remedy that, since he is so excellent a sailor. The reason for that abuse is that the officials appropriate the largest storerooms of the ships.

23. Item: That slave women be not conveyed in the ships, by which many acts offensive to God will be avoided. Although that is prohibited by your royal decree, and it is also entrusted to the archbishop to place upon them the penalty of excommunication and to punish them, this evil has not been checked; and many sailors—and even others, who should furnish a good example—take slave women and keep them as concubines. He knew a certain prominent official who carried with him fifteen of these women; and some were delivered of children by him, while others were pregnant, which made a great scandal.

24. Item: That no sailor, and no passenger unless he be a person of rank, be allowed to take more than one male slave; for they load the ships with slaves who eat the provisions, and steal whatever they lay hands on, besides the risk that is run of a plague being started by them. He also petitions your Majesty that the fifty pesos paid as duty on each slave be moderated, and that these imposts be paid according to the tariff in España; and that these duties be paid in the port of Capulco—where by selling the slaves, their owners may have the wherewithal to pay the imposts; for it is a great inconvenience to pay them in Manila. For that reason, great deceits are practiced on the royal treasury now; for they take the slaves without being registered, because of the high amount of the duties, and are allowed to take them off at the port [of Acapulco] for twenty pesos. If the said duties were moderated, and paid in the port, no one would take them without registering them, especially since the said slaves serve and aid the sailors in their necessities, and your Majesty gives them no allowance of either food or water. Consequently in no part of the Indias is so large a duty paid.

25. Item: Inasmuch as the good treatment of the sailors is so important, in order that they may be inclined to go there, since there is so great need of them, he petitions your Majesty to order that good treatment be shown them, and they be given leave to take away their boxes in which they carry their clothing and certain small wares freely, without having to open them. For in this matter the guards practice many extortions on them, and take away their little possessions, and harass them so that many refuse to return, and many acts of oppression are practiced.

26. Item: Inasmuch as the officials of the vessels, such as commander, master, boatswain, etc., lade a quantity of merchandise beyond the share given them, and overload the ships by occupying the place of the ship’s stores in the storerooms and magazines; and inasmuch as this cannot be checked, as has been seen: there is no other remedy unless your Majesty order the clerk of the register not to receive on the register more than only the allotment of shares that your governor makes; for he proportions the cargo which the vessel can carry, in accordance with its need, and anything more only overloads the ship. But if these goods were not admitted to register, the officials would not dare to lade them, because of the great risk of their being seized as smuggled goods. Consequently great losses would be avoided by proceeding in the above manner.

Item: That neither your governor nor auditors and fiscal be allowed to act as godfathers to the citizens; for that involves very great annoyances, as that kingdom is so new, and as all make claims.

27. Item: That it is the practice or abuse that fowls are given to your governor, auditors, and other officials of the royal Audiencia at lower prices than are current; and that the governor of the Chinese is ordered for that purpose to allot the share of all [the Chinese], and each one is obliged to give weekly so many fowls at a certain low price, and he who does not give them is punished and fined. The worst thing is that on this occasion the governor of the Chinese steals as many more, at the same price. That amounts to a vast sum; for, since there is no other flesh eaten except beef and pork, these fowls amount by the end of the year to more than twenty thousand. In this way signal injury is done to the Chinese.

They also provide their houses with rice, which is the usual bread; and they take it as well as other things from your royal storehouses, at the prices for which they are given to your Majesty as tributes. It results that your Majesty’s treasury, in the course of the year, encounters a deficiency of supplies, on account of the great expense, and these must be bought afterward at very high rates. He mentioned this so that your Majesty should provide what may be deemed advisable; for it is a pity to see your Majesty’s treasury poorly administered, since it is so necessary there.[3]

28. Item: Inasmuch as certain regidors of the city have their encomiendas in the Pintados Islands and other districts, and as the governors, in order to annoy them, command them to go to live on the encomiendas, thus obliging them to leave their offices, to their own great loss and inconvenience; and as that is even the cause of their being unable to exercise their offices with freedom, in order not to anger the governor: he petitions your Majesty that, if your governor thus urge a regidor to go to live [there] in person, he may maintain in the said encomienda a soldier in his stead, since it is the same thing; and it shall be understood that he is under no further obligation. The same also is to be understood with the leading citizens of Manila.

29. Item: That your governor of Filipinas, in recent years, requested from your viceroy of Nueva España many kinds of supplies, such as rigging. One year they carried him fifty thousand pesos’ worth of it; but the freight charged for carrying it from one sea to the other alone amounted to a vast sum of money, and the rigging arrived at the islands rotten and useless. For ten thousand pesos, the Indians would make twice as much as what cost fifty thousand pesos. He sent for damask for the flag to the sea of Damascus; and six varas of it cost less than one in Nueva España. He sends for garbanzos, habas, biscuit, soap, and many other things, which cost their weight in money; and when they reach the islands, they are rotten and useless. Those things can be provided in the Filipinas with great advantages; and where your Majesty spends one thousand, they can be bought there for one hundred. And, as above stated, there are many other articles besides those I have mentioned—such as flour for the hosts, which in the islands costs less per quintal than does the freight alone for carrying it from the port of Capulco. He sends for preserves for the sick, who never taste them. All the above can be very well avoided, and it is enough to send money, and to order that these articles be provided there. Your Majesty would have saved in these last eight years more than five hundred thousand ducados; for those who have the handling of most of those things profit greatly from them.

29 [sic]. Item: Inasmuch as some religious commit great excesses in making repartimientos among the Indians for works that they invent for the natives; and also take from them their fowls, swine, and other food at a less price and inflict on the Indians great injuries and vexations, not only in regard to food, but also to increase their own profits:

He petitions your Majesty to order your governor, as protector [of the Indians], to check those excesses—and the archbishop as well, since he may have in this respect a better opportunity to check them; for some of the religious cause more injury to the natives than could be told here. It is extremely important that this evil be stopped, and that the religious be not served by the Indians, unless they pay the latter their just wage; and that, unless they have permission from your governor, they shall not make repartimientos on the Indians, nor make them serve on their works.[4]

30. Item: That there are four orders of religious in those islands—those of St. Dominic, St Francis, and St. Augustine, and the Society of Jesus—and they are well known there. On account of the trouble caused by other orders going there, and the necessity of having to make new allotments for mission work, he petitions your Majesty that no other orders may go there—even though they be the same orders in name, under pretext that they are of another mode of living; for Fray Luis Sotelo endeavored to introduce there the calced friars in the Order of St. Francis, while the people are well contented with the discalced friars. And the other orders should be made to understand that the land is very new, and does not need so many different kinds of religious.[5]

31. Item: Many Chinese marry native Indian women, and become Christians and live near the city of Manila. Their only occupation is as retailers of goods. If they were to be gathered into one place, in a location that should be given them where they could build a town, in order to cultivate the land and sow it (for they are excellent farmers, and there is so much fallow land that might be given them), not only would they be very useful to the community, but numerous troubles that follow, because they are hucksters and retail the food, would be avoided. This is especially desirable because in this manner they will become more domestic and peaceable; and, since the number of those born is thus increasing, the city will not have so much security as if they were collected together, nor can this be done hereafter so easily as now. He petitions your Majesty to charge your governor to do this, by the best plan that offers.

32. Great difficulty arises from the governors placing in the city magistracy relatives or dependents of his household, or those of the auditors. Because a certain ex-governor did that, nothing was enacted in the cabildo that he did not know, and of which he was not informed. Consequently the cabildo does not proceed with any liberty, nor does any one dare talk with Christian freedom, or defend the community in grave cases. He petitions your Majesty to order that such persons be disqualified to act as regidors, or as alcaldes or scriveners of cabildo (which has resulted in the same difficulty).

Item: Your Majesty granted favor to those islands and their inhabitants, so that they might be encouraged to work gold mines of which only the tenth part of the product should be paid for twenty years, which time is about at an end. He petitions your Majesty to grant that country favor for another twenty years, so that the operation of the mines may be better established.

33. In regard to the inspection of the Chinese vessels, when they come with their merchandise, your governor appoints an inspector. The ex-governor was wont to appoint a member of his household. On that account notable wrongs have been committed; but no one has dared to demand justice against the inspectors, because they are such persons. He petitions your Majesty to order that this post be filled by one of the alcaldis-in-ordinary—who, inasmuch as they understand the great importance of conserving that trade, and as it is a matter that grieves them, will show the Chinese good treatment, since it is incumbent upon those officials to consider the interests of their community.

34. Item: That the trading-ships that navigate to Nueva España have sometimes not been despatched, for personal purposes of the former governors, which is to the great injury of your royal treasury and of the citizens, since those ships are the sinews of that community. He petitions your Majesty to order your governor to prevent such a thing, so that, unless compelled by a very great necessity, the annual despatch be not neglected.

35. Item: He petitions your Majesty to order your governor not to exclude the regidors of the city from appointments in accordance with their merits, since they derive no profit from the city magistracy, and are serving the community.

36. Item: He petitions that your Majesty be pleased to order that religious be provided, belonging to the orders there, for there is great need of them

37. Item: The maintenance of commerce with the Chinese, and the good treatment of those from that nation who dwell in those islands, are of so great importance that that community cannot be maintained without them (as they practice all the trades needed by a city), and it is advisable to treat them well. But your governor, Don Juan de Silva, after having levied upon them so great a tax as the annual payment of nine reals of eight for permission to remain in the country (which meant, however, to impose this tax on the citizens, since because of it all prices were raised), besides this made them render personal services, by which they were sorely vexed. He therefore petitions your Majesty to order your governor to treat the Chinese as well as possible, and to exempt them from those personal services, which are a greater burden on them than are the licenses. This should be done, also, since they are foreigners, and remain voluntarily; and, moreover, since there is so great need of the kind and just treatment and equity which should be extended toward foreigners for their conversion, inasmuch as the miracles which in those regions secure conversion are good examples.

38. Item: That about two thousand Japanese generally reside in that city; and that, as trading ships come annually, many Japanese remain there. But they are not only of no use to the community, but a signal danger, since they have three or four times placed the city in danger of being ruined. In this last encounter with the Dutch, Japanese went to them who gave them information; and on the day of the battle a company of them who fled from Manila went to help the enemy. He petitions your Majesty to show that kingdom the favor to order straitly that no Japanese remain there; but that those who go there every year must return to their own country.

39. Item: Inasmuch as the Indian natives have been so ruined by the past shipbuilding, and your Majesty is indebted to them, for personal services and things taken from them by Don Juan de Silva for your royal service, more than one million [pesos]: he petitions your Majesty to order your governors that now and henceforth they shall endeavor most carefully to avoid, as far as possible, harassing the Indians; and that they shall also avoid the building of galleons, since, as stated in another memorial, these can be brought from India at a much less cost to your Majesty; and that an effort be made to remunerate the natives for a part of the debt due them.

40. Item: He petitions your Majesty to command that a copy of the commercial decrees be given him, that he obtained formerly when he was in this court in this same office; for the last governor took possession of the decrees when the packet in which they were sent to the city fell into his hands, and refused to give them up, but kept them.

Most potent sire:

The procurator of the Filipinas declares that, having to descant upon the matters of that kingdom that need remedy and reform, both for the service of your Highness and for the welfare of that kingdom; and as he had considered and discussed them before leaving that kingdom; and considering his many years of experience, which best demonstrates what is needful for that kingdom’s prosperity: the first thing that occurs to him is the following.

First: That the cabildo of the city of Manila, inasmuch as certain of the regidors are appointed by the governor and at times from his own household, suffers very great troubles because they are unable, when discussing the common welfare in the said cabildo, to do it freely, or to advise your Highness of what is expedient, because those persons tell it to your governor. And, as is often necessary, if they have to write the truth of what is occurring, if it is against the governor, they know that he will hear of it, and will be angry at them, as has sometimes occurred; and he has even arrested them, and has spoken to them roughly and harshly. Inasmuch as the said governor is the soul of that community, and the one who must reward their services, and is even the cause that nothing but what he wishes is done and written; and inasmuch as many times certain prominent persons and leading men refuse to act as regidors, and those persons who would be very desirable to retain therein have left the cabildo:

I petition and supplicate your Highness that those who enter the said cabildo because of the absence or death of those who are now members be appointed by the entire royal Audiencia. Those appointed shall be nominated by the said cabildo and the said royal Audiencia shall select one of the two who shall be nominated; and your governor shall be unable to remove him, just as if he were appointed by your Highness. By this method this trouble will end, and a confirmation of this request should be sent.

Item: Inasmuch as the said regidors do not have any profits, and as, on that account, those who it is important should be regidors refuse to act: if they were assigned some just reward they would be eager to defend their community. This reward could take the shape of one-half tonelada for each regidor, in addition to his allotment in each ship. Consequently, they would be encouraged to work and would oppose the difficulties that arise.

Item: Will your Highness please grant me a royal decree that the governor may not compel the said cabildo to go to his house to hold their meetings; but that they always hold them, as is usual and customary, in the said city hall, so that they may freely discuss what is advisable for your Highness’s service and that of your community. For sometimes the governor has ordered the regidors to meet in his house to hold a session of cabildo, contrary to the privileges of the city.

Further, I petition your Highness to give me also a duplicate of the royal decrees which have been drawn for the last ten years in favor of that kingdom, so that, having them in its possession, they may be executed when expedient.

Item: When the insurrection of the Sangleys occurred, there were many houses near the walls, whence they did us much mischief until these were destroyed. Your governor, Don Pedro de Acuña, ordered that no edifice be built within three hundred paces of the wall. Will your Highness please to have the ordinance of your governor confirmed for the city’s perpetual defense.

Item; That the orders and monasteries have established several settlements about Manila, so that they can keep Indians in service for their own works, causing the said Indians to be reserved from personal services. For this purpose they depopulate the encomiendas, and bring the people to Manila, and those settlements become dens of thieves and vagabonds, and of hucksters and retailers who buy provisions at wholesale for their retail trade, and enhance their cost; and commit many offenses against God. I petition and supplicate your Highness to order that those settlements be broken up, that the Indians go to their own districts, and that only one dozen Indians remain for each monastery.

Item: Inasmuch as the care and vigilance that should be exercised toward foreigners is of great importance for the security of that kingdom, so that it may not again suffer a disaster like the last—especially toward the Chinese nation, with whom more risk is run, since they are very greedy and cunning, and are bribers who easily corrupt the judges with bribes and gifts: therefore, in order to remedy this now and henceforth, it is advisable that a competent, energetic, and disinterested person be chosen in that community, who shall have under his charge that duty of cleansing the country and giving licenses to those Chinese who are to stay, and he shall be accompanied by a regidor. Inasmuch as, were the appointment of such person in charge of the governor alone, it might, as it is an office of profit and honor, be given to some of his servants or followers, or as an investment, it is necessary that the selection of such person be made by the entire royal Audiencia and the cabildo of the city; since it is of so great importance, as it is the weightiest affair of that community. Since so many will take part in the election, they will cast their eyes on a person who is suitable for this post. To such person the most ample commission must be given, and he shall proceed as is the custom in war against criminals; for in any other way, were opportunity given for appeals and suits, he would accomplish no good. I know that from my own experience, as a person who had that duty in charge for four years, and who labored arduously in it.

Item: That your Highness order straitly that no person keep Sangleys in his house or allow them to sleep inside the city under any consideration (for in that matter I accept no person of that community); and that the said judge may punish such transgressors with heavy penalties, without any one being able to prevent him.

Item: It is fully as advisable that no Japanese be [allowed in the city], which is a great cause of trouble. For they are, on the one hand, a warlike race, and easily come to blows with the Spaniards, for they will not suffer ill-treatment. Consequently they have sometimes risen against us, and have seized arms. This has occurred because some soldiers have desired to harm or injure them, whereupon they, to revenge themselves, seize certain cutlasses that they carry, and begin to assemble together. They may place us in exceeding great danger. On the other hand, if we are careless in permitting them, many Japanese will come. We are in great danger, besides, lest some take to the highways, for among those who come from those kingdoms of Japon are many who have fled for crimes, and who have no right to return to their country. Likewise [it is advisable to restrict their coming] in order to preserve the friendship of the emperor; since, if we do not retain them in that kingdom, there will be no occasion for any event of treachery that should force us to break friendship with him. I petition your Highness to order this straitly, and that the said judge also have it in charge.

Item: There are certain depositories in the said islands called “commons” [comunidades], in which each Indian places one-half fanega of rice at the annual harvest season. Those commons were ordained with the object and purpose that they might serve the said natives in time of need, by relieving the poor and lending to other needy persons, who return it at the harvest. The plan would have been of great importance had that end been secured; but what actually occurs is, that the alcaldes-mayor sell the rice, or appropriate and loan it, and never return it. And between the stewards and the religious for feasts of the village (for they are those who have charge of the Indians of the missions), at the end of the year all the rice has been used, so that the needs of the poor Indians are not succored. That waste can well be avoided; and they regard it as another very large tribute. Therefore, it is advisable for the service of God and the welfare of those poor natives that your Highness order the said commons to be suppressed. If it be necessary to keep them, it is advisable that the governor of the Filipinas order that there be one reliable steward in each one, who shall have charge of the said depository; that no magistrate or religious put into or take out of the said commons; and that during any time of necessity the rice be lent to the poor; and at the harvest it be paid in kind. If this were to be put into execution, it would be of great importance, according to an opinion that I expressed on this matter in the Filipinas. If the above plan were observed in the commons round about Manila, some forty in number, there might be, as a result, one hundred thousand fanegas of rice or more on the occasion of any sudden need, which could be placed within the city very speedily; for, as the city has no depository, the greatest danger of the Spaniards, in case any enemy besiege them, lies in their capture through famine. With this the remedy would be secure, and at the same time the Indians would be fed and aided in their needs. When it was expected to place this plan in execution, the said governor sent three of his servants, with a salary of seventy reals to be paid by the commons. Those men, who consisted of judge, alguacil-mayor, and clerk, remained at each commons, balancing accounts and making investigations until all the contents were used up on their said salaries. Consequently, they established order or agreement in nothing, and all remained as before. For this reason, then, affairs are going to pieces; for men are not sought for the offices, but offices to accommodate whomever the governor desires.

Item: That many posts for alcaldes and corregidors have been created by making two such districts out of what was formerly one, so that the governor could accommodate persons to whom he was under obligations. That is much to the cost of the Indians, and [an offense] to God and to my conscience; for the multiplication of those offices means the multiplication of those who destroy the Indians and inflict innumerable injuries upon them. I petition and supplicate your Highness to order the said corregidors’ and alcaldes’ districts remade as they formerly were.

Item: That the governor be warned to endeavor to avoid, as far as possible, the injuries inflicted upon the natives in the cutting of wood and in personal services; for they sometimes draft them in the planting season or at harvest, so that they lose their fields, as I have seen. In addition to this, many times they do not pay the Indians, because there is no money in the treasury, which is continually short of funds. This often arises from the fact that they do not estimate and consider the needs of the Indians with the amount of money that is available; and consequently all the Indians complain. Finally, when the said Indians are paid, it is done by the hand of the chiefs or cabezas de barangay, who generally keep the money. Will your Highness be pleased to order the governor and royal officials to avoid the above grievances as much as possible; and when it is necessary for the Indians to perform any personal labor, which consists generally in the cutting of wood, to see that it be when they are not busied in their fields—for that can generally be avoided—and that they be paid the just wage, and that promptly. For acting in any other way burdens your royal conscience, since those who perform such service are very poor, and do not dare to ask for their pay, if it is not given them. Consequently they very often do not receive it. In this way are they much burdened by personal services.

Item: Considering the nature of the Indians, who are generally indolent and lazy—inasmuch as the religious have always forbidden them to pay the tributes in kind, insisting that they be allowed to choose for themselves in what they wish to pay it, consequently the rate of living has risen greatly. The country is steadily going to ruin because the Indians are not compelled to pay in kind; for they refuse to plant or cultivate, and all engage in mercantile pursuits, seeing that they can easily gain the ten reals which is the amount of their tribute. Although the effort has been made to remedy this by another way—namely, by official visits from the alcaldes-mayor, in order that they may rear fowls and plant fields, the result of that has been to strip them of their possessions. For when the alcaldes-mayor go to inspect them (that is, every four months), and do not find the fowls that they have ordered the Indians to rear, they sentence them to a pecuniary fine. Such is the Indian that he does not take warning from that, nor will he work unless he knows that he must pay the tribute in kind. Moreover, it often occurs that the justices themselves take from the Indian the fowls that he has reared; and then when they go to visit him and he does not have them, they punish him with stripes and fines. Thus they practice many injustices against the Indian; but, if he knew that he had to pay in kind, he would rear the fowls as formerly.

Item: There is one abuse very worthy of correction, which is, that the religious and alcaldes-mayor keep certain Indians in service, whom the village grants weekly, and who are called tanores. Those Indians have to serve for nothing, which is contrary to justice and their rights. This was introduced from the custom in Nueva España. Will your Highness be pleased to order that the said tamores [sic] be suppressed, or that they be paid for their toil. For they make use of such Indians, and manage to be well served at others’ expense. It is also the custom to give fish freely on Friday, at the cost of the village, to the alcaldes-mayor and also to the religious.

Item: That the royal Audiencia shall not try the suits of the Indians in the first instance; for all the cases are brought before the Audiencia, and the Indians spend all their substance with lawyers and attorneys, and even go into debt, for they are fond of litigation. And since suits conducted by audiencias last so long, the Indians spend all their substance, which means the ruin of the country. Since your Highness has ordered that such suits be tried summarily and orally, will your Highness be pleased to order that that decree be observed; and that the alcaldes-mayor and justices try in the first instance, and in the second in a case fully proven, so that the Audiencia may give sentence therein, and despatch the suits quickly.

Item: That, although your Highness has ordered that the Indians be not fined pecuniarily, your order is disregarded, especially by certain officials of the doctrinas [i.e., missions]. There is considerable abuse in this matter that deserves remedy. In some districts, also, very large fees are collected. Will your Highness be pleased to order this remedied, I mean the taking in some districts of these fees by officials of the doctrinas.[6]

Item: The governors have appointed captains, masters-of-camp, and all sorts of military officers among the natives. They allow them to have company colors, and finally are teaching them how to fight after our manner. That means, even if we should need the Indians, naught else than to awaken one who sleeps, until what he has practiced becomes his purpose.

Item: The Portuguese of Malaca carry to the islands many slaves—negroes, for the most part. Those are generally the worst ones that they have, and they are drunkards, thieves, and fugitives, who take to highway robbery; and they endanger the country considerably, because of their number. Will your Highness be pleased to order that no one of the said negroes or slaves be carried thither, when twelve years old or over, under penalty of confiscation; and that that order be rigorously executed.

Item: That when the governor or auditors leave their offices they give their residencias in person; for this is of great importance, so that they may have fear in giving the residencia.[7] It it also advisable that public suits, both civil and criminal, be prosecuted and concluded in course of appeal and petition in the royal Chancillería of Manila; for it disheartens all to have to come so many thousands of leguas, or to send with so great expense and hardship. Consequently their grievances continue; and many, although they seek redress, have not the means to obtain it. The said governors, inasmuch as they represent your Highness, should treat the citizens with respect, and not use abusive language to them, nor insult and affront them—as they have often done, so that certain men have all but died of grief. The governors have even exposed the citizens to great danger, by not treating them well by word of mouth. Will your Highness please order the said governors to be very restrained; and, should any merit it, that he be punished as your Highness has ordered by your laws.

Item: Because of the increase of business in the city of Manila, and the number of inhabitants, it is necessary for the proper despatch of business to have one or two more notaries-public.

In regard to the prompt despatch and equipment necessary for your Highness’s two vessels that sail on that line with the trade and merchandise of that kingdom for Nueva España (which involves the most important affairs of that kingdom), the reform and careful management required by that despatch are very necessary and worthy of great consideration; for during the last ten years they have managed that just as they pleased, most often despatching the ships beyond the time when they were formerly despatched, and often poorly equipped and overladen. Consequently many vessels were wrecked with a great amount of property, in which your Highness has also lost much. And the citizens of Manila, when they might be very prosperous and wealthy, are, thanks to him who has despatched the vessels, very needy and poor—so much so, that they could not collect a gratuity to give me. Since it is a matter of so great importance, if your Highness be pleased to order the observance of the plan that I shall set forth in these articles, as a person who has so great experience in it, and which has been for some time in my charge, the necessary remedy will be applied in the following manner.

First, that the ships be despatched by the middle of June, and that this be an inviolable law; that a fine of six thousand pesos be imposed on the governor, to which your Highness shall immediately condemn him if he do not despatch them then. The reason why this is so necessary is because the vendavals generally set in at some time in the month of June; and if they catch the ship in the port, it cannot sail until that first monsoon passes. That usually lasts fifteen or twenty days, or one month. If they are caught outside during this weather, they can sail until they reach the district and altitude where they find the usual winds, with which they can make their said voyage easily. Consequently, they will pass Japon, which is the point where all the difficulties of the said voyage lie, with good weather. If the said monsoon ceases, and the ships are caught inside the bay, as a general thing another wind, the brisa, begins to blow, so that they are detained. Consequently, when they make the said voyage, and reach the neighborhood of Japon, it is already September or October. Accordingly it is necessary to run great risks, and they must suffer many storms, with which the ships lose their rigging, are wrecked, or have to put into port in distress. If they proceed on their course, inasmuch as they encounter the rigor of winter, and because of their high altitude and their departure from a warm land, many men die; their gums decay and their teeth fall out.[8] If so great severity is not exercised, this matter will not be remedied.

Item: The ships sail very unevenly, and heavily laden, so that one-half the ship’s stores are left above decks; and as the sailors are unable to attend to necessary duties or to move about in the ships, in the first storm the stores are all carried into the sea; and the men left without necessary food, especially live fowls, which means their very life. On account of their heavy cargoes they are unable to set all sail or to resist squalls, so that they founder, put into port in distress, are wrecked, or are long delayed on the voyage.

Again they often sail poorly repaired, because of the fault of the shore-master [patron de ribera] who has charge of them. It is necessary to remove him from that post; but, although the city has tried to do so, it has been unable to secure redress. Thus, it is said, the ship “San Antonio,” which was wrecked in the year six hundred and four, carried rotten timbers throughout; and in it were drowned over three hundred persons. That said year of six hundred and four, General Don Diego de Mendoça made port in distress, and gave the information of which I present a copy here; he said that he was carrying rotten masts. Inasmuch as this matter is very long, it will not be discussed here; for, as I am a priest, it is not advisable for me to do so. In order that the neglect that there has been in this matter may be seen, never have the governors or royal officials investigated who has been the cause, or why the ships have put back in distress or have been wrecked; for that would mean to make a report against themselves. More than four of them would have been punished rigorously had they made reports, and had your Highness known the culprits.

Item: Inasmuch as the said ships sail so unevenly laden, the seamen do not have protection from water and cold. Consequently, they fall sick, and it has even occurred that they die and are frozen, which is great inhumanity. It is very pitiful to see what occurs in that navigation.

Item: The fireplaces in which the food is cooked are left above deck, open to water and air, where the first storm carries them off. It becomes necessary after that to make a fire in earthen jars in various parts of the ship, at a very great risk of all perishing and the ship burning—besides the fact that if it rains they cannot cook their food. For all this it is necessary for your Highness to order that the ships of the said line that shall be built shall carry the fireplaces under the forecastle, and as is the custom in this line of the Yndias; and that the storerooms of the officers of the ship do not occupy that space. The officers sell the storerooms to the passengers for considerable money, and stow goods in them, which is not among the least of all the troubles.

Item: That the freight and cargo that the said ships must contain be stowed in the first hold, and that between decks shall be only the ship’s stores, the chests of the sailors, the messrooms, rigging, sails, and all necessary supplies. They should carry even rigging for the port of Acapulco, since there is rigging at Manila which is very cheap; and then your Highness will not have to spend vast sums in taking it from San Juan de Lua to Acapulco overland, which is one hundred and fifty leguas.

Item: That all the passengers who shall come from Filipinas to Nueva España in the said ships should pay a fare of two hundred pesos if they have a berth or messroom under deck, and those who do not so have berth or messroom, one hundred pesos, as an aid in the expenses of the ships. This should be understood not on the outward trip [to the islands] but on the return trip.[9]

Item: That the sailors be not allowed to take aboard more than one chest of goods, of the size assigned by the governor; for there is the utmost confusion in this regard, and the sailors are allowed to carry two or three very large chests, larger than common. They overload and embarrass the ship; and, under pretext that they are carrying their clothes, they take those chests full of merchandise.

Item: That all the passengers shall carry swords and bucklers and arquebuses; and that the royal officials shall place on ship arquebuses, muskets, and lances for the sailors. Those weapons are cheap in Manila; and with them, and the artillery carried by the ships, the latter will be well defended. They need no soldiers for the return trip [to Nueva España], for rather the ships then carry too many people.

Item: No passengers or sailors shall carry with them slave women, a practice which gives rise to very great offenses against God. Such shall be regarded as confiscated in the port of Acapulco. This is very advisable, for many persons carry these women as concubines—not only the owners of them, but others in the ships. It is not right that there be any occasion for angering God when there is so great risk in the voyage, as I dare to affirm; and it is certain that, in the last ten years, while this has been so prevalent, many disasters have happened.

Item: That there has been great disorder in regard to lading the ships because it has been entrusted at times to very greedy persons, who, having but slight fear of God, sell the toneladas to, and lade for, whomsoever they wish. Thence it generally results that the goods of the poorest and most needy are left ashore, after the poor have invested their capital; and, after they have paid the duties to your Highness, they are left ruined. Consequently, the ships sail laden more with the curses of the poor than with merchandise. That is the greatest pity, and this evil is worthy of reform. Never has that been punished. The reform that can be established is, that the overseers who shall be appointed to assist in the said lading, be appointed by open cabildo; and should such persons refuse the post, they shall be compelled to accept it. If they are chosen in this manner, a mistake cannot be made in the election, since all are known. The governor shall confirm the choice, and he will thus be exempted from trouble and will be freed by this from the complaints that he generally incurs, because the blame is always laid on him. Certainly it belongs to him, since, he does not appoint those that he should, but whomever he wishes to advantage, who are at times his own servants.

Item: That the said ships are very ill provided with the ship-stores necessary for the sailors; and on that account the poor sailors spend their wages in buying provisions for the voyage. That is a great abuse, and for that reason the ships are also overladen. Likewise they should carry some fowls for those who fall sick, especially the Indian common seamen, who are treated like dogs. The Spanish sailors are more accustomed to provide such things for themselves. Inasmuch as that voyage is so long, and no fresh provisions can be obtained on the way, very many fall sick. For a remedy to that, God has placed, midway in the sea and on the voyage, an island that serves as an inn in the middle of their way, just as the Portuguese in their voyage have one at the island of Santa Elena, where they get fresh food. That island, which I call Rica de Plata, is large, and over one hundred leguas in circumference. Although some ships sight it in passing, inasmuch as its ports are unknown, no one dares to get fresh food there. It is thought to be inhabited, for some signs of habitation have been seen. It is very necessary that a small vessel sail from Manila to explore it, and that it look there for a good port, so that the ships can get water and wood, and reprovision. The exploration of it may be of the highest importance. It is necessary also because near that region the ships generally lose their rigging in storms, and they can be refitted and repaired there, and can continue their voyage without having to put back to Manila. I advised your Highness of that some years ago, as it is so important for that voyage I believe that a decree was sent to the governor in a former year[10] to explore it; but that must be ordered again. A man of experience should be sent, so that he may display the prudence and make the exploration requisite, in accordance with the art and science of hydrography; and likewise so that he may live in Manila and examine the pilots of that line, and make faithful and accurate sea-charts. For that purpose I shall give him considerable enlightenment by giving him the documents on the demarcations, and the information that I possess, on which I have labored much in order to serve your Highness. Nowhere does your Highness need a cosmographer so much as in that land, for many things that arise and may arise.

Item: A plan occurs to me whereby the ships that have to sail in that line may cost your Highness less than half, and a vessel last twice as long, compared with those that are built in Filipinas. Likewise the Indian natives would be saved many hardships and annoyances in the cutting of timber, which they have to do for the building of the ships. This consists in the governor going from Manila to Vengala and Cuchin in India to buy the ships; for they sell them there made from an incorruptible wood together with a quantity of extra rigging made of cayro,[11] which is better than that of hemp. With the rigging alone that can be imported from there, the cost of the ship can be saved. Thence Lascar sailors can be brought, who are cheaper and are very good seamen. All the Portuguese of those parts use them in navigating, and they are very needful in the Filipinas. They will come very willingly and will save your Highness a considerable sum. For that it is necessary to send orders to your viceroy of Goa, and to the chief commandant of Malaca, to protect the Lascars who shall go thither, and not to harm them.

Item: Your Highness granted a concession to the city of Manila of a decree ordering your governor Don Pedro de Acuña to assign to the cabildo of the said city seats in the cathedral, as was befitting the chief municipal body of that kingdom. As yet these have not been assigned, because the wives of the auditors sit inside the principal chapel, where the said cabildo generally sat—that is, opposite the seats of the auditors and governor.

I petition your Highness to have the said seats assigned, and to order the wives of the said auditors to sit elsewhere, since in none of the Yndias do the latter sit in the principal chapel, thus depriving the said cabildo of their seats.

Item: The royal magazines have very few muskets and arquebuses for the defense of that kingdom. I petition your Highness to be pleased to have a quantity of arms sent, and also to order that they be distributed among the citizens; and that the latter pay those who give them those muskets and arquebuses the price that your Highness shall have paid for them there, and the costs [of transportation].

Item: The province of Nueva Segovia, the most northern province of the island of Manila, which is very near China, is a very good and fertile land. It is becoming entirely pacified and quieted. There the Order of St. Dominic is in charge, and they are gathering much fruit. It is the best land in the islands and the most fertile. There, inasmuch as the climate is temperate, the products of this country can be produced, such as wheat, fruits, and other food. It lies in an excellent region, and has there a Spanish city, called Nueva Segovia, which gives name to the said province. It has but few inhabitants now, because the encomenderos of that district go to Manila and desert it. Will your Highness be pleased to order the said encomenderos to live in the said city, and your governor to make efforts to settle it, especially with people who will cultivate and sow the land, so that that district may retain its excellence. For that purpose it is very needful that the said governor appoint an alcalde-mayor for that district, who shall be a lieutenant-governor, and who shall keep his office for three-years; for [the usual] appointments as alcalde are for but one year, and one can learn to know the country but little in so short a time. It is necessary that the judge that shall go there (and so that an influential and satisfactory man might be able to go there) be given a good salary; and that that province and that of Ylocos, which lies next to Nueva Segovia, be subject to him. That is very necessary for the welfare of those two provinces, which are very far from Manila.

Item: Will your Highness be pleased to give me a good master shipbuilder, or authority to look for one, and another intelligent person as shore-master, to assist in the despatch and repairs of ships. He should be a Spaniard and not a foreigner, like the one there now; for in former times, when Doctor Antonio de Morga, your auditor, sailed out against a Dutchman who went to those islands, while two ships were being prepared to attack the Dutch, two holes were bored in one of them one night, and it began to sink, and the sails were taken out and hid in the woods. It was not discovered who did it, nor was any investigation even made. But one may readily presume that some enemy to us did it; and indeed we can not settle our suspicions on anyone. In order to investigate these and many other actions worthy of punishment or correction which have occurred there in these matters, and in others—for instance, that in other parts of those islands they gave that same Dutchman food, and there was some person who communicated with him; while it is even said that they showed him how to get out of a harbor that he had entered, and from which we considered it impossible for him to sail—and finally there are many things to correct and reform, and burdens to be removed from the Indian natives: for all these it is necessary for your Highness to appoint a person there to make official visits through the country. It is as necessary as the inspection itself that such shore-master be a disinterested person and a resident of that country; for if he is after money, he will do no good. Hence, if your Highness be pleased to appoint such an one, there are ecclesiastical persons in the Filipinas, as for instance the bishops, especially he of Çibu, Fray Pedro de Agurto, who is a saintly man; an ecclesiastic, the archdeacon of Manila, called Licentiate Don Francisco Gomez de Arellano, a most zealous servant of God, and a father of that community—one who seeks no money, but rather gives all his income in alms; also a Dominican friar, the commissary of the Holy Office, who is an excellent man; and another friar of the Order of St. Francis, called Fray Juan Baptista. These men, besides having experience in the country, and knowing what demands reform, are men disinterested and wholly competent and capable. Entire faith can be given to any one of them, with assurance. If the visitor be not one of the inhabitants there, it is inadvisable to send him, nor is it my intent to ask for him.

Item: For some years past, some Indians living near by, and our enemies, of the islands of Mindanao, Jolo, Burney, and other neighboring islands, have become emboldened and have gone beyond bounds. They are Mahometans, and have ruined those Filipinas Islands—pillaging and capturing the natives, burning the churches and images, and cutting the images with knives and destroying them, to the great injury of our holy Catholic faith. This has reached so shameless and bold a pass that no one—not only natives but Spaniards—dares to go among the said islands. Those enemies have rendered the said natives very liable to revolt, by coming daily to plunder them, and to carry off their possessions, and their wives and children captive; and in fact they have revolted several times, and taken to the mountains, saying that since the Spaniards do not provide for their defense, they will not pay tribute. Some, who are more loyal, say that, if they are allowed to carry arms as before, they will defend their country. After examining the cause of these troubles with great care, the following considerations have presented themselves.

First, that, according to the command of one of your Highness’s royal decrees, such men [i.e., the Moros] cannot be slaves. As they are a race from whom the soldiers can get no other booty, because the Moros do not possess it, they fight unwillingly. If the soldiers could make captives of them, they would become very eager, and that would be a great incentive for the soldiers to destroy them. There is less incentive for them to capture those people than to kill them, as they do now. Again it would be very useful to the said islands, for the natives would also be encouraged to go to war because of their eagerness to possess slaves to cultivate their fields. Therefore, will your Highness be pleased to order that those people be made slaves, since their enslavement is so justifiable and of so great service to God; or that this matter be committed to the royal Audiencia and archbishop and bishops to determine, inasmuch as they have the matter in hand.

Item: There are two other nations in the island of Manila called Zambales and Negrillos. They are a people who live in the mountains. They go naked, and are highwaymen; and their only ambition is to cut off heads, in order to swallow the brains. He is most valiant and influential who has cut off most heads. No woman will marry any one who has not cut off some heads. They are so inhuman and churlish a race that they do not care whether those whom they kill are women, children, or men. They obstruct the most needed road in the island, and occupy the best land. They are near the province of La Pampanga, which is inhabited by an agricultural people, who support Manila. They prevent the latter from cultivating their fields, for seldom can the Indians, whether men or women, go out to cultivate their fields, without their heads being cut off. Although the governors have often sent soldiers to punish them, scarcely have the latter ever killed one of them. For they run like deer, and have no village or fixed abode. They do not sow grain, but live on wild fruits and game. The most efficacious remedy will be for your Highness to order that they be made slaves of the natives of the province of La Pampanga; for with this, through their greed to capture these enemies so as to cultivate their fields, the Pampangos will subdue the country in a very short time, at their own cost. I petition your Highness to commit this matter, as above stated, to the Audiencia, archbishop, and bishops. This is a matter of great importance. Slavery, as practiced among the natives, is such that they are almost not slaves at all; and the system is of great benefit to the country. If this matter be not remedied by the above method, the many depredations that are committed will have no check.

Also, the reason why the enemies have become emboldened beyond their wont is for the lack in those regions of ships fit for that warfare. For that, it must be known that those people use certain light craft called caracoas. Those craft are short and undecked. They have one palmo, more or less, of freeboard; and they carry eighty or one hundred Indians who act as rowers, who use certain oars one vara in length. Each of these vessels carries ten or twelve fighting Indians, no more. They cannot take the open sea, except when it is very calm weather, nor do they carry provisions for even one fortnight. When we Spaniards used those craft, and others called vireys, which resemble them, they greatly feared us; for, since those craft were as light as their own, we made great havoc among those people. And finally—although at great cost to the natives who were drafted as rowers—those ships made the country safe; for they fought after the manner of those people. Those vessels are not used so much now, for in truth they cause great injuries to the natives. I do not know whether I can say that they even care any longer for the damage inflicted by the enemies, one reason being that they are badly paid and badly treated, while their wives and children are left to starve to death, and their crops go to ruin. The governors of the Filipinas, in their effort to avoid that trouble [i.e., of hostile raids] have built galleys there since the time of Doctor Francisco de Sande until now. As I have seen personally, and as all the inhabitants of that country know, the galleys of the Filipinas are their destruction. The reason is that the rowers are a weak people, and their food is not very nourishing. Accordingly, it has happened, even lately—during Don Pedro de Acuña’s term, when the galleys were best supplied—that the crew have continued to row a galley for six hours, and that two convicts fell dead, while the others stretched themselves on the deck exhausted; and even if the overseers killed them, they could not make them move. For that reason, and because the seas have strong currents between those islands, and continual winds, the galleys are of little use.

Another reason is that, since the galleys draw much more water than the enemy’s vessels, when the former try to make land they can cause no injury. Another reason is that the galleys are generally anchored in the river of Manila, and, when any necessity arises, before they can leave the port they have to get provisions for the crew. Often it is necessary to seek contributions of food from house to house, because there is none in the royal magazines. If the wind is only slightly contrary, which is generally the case, the ships cannot move, and when they finally begin to look for the enemy, the latter are at home, and laughing at us. Another reason is that the galleys are an intolerable burden, which it is impossible to sustain. They have so consumed the supplies, and so endangered the royal treasury, that other very necessary things cannot be attended to. Further, they cause the ships of the line, to be short of necessities and poorly equipped, because in attending to the construction of the galleys, they neglect the ships. And since there are many ship-worms there in the river, which eat the ships, it is necessary to rebuild them every year, and to be continually repairing them. Further, they are dens of thieves, who are always assaulting and plundering the Indians. In short, they are the destruction of that community; and hitherto have accomplished nothing, either good or bad, that is of any importance. Further, your Highness is under great expense with them in paying their many salaries. Consequently, as there is little cloth in the Filipinas with which to clothe so many, everything is, of necessity, going to ruin, where the expenses are not measured by the revenues. All the above evils can be corrected by ordering ships made according to the plan and model that I left with the governor at my departure; for, considering the said wrongs, and wishing to remedy them, I made a ship at my own cost, which has the following peculiarities, of which I give a description.

They are vessels that carry no more than seven oars to a bench, although larger or smaller ones can be made. Each one will cost your Highness two hundred and fifty ducados to build; and will with two-thirds as many or even fewer rowers, carry twice as many soldiers as do the caracoas. The men are protected from sun and shower in excellent quarters which neither the caracoas nor the galleys have. They carry food for six months, a thing which those other vessels cannot do. They are very swift sailers, so that there is no ship that can pass them when there is not a contrary wind that prohibits sailing. They respond so readily to the oar, that while testing that ship before the governor and all Manila, against the swiftest galley of all, I left the galley more than half-way behind. They carry sufficient artillery to destroy the vessels of all the enemies that we have there, except those of pirates when such should go there. For the latter it is necessary to have large ships; and it would be advisable to keep there a couple of fragatas like those built in Habana by Pedro Melendes.

Those ships above mentioned are not only useful for war, but can save your Highness many expenses in ships, in carrying food and the tributes; for, in the time while I had it, about two months, until after I had given it to the governor, it alone accomplished more than did all the other vessels. Consequently, a vast sum can be saved, and the soldiers will be more eager, if they find themselves in so advantageous a vessel. Also the natives will be spared injuries; and innumerable other benefits will follow, which, in order to avoid prolixity, I shall refrain from mentioning. Your viceroy of Nueva España had me make a model of the said vessel for the exploration of the sea of California in Mexico.

Item: The garrison soldiers of Manila are a cause [of the ruin of the country], for many are killed, and they are lessened in numbers; and they commit many vile acts, by which the Spanish nation suffers great loss of reputation among those pagans. Inasmuch as they are paid there in three yearly installments, the result is that, as soon as they have received their money, most of them gamble it away in their quarters, and then go about barefoot and naked. Many sell their arquebuses to the natives, which is a great evil. They have to go about begging alms and commit innumerable acts of meanness among the pagans themselves—who, in contempt, call them “soldiers.” Further, will your Highness be pleased to order your viceroy of Nueva España not to allow any mestizos or mulattoes to be admitted among the men sent as reënforcements to the Filipinas; for such men give themselves up to intoxication, and injure us greatly.

It is possible to remedy the needs of the soldiers in this manner. Your Highness has imposed a situado of two reals on all the tributes of those islands, in order to pay one and one-half reals to the soldiers and one-half real to the prebendaries of the church. This amount is paid into the royal treasury. As the treasury always falls short, and the Audiencia has to be preferred in the payment of its salaries; and as the galleys and many other things cause a shortage, eight or ten months or one year are wont to pass without the soldiers receiving any pay; consequently, one can imagine their sufferings. It will be very important to have that situado placed in a separate fund. Since there are three royal officials and in the said treasury two are sufficient if one of them performs two duties (as has often been done), the third official could take charge of that situado. He could purchase food at the harvests which would be cheap, and every week he could give the soldiers a ration of rice—the ordinary bread of that country—or wheat, which is also produced there, besides giving them in money one real per day. The amount still remaining could be paid to them every four months in order that they might clothe themselves. If their pay were increased by eight reals more, they could live well; and one-half of those who die now would not die, which is much more costly to your Highness. If your Highness is not willing to have the royal official to whose charge that duty must fall perform it there, a rich and very intelligent citizen should be charged with it; and in cases of need he should have to supply what will be often necessary.

Item: Manila lacks artillerymen—I mean men who understand artillery when need arises; for men are not lacking to take the pay of artillerymen, some of whom have never heard a gun fired all their life, but only enjoy that salary as a favor. Consequently your Highness’s revenues are spent uselessly, for such men are artillerymen only in name. I petition your Highness that artillerymen be made to pass an examination, or that on demand they furnish a certificate of examination; and that whoever shall pay their salary or order it to be paid [to incompetent men] shall incur a severe penalty; and that any person who shall apply for a position in the artillery service when one becomes vacant, shall, if a capable artilleryman, be preferred to the others, and that no posts shall be granted by favor to those who do not understand artillery.

Item: That camp needs a founder of artillery, who must be an efficient and good workman; for during the last fourteen years nothing else has been done than to spend your Highness’s royal revenues in salaries and making estimates of cost, and they have accomplished nothing useful. There is a good supply of metals and everything else necessary. It is extremely advisable that those islands have some one who understands founding artillery, in order to fortify the city.

Item: Inasmuch as that city is so far from your Highness’s eyes, and where journeys to and fro are made with so great difficulty, it is necessary for the good government of spiritual affairs, according to the customary method in Yndia, that, in case of the decease of the archbishop of Manila, his successor be appointed there; or that at least the senior bishop, or whoever your Highness may choose, shall govern the archbishopric. For, the first time when the archbishopric was vacant, that city was seven years without a prelate; and the second time, three or four years. In this matter, I must tell your Highness that you could avoid having so many bishops there—especially those of Caceres and Nueva Segovia, who are in that same island of Manila; for they have no churches of importance, nor even any place wherein suitably to keep the most holy sacrament. Neither do the bishops do more than to confirm, and for that a bishop in partibus[12] would be sufficient. Considering that the royal treasury is poor and cannot attend to many other necessary things, it is very inadvisable to increase those expenses in other ways. And considering the future—for there might happen to be persons in those bishoprics who do not think of or profess the poverty and bareness now maintained by those who are there—that would be a great burden on the Indian natives, and of no use.

Item: That in the trade of the Filipinas with the kingdom of Japon, in exchange for the merchandise shipped there they carry silver to Manila; for Japon has quantities of silver, and many rich mines have been discovered. The said silver is of the quality required by law, its fifth is taken, and the Japanese emperor’s duties are paid as they are here paid to your Highness. Inasmuch as silver money is used in those kingdoms and districts only by weight—and thus the citizens of Manila receive it, while the same is usual in Piru and Nueva España, wherever there are mines, in buying and selling with pieces of silver marked by weight instead of being coined; and inasmuch as this is very useful to the citizens of Manila, since, if this trade increases as it is increasing now, it will not be necessary to trade at all with the coined money of Nueva España: therefore I petition your Highness to be pleased to allow the said silver to pass as it has always passed; and that table service and other articles may be made of it without new duties being demanded, since these are not due.

Item: That during the war with the Sangleys, when they revolted, the Indian natives about Manila and La Laguna de Bay, and especially those of the province of La Pampanga, fought with great valor against the Sangleys, and aided us with great loyalty and willingness. It was at a juncture when, had they joined the side of the enemies, the Filipinas would have been ruined. Will your Highness be pleased to order the governor to thank them for it in your Highness’s name. They will greatly esteem that, especially certain chiefs—as, for instance, Don Guillermo, who on that occasion was master-of-camp of the Pampanga Indians; and Don Ventura, master-of-camp of those of Bay. I also request that the governor be commanded to order the religious who have missions under their charge to treat the Indians well; for they are wont to lash the natives for slight causes, and equally with them even the chief Indian women. This is very necessary, both for the conversion and for good example, and in order to incline them to us and make them devoted to us. For they are a race, who, with little effort on our part and with reasonable treatment, will do whatever we desire. The same thing should be ordered to the alcaldes-mayor; and your Highness should order the royal Audiencia to have any injuries committed on the Indians rigorously punished—for, inasmuch as these have not been so punished, many troubles have happened.

Fernando de los Rios Coronel

(To be concluded)

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[1] The viceroy of Nueva España at this time was Diego Fernandez de Córdoba, marqués de Guadalcázar. He began his term October 28, 1612, and in 1621 was appointed viceroy of Peru.

[2] The lacuna at this point—sections 10 to 14 inclusive—with some duplications and other peculiarities in numbering, are precisely as in the original document.

[3] See the letter written to the king by Fajardo, August 10, 1619, ante. where this same abuse is mentioned.

[4] See the royal decree following this document, which was probably issued in consequence of this section of Los Rios’s letter, and which will appear in Vol. XIX.

[5] See the various letters relating to the controversy between the calced and discalced religious of the Order of St. Francis, in Vol. XX of this series.

[6] An early law of Recopilación de leyes (lib. v, tit. viii, ley xxix) thus rules the taking of fees: “In the Filipinas Islands all the notaries and officials entitled to them shall collect their fees, according to, and in the quantity provided and ordained for our Audiencia of Méjico, so far as it shall not have been altered by the laws of this book.” [Felipe II; Toledo, May 25, 1596, ordinance 61.]

[7] The residencia of the governor was later ordered to be taken in accordance with the following law, found in Recopilación de leyes, lib. v, tit. xv, ley v: “The governor and captain-general of the Filipinas appointed by us, shall, as soon as he enters upon the exercise of his duties, take the residencia of his proprietary predecessor, or his predecessor ad interim, even should he not hold our special commission. But shall he have been so entrusted by us, he shall proceed by virtue of it, in accordance with law. In either case, he shall send a report of the residencia to the Council, as is usual.” [Felipe IV; Madrid, December 4, 1630.]

[8] See descriptions of the disease called scurvy, in Pyrard de Laval’s Voyage (Hakluyt Society’s translation, London, 1890), ii, pp. 390–392; and Jesuit Relations (Cleveland reissue), iii, pp. 51, 53.

[9] See the full and interesting description given by Pyrard de Laval (Voyage, ii, pp. 180–214) of the Portuguese trading vessels on the India line (naus de carreira), practically the same as the Spanish vessels described by Rios Coronel; and of their construction, equipment, crews, lading, management, etc. On p. 214 is an engraving of one of these great ships.

[10] See decrees relating to this in Vol. XIV, pp. 182, 270.

[11] This is the fiber obtained from the husk of the cocoanut; the word is of Indian origin, and from it is derived the English “coir.” See, with description of the manner in which this fiber is manufactured into rope in India, Pyrard de Laval’s Voyage, i, pp. 250, 285: ii. pp. 374, 443.

[12] Obispo de anillo: a bishop in partibus (see Vol. VIII, p. 68). The Spanish dictionaries define obispo de anillo as auxiliary or suffragan, bishop. The Academy’s dictionary adds: “To these bishops the pontiff assigns one of the churches formerly owned by them, but now in the power of heathen.” Consequently the de anillo becomes equivalent to in partibus infidelium. A bishop in partibus is one consecrated to a see which formerly existed, but which has been, chiefly through the devastations of the followers of Mahomet, lost to Christendom. The creation of such bishops exists from the time of Leo X; but they existed de facto from the time when the first Christian see became vacant from hostile inroad or through the action of a hostile government. The Moorish conquest in Spain resulted in many of such bishops fleeing to the still unconquered parts, where they wandered from place to place, with no particular duty, but officiating as opportunity offered. This state of affairs led to great abuses, for a bishop whose see was in partibus would often enter some remote portion of the diocese of a more fortunate brother, and there exercise, in various ways, without the permission of the bishop of the diocese, his episcopal office. Clerks whom their own bishop would not have promoted to priests’ orders often received through the agency of these wandering bishops the ordination which they desired. A decree of the Council of Trent forbade that abuse. The title in partibus was often given in Protestant countries, where to appoint a bishop to a local see would have aroused hostility. Besides the vicars apostolic in a non-Catholic country, the vicars of cardinal-bishops, auxiliary bishops in countries where it is usual to appoint them, and papal nuncios, usually have their sees in partibus infidelium. They can attend general councils, and, since they are considered as truly wedded to the churches of which they bear the titles, they cannot be appointed to other sees except upon the conditions common to all episcopal translations. By a decree of the Propaganda, February 28, 1882, the formula in partibus infidelium was abolished, and non-resident bishops are to be known as “titular” bishops of their sees. See Addis and Arnold’s Catholic Dictionary.