Having completed matters at Bindanao, you shall return to the port of Cavite. [36] Thence, with what men you deem advisable and with interpreters from Taguima, you shall go to the island of Jolo, where Captain Esteban made an agreement with the king of that place to pay tribute to his Majesty. You shall tell that king that I left Borney for certain reasons, and that I send this other fleet there for the purpose of telling him that he should abide by his obedience, in order not to receive more harm.
You shall ask tribute from the lord of Jolo, but this shall be paid at his pleasure and be very light, inasmuch as he has rendered obedience to his Majesty but recently, and because of the good will he has shown in his Majesty's service, in sending a letter and returning eight slaves that he had there who were taken from the island of Çubu, who were vassals of his Majesty. However, in return for that, Pedro de Oseguera wrote me that two men from Jolo, who had been captured by the men of Çubu, had been given up. If there are any more Joloans there, you may take them, first seeing whether they are Christians and whether they go of their own free will. The priest at Çubu shall declare what it will be right to do in this. You shall tell the said lord of Xolo also that, if he wishes to ask anything else of me, he shall despatch ships hither. They shall be secure from injury, for I have ordered that none molest them; and you shall give him my letter that you have with you. You shall give him a written permit, so that his people may pass freely through our territory, if they show the said letter to the people of this land.
Captain Esteban Rodriguez told me that the lord of Xolo had told him that he would have two or three tame elephants for his Majesty's tribute. You shall ask for them, and if he gives them, you shall bring them here with the utmost care. For that purpose you shall take, wherever you find it, such ship as is most suitable. If he has no tame ones to give you, you shall tell him to have them, at all hazards, next time the Castilians go thither. You shall ascertain the time and manner in which they can be brought here.
You shall likewise show yourself very affable to the lord of Xolo. You shall urge him to persevere in the pearl industry. Both from him and from the inhabitants of Mindanao, you shall ascertain what things they need from China, so that other methods failing, those articles may be taken to them from here.
Inasmuch as Captain Esteban Rodriguez brought certain anchors and pieces of artillery from that island, and did not sound the place where a ship was lost in a storm from the north, if you have opportunity, you shall be careful to do so, taking care to return before the season for sailing is past. On your return you shall see whether Captain Juan Lopez de Aguirre left any cinnamon because unable to bring it in the vessels of his fleet.
Item: When you return by way of Çubu, you shall bring back all his Majesty's vessels there, as well as all the artillery left there by Esteban Rodriguez. You shall bring also a relation of present and past occurrences there.
You shall try to ascertain whether there is any cinnamon in the river of Mindanao. If so, you shall try to bring some of it. You shall try to find out how to treat it, so that it may be of as good quality as that in Castilla; for his Majesty has had us notified that that sent from these districts has not been good. On your way to Çubu, you shall send some one to pacify the tingues [hill-people] of Butuan and to examine the towns reported by Juan Gutierres Cortes, in order to discover the people and ascertain their number and their location. You shall send a cautious man for this, who shall investigate such matters as are necessary. When you leave Çubu, you shall order Pedro Navarro to send to this city all his Majesty's ships in that place, and the artillery taken there by Captain Esteban Rodriguez, as well as whatever else he has there in his keeping, in charge, of a careful man. This must be accomplished by the bonancas of April, for the artillery can be brought more securely then. If any soldier or any one else should die, you shall make an inventory of his possessions, and keep the same. You shall note his name and his birthplace, so that there may be a good account and relation of everything.
Given at Manila, January fifteen, one thousand five hundred and seventy-nine.
Doctor Francisco de Sande
Before me: