The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 10 of 55 / 1597-1599 / 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

19. That the powder-house being too near and in an unsafe position, a vault was made in the fort of Santiago, where it is now kept.

I found the powder-house in an unsafe place, and as it is so necessary to guard and preserve the powder, I ordered a vault of stone to be made in the fort on the point called Santiago, where it was put and is now kept with entire safety.

20. That it is necessary to establish religious instruction in the Ladrones; and, as it cannot be sent from here, I have written to the viceroy asking him to order the officers of the ships from Nueva España to leave ministers there.

As the royal instruction which I received had not been brought here when I came to serve your Majesty in this government (as I have before explained), what your Majesty ordered in one clause of it, that on the passage by the island of Ladrones ministers for religious instruction to those Indians should be left there—such persons as I might select—has not been executed. Accordingly I have considered it with the royal Audiencia here; and, together with their opinion, the intention of your Majesty was communicated to the viceroy of Nueva España, so that he might Page 247carry it out, by ordering the officers of the ships which shall come in the year 600 to leave there a couple of religious and ten soldiers as a guard. But as the ships arrived here from a different direction, and the voyage was a difficult one, the will of your Majesty has not been carried out. I believe this will be a work very important for the service of God our Lord and your Majesty; for in the year 1596 a religious of the Order of St. Francis, with a sailor, who were passing by the islands of Ladrones, disembarked from the almiranta “San Pablo” in the boats of the Indians of those islands, more than three hundred skiffs having come alongside of the said ship. The Indians took them on board and carried them to land where they remained during the period of a year, up to 1597—when, as the ships from Nueva España were again passing on their way to these islands, having as commander Don Lope de Ulloa, the said religious and soldiers [sic] arrived alongside the ships in the boats of the Indians, and were received on board. When they arrived here, the religious gave an account of what he had seen in the islands of Ladrones, saying that there were many islands thickly peopled with Indians, who are men of good stature, and strong. They are a tractable and kindly people. They regaled him and his companion, and showed them much respect. The land abounds in fish, rice, and camotes. They are heathen; but if the religious would enter there with love and tactfulness they would teach them. I hope in our Lord that He and your Majesty will be served in bringing those heathen to a true knowledge of God.

21. That farmers have not been brought from Nueva España for the introduction of agriculture, Page 248and that the viceroy should be told to send them.

For the reason mentioned in the preceding clause, I have not been able to get farm-laborers from Nueva España, as your Majesty ordered by a clause of his royal instruction, so that the cultivation of the soil might be introduced into this country, by associating the farmers with the natives, so that the latter may be instructed in farming according to our usage. As soon as I understood the will of your Majesty, I sent to ask farmers from the viceroy; and he answered that he would send them another year.

22. That a demand has been made to have the horses and mares brought over, as ordered, and that the viceroy has been remiss in this.

In the same way a demand has been sent to the viceroy regarding the horses and mares which your Majesty also ordered brought from Mexico; and I wrote to your Majesty that this was not done.

23. That rewards for services have been made in accordance with the order of his Majesty in clause 17 of the royal instruction.

In the matter of rewards for services, I have tried to have them given to the most worthy and capable citizens, in accordance with clause 17 of the royal instruction of your Majesty (as you may see if you so please by the account which I am sending), not only in the encomiendas in repartimientos of Indians but in other offices of importance. Although I have done this with all possible care and justice, there are so many claimants, and so little material—and each one expects to be, by right, the most favored—that there must needs be complaints, which is one of the annoyances of this government.