Sire:
Since the last year, 601, an account has been given to your Majesty of the expedition which I conducted at the close of the previous year, 1600, by order of the governor and president, Don Francisco de Tello, against Olibert de Norte, a corsair from Holland who entered among these islands, taking prizes with two ships of war; and of the outcome of the expedition, by which the said corsair was punished and harassed.
Francisco de las Missas, factor and overseer of your Majesty's exchequer in these islands, whom I inspected a short time ago … [under a] [60] special commission from your Majesty, and passed sentence upon him … penalties and restitutions as will appear by the report of the inspection which I have sent to your … [Majesty] by three routes. He has been so hostile … that he displays his jealousy of me in all matters [in so far as] he can. Accordingly, on account of this—as well as to cover his fault at the time of the despatch of the fleet which I took, by sending me unsupplied with sailors and other things necessary, which it was his duty to furnish—among other measures which he has taken since the past year, one has been under color and appearance of proceeding from the licentiate Salazar de Salzedo, fiscal of this Audiencia (whom, for private reasons, he holds quite in his power). The said factor induced the fiscal, in the affair of his investigation, to draw up a secret information with suborned witnesses—sailors and others, who are at his call—by which it is intimated that he furnished me well, and that the commander's ship was lost through my fault, imputing to me by the statements of these men other and illegal actions, in order to disparage my faithful service; by this may be seen the malice and passion of those concerned in this affair. That document was sent to your Majesty and the ministers before whom this matter is considered.
In like manner Captain Joan de Alcega (his intimate friend, and likewise a partisan of the said fiscal and factor), whom I took as admiral, in order to cover up his own guilt—for which he was arrested by the president and governor, and is being proceeded against officially because, at the beginning of the fight, he left the commander's ship unsustained, contrary to the order which he had from me in writing; and on account of other illegal acts, and because he took a part of the benefits of the success which resulted—he also, driven by the same heat of passion, has taken secret measures and procured documents with which to inform your Majesty in a sinister way to my prejudice.
Since it is just that in all matters your Majesty should be informed of the truth, I send certain documents which are not drawn in secret, nor cunningly, nor maliciously, whereby the truth will appear—especially the information which was drawn by the alcalde-mayor of the province of Valayan (on whose coast and in whose district the ship was lost), the very next day, and obtained from the men who were saved from the wreck. By this may be seen what passed in this region, and the guilt of the said factor, and that of the admiral, as has been pointed out.
Beside this, in the ships which leave here this year goes a religious of the Order of St. Augustine, Fray Francisco de Valdes by name, who was sent, in company with Fray Diego de Cerrabi, by his order to the court of your Majesty on the business of the order. This religious can inform your Majesty of all which occurred on the said expedition, as his order sent him on it to confess and administer the sacraments; and he was present during the fight on the commander's ship, and saved himself by swimming. As a trustworthy and disinterested person, he will tell the truth, without being influenced by personal considerations.
I humbly beg your Majesty that, with this understanding, your Majesty may be pleased to command that opportunity be not given for distortion of facts in such a way, by persons so jealous and so suspicious, who are moved alone by anger and passion to avenge themselves and procure satisfaction from the ministers who, for the service of your Majesty, have administered (as they still do) justice in your behalf; and that you will command that the illegality which appears to have been committed in this be punished, as is most fitting for the service of your Majesty. God protect the Catholic person of your Majesty. Manila, July 8, 1602.
Doctor Antonio de Morga
Sire:
I, the licentiate Gerónimo de Salazar y Salcedo, your fiscal in the royal Chancilleria of the Philipinas Islands, say that on the sixteenth of January of the year one thousand six hundred your Majesty was pleased to command that a royal commission be given to Don Pedro de Acuña, governor and captain-general of these islands, empowering him, when he should reach them, to cause the royal officials to give him a report of what they have collected from Don Francisco Tello, his predecessor, toward the sixteen millions [of maravedis?] which were still due from the balance which was incurred by him at the time when he was treasurer of the Sevilla House of Trade; and also to cause that whatever remained to be paid should be collected from the said Don Francisco Tello and from his property.