In the city of Manila, on the fifth day of February in the year one thousand six hundred and five, his most reverend Lordship, Don Fray Miguel de Venavides, archbishop of this said city, caused to appear before him the canon Pablo Ruiz de Talavera, cura for the natives of this city, from whom he took and received oath in verbis sacerdotis, placing his hand upon his breast. Having done this, he swore to tell the truth; and being questioned after the tenor of the caption of this document, declared that this is what he knows, and what is occurring. After the uprising and rebellion of the Sangleys which occurred on the fourth of October in the previous year of six hundred and three, as the settlement and Parian built by the said Sangleys was burned—which stood outside the walls of this city, at about an arquebus-shot from them, where the first houses began—all the site on which the said Sangleys had thus settled was abandoned. As it was thus depopulated, several Indian natives of this country, with some servants of Captain and Sargento-mayor Christoval de Asqueta, settled in several houses close by and adjoining the said site of the Parian, so that there is nothing but a creek between (so small that at low tide it is almost dry), with a wooden bridge; and on the further side, a stone's throw more or less, is the site of the Parian of the Sangley merchants (or auhaes), where the Xaponese are at present settled. This witness, as a person who has been in this country more than thirty years, and who is an interpreter of the natives, knows that the said Sangleys are a very pernicious people, and are cunning in all evil. They are especially so in the unnatural sin, which they practice commonly among themselves, and likewise with women, with whom they commit the same sin. For this they are very generous, and readily give bribes for the fulfilment of their desires. Likewise he knows that the natives, especially those of this district, are very vicious, and the Indian women very facile and unchaste in regard to offending God. Moreover, among themselves they never knew of the unnatural sin, and they had no word or name for it, nor would they know of it, until these Chinese came to this country; and from them they have learned it. Further, this witness knows that indeed these said natives are but lately converted to our holy Catholic faith, and therefore are easily approachable; for they easily give up not only the good morals that have been taught them by the ministers of the gospel, but likewise our holy Catholic faith, that has been taught them with so much pains, and is being taught them from day to day. And if they communicate and have dealings with the Chinese, it will be an easy matter to persuade them to abandon their obedience to his Majesty, as they did when the said Sangleys rebelled in the previous year of six hundred and three, when the Chinese gardeners of the village of Huiapo, where this witness holds a benefice, persuaded many Indians to rise in rebellion with them, saying that they were good people and the Spaniards bad. And the said Indians, not wishing to fall with them, gave information to this witness, as their cura, which he communicated at length to his most reverend Lordship, bringing the Indians to him so that they might tell him. And shortly after this the Sangleys rebelled, and placed this city in so great straits that if God our Lord had not miraculously delivered us, they would have killed all the Spaniards, and remained in possession of the country; and the Catholic faith would have perished here, which has cost so much to the king our lord for its establishment and support. Owing to the loss of life inflicted on them so justly at that time, they have become irritated, both those who remained alive, who now maintain the new Parian—which has been built on a part of the site of the old one, close to the village of Indians above referred to—and likewise those that live in Great China, where their brothers and kinsmen are. These also had a part of their property burned. And this witness knows that the said Chinese are a people full of craft in all they undertake, and that they can in one way or another turn the mind to any rebellion or uprising. This witness heard Ensign Christoval Gomez—who was sent as ambassador to the province of Myndanao by the governor of these islands, Don Pedro de Acuña, and who came back to this city—say concerning a ship of infidel Chinese, which was in Myndanao and came armed to the port of this city, where it at present is, that the infidel Chinese of this ship while they were in Mindanao persuaded the said people of Mindanao to come to these islands in an armed fleet, encouraged them to do this, and gave them many supplies of war, catans, and metal to make artillery, powder, and battle-axes; and the said ensign added, to this witness, that these Chinese were great rascals, and that they ought all to be in the galleys. Further, he told this witness that they did not come to the port of this city of their own will, but were forced to it by winds; and that another vessel had gone to the island of Xolo for the same reason. And, both, for this and on account of the hatred they bear for us, this witness knows that they will do all in their power to stir up the Indians against us—which will be easy for them, with the bribes that they give the Indians; and easier still if they have committed the crime against nature with them, and with their women. And it appears to this witness that there is no other remedy than to drive the Chinese out of the country, and allow them here only during the three months of the year while their trade lasts, and then let them go back to their own country. And if it should appear best to his Majesty to give permission to some few of them to remain in this land, he should order that no Indian men or women be settled near them, or near the market where dwell the infidel Sangleys. And this witness knows that his most reverend Lordship is considered to know the language and customs of the Chinese, having been acquainted with them for many years past, and that he has spent a considerable time there in China. He also knows that the Indians of the village above mentioned are so close to the new Parian of the Chinese that they must pass through it in going and coming, when they are obliged to come to this city; and there they have opportunity to talk with the said Sangleys, to concoct their misdeeds and sins. This witness knows that the said houses and village of the natives, as has been said, are also near the Parian of the Japonese, a pernicious people, who, like the Sangleys, do great harm through practice of the infamous sin; and they are a more restless and warlike people than the said Sangleys. They have always been threatening this country with war, and they have molested it and its coasts by their ships, with which they come to plunder; and they bring Sangleys as pilots and sailors. In a native rebellion organized sixteen years ago by certain Indians, at which time several chiefs who were implicated were executed, they were in communication with the Japonese, and one Japonese was hanged. This witness likewise knows that at the time when the Sangleys rebelled, in the said past year of six hundred and three, there was taken from them a banner, with an inscription in the characters which they use, which was examined and read by one who understood it; and he said that in the said inscription the said Chinese declared themselves friends of the Xaponese. Besides, it is easy to see the loss that would result from the intercourse of these natives with the said Xaponese and Chinese. And this witness knows (for he was present and saw it) that at the time when they were commencing to rebuild the Parian of the said Sangleys there were present his most reverend Lordship, with the president and all the auditors of this royal Audiencia, the regidors, and many other persons, on the site of the Parian—at which time they were considering its rebuilding, it being on the first anniversary of the burning of the said Parian, which was on the sixth of October of the said year six hundred and three. This witness saw that the lord archbishop opposed it, saying that it was inexpedient to build it for many reasons, until an account of them had been given to his Majesty. And finally he called to this witness, and said to him that those houses of the Indians—pointing out to him the said village above mentioned—would better be moved back and taken from that place; for it was not good that they should remain there, and particularly when they were considering putting Sangleys so near. This was heard by the lord governor, Don Pedro de Acuña, and other persons who were there. And this witness knows that on that same day the lord governor and both the cabildos, the secular and ecclesiastical, were in the church of San Andres, where mass was being chanted in honor of the patron saints of this city, in thanksgiving for their aid, which, on such a day as this, had given us victory over the Chinese; and the said lord archbishop preached, and in the sermon discoursed at length concerning the inadvisability of a second Parian, owing to the many offenses against God there committed, and the great danger in which it would again place this city. Notwithstanding this and other measures which the said lord archbishop took in the matter—such as sending to tell the lord governor, Don Pedro de Acuña, with Captain Pedro de Ortega, alcalde-in-ordinary of this city, that this village of the natives should be removed, as it was so near to the Parian, in order to avoid the offenses that would there be committed against God our Lord—so far as he has learned, they have not up to the present day removed the said village. And this witness knows that in the said village of the said natives, there was a house of Sangleys, in which this witness saw three Sangleys; for this witness, as cura of the natives of this city, was commanded by his most reverend Lordship to investigate their way of life, and see whether there were any infidel Sangleys among them. In compliance with what his most reverend Lordship commanded, he went to the said village, with Señor Geronimo de Alcaraz, and both together saw the said three infidel Sangleys, who were living there; and, when asked how long they had been living there, they answered "three months." Likewise this witness asked the Indians of the said village and another Indian—a chief from Mindoro, who frequently went to the said village—whether there had been more Sangleys. They answered that as many as six other Sangleys had lived there, in this said Indian village, for more than two months. This witness knows further that, by a strenuous effort made by the said archbishop, the said Chinese were removed from the said village. This procedure was public, as was also the fact that the said archbishop had informed Señor Don Pedro de Acuña, governor of these islands, that the Chinese were among these Indians, and that the said lord governor sent to investigate this an ensign of the guard, who returned and told the said lord governor that the said Sangleys were not there; or at any rate the said governor so understood the said ensign. But as the lord archbishop was certain of the truth, he told the said lord governor, in the presence of all the people, that they were deceiving him, and that the said infidel Sangleys were among the said natives of the said village. As the lord governor was not yet satisfied, he himself went in person to the said Parian, and, from the bank of the stream, called for the Sangleys who were living in the said village with the natives; immediately the said three infidel Sangleys came into the presence of the said lord governor. This witness asked them how long they had been there, and they answered that they had been there three months, and had come from Çebu. This was heard by the lord governor, who was present, and by other persons who were accompanying him. Then the said lord governor ordered the said Sangleys to leave the said village straightway. And the said village of the said natives is, at this very day, as has been said, in the danger explained in the document heading these proceedings, and in this statement and declaration. And this is the truth, by the oath he has taken, which he affirmed, ratified, and signed; and he says that he is about thirty-five years of age.

Fray Miguel, archbishop of Manila. Pablo Ruiz de Talavera Before me: Francisco de Carranca, notary.

[On the ninth of February of the year one thousand six hundred and five, the archbishop caused to appear before him for the said investigation, the canon Diego de Leon, who, having been sworn in the manner before described, made a declaration in every way similar to that of the preceding witness. He mentioned as an instance of the bad faith of the Chinese, the death of Gomez Perez Das Mariñas, and the many good soldiers that they then killed. Below the formal closing of the declaration, but before the signature, he adds the following to his testimony:] This witness further says that in his opinion, if the infidel Sangleys were to come only for purposes of trade to these islands, and none of them were to remain here, the kingdom of China would be altogether friendly toward us for the sake of our trade; and if none of them remained here, the Spaniards would have no occasion to injure them, and they would not have time to acquire influence over these natives, who are quick at learning a new language, and are excellent soldiers, shooting even better than do the Spaniards with arquebuses, and possessing very good weapons.

Fray Miguel, archbishop of Manila. Diego de Leon Before me: Francisco de Carranca, notary.

I, Francisco de Carranca, canon of this holy church of Manila, appointed notary by his Lordship, by his command caused this copy of this information to be made from the original, which was drawn before me, and remains in the archives of the notary-public of this archbishopric. It is a certain and true copy, to the best of my knowledge, and I refer to the original. Witness its copying, correcting, and comparison, Thomas de Cardenas and Juan Camacho de el Hello, residents of this city of Manila, where it is dated, on to the seventh of July of the year one thousand six hundred and five.

Francisco de Carrança, notary.

[We append to this document the following affidavit:]

Sworn statement to the effect that there are Sangleys in Manila in the present year 1605.

In the city of Manila, on the fifteenth day of the month of June in the year one thousand six hundred and five, the schoolmaster Don Luis de Salinas, whom I affirm that I know, declared that it was necessary for expediency's sake that I, Francisco Davila, notary of the king our lord, should testify on oath that today, on the said day here given, there live, exist, and reside infidel Sangleys in the houses of the citizens of Manila, or in some of them. It should be known that they are in the house of the master-of-camp Pedro de Chaves, and in the house of the master-of-camp Augustin de Arceo, who is at present exercising the said office and military rank in this camp—and the said houses form one side of the palace, and front on the Plaza de Armas—and in the houses of the dean Don Juan de Bivero and those of Antonio de Spinosa, which are on the plaza of this said city; and in a number of others belonging to the most prominent citizens—that is, those of the highest life and rank in the city. The said notary requested me to give the said testimony, and by these presents I ask that there be witnesses, that I the said Francisco de Avila, give my word and truthful testimony that I have seen today, on the said date, the said Sangleys in the said houses, selling their merchandise and being present therein as if in their own homes. And in accordance with the said request I have given these presents in the said city of Manila on the said day, month, and year, being witnesses thereto the prebendary Tomas de Cardenas, Antonio Baçan, and Alonso Cano, residents in Manila. And therefore I have set my seal in witness of the truth.

Francisco Davila