The enemies with whom the Spaniards had to contend were numerous and gave them no respite—namely, the Mindanaos, Caragas, Sanguils, Joloans, Dutch, and English and of these last, all those eastern districts were full of their boats, so that no voyage could be made without meeting them; and there was no security from them.
To these calamities was due the death of Governor Juan de Silva, who, all had hoped, was to free these islands and those of Maluco from the invasions and piracies of the Dutch.
He closed by petitioning the king to send forces to sustain the declining colony, as it was so important, and so precious a portion of the Spanish monarchy.
[Dated Manila, August 20, 1616, and signed Valerio de Ledesma,[3] provincial of the Society of Jesus.]
[1] This document is simply an abridgment or summary made by Ventura del Arco from the letter of Ledesma.
[2] Cf. this statement with the royal decree of May 26, 1609, which is presented in this volume, p. 79, ante.
[3] Valerio de Ledesma was born at Alaejos. March 23, 1556, and became a novitiate in the Jesuit order in 1571–1572. He was sent to the Philippines, where he served as rector of Cebú, associate of the provincial, rector of Manila, provincial, rector and master of novitiates at San Pedro Macati, and again rector at Manila, where he died, May 15, 1639. See Sommervogel, Barrantes (Guerros piraticas), and Pardo de Tavera (Biblioteca Filipina, Washington, 1903) as to his authorship. See also Murillo Velarde’s Historia (Manila, 1749), book ii, ch. vii, pp. 260–266, for a notice regarding him. In the Ventura del Arco MSS., at the end of this summary of Ledesma’s letter appears a tracing of his autograph signature.