Another reason is that, since the galleys draw much more water than the enemy’s vessels, when the former try to make land they can cause no injury. Another reason is that the galleys are generally anchored in the river of Manila, and, when any necessity arises, before they can leave the port they have to get provisions for the crew. Often it is necessary to seek contributions of food from house to house, because there is none in the royal magazines. If the wind is only slightly contrary, which is generally the case, the ships cannot move, and when they finally begin to look for the enemy, the latter are at home, and laughing at us. Another reason is that the galleys are an intolerable burden, which it is impossible to sustain. They have so consumed the supplies, and so endangered the royal treasury, that other very necessary things cannot be attended to. Further, they cause the ships of the line, to be short of necessities and poorly equipped, because in attending to the construction of the galleys, they neglect the ships. And since there are many ship-worms there in the river, which eat the ships, it is necessary to rebuild them every year, and to be continually repairing them. Further, they are dens of thieves, who are always assaulting and plundering the Indians. In short, they are the destruction of that community; and hitherto have accomplished nothing, either good or bad, that is of any importance. Further, your Highness is under great expense with them in paying their many salaries. Consequently, as there is little cloth in the Filipinas with which to clothe so many, everything is, of necessity, going to ruin, where the expenses are not measured by the revenues. All the above evils can be corrected by ordering ships made according to the plan and model that I left with the governor at my departure; for, considering the said wrongs, and wishing to remedy them, I made a ship at my own cost, which has the following peculiarities, of which I give a description.
They are vessels that carry no more than seven oars to a bench, although larger or smaller ones can be made. Each one will cost your Highness two hundred and fifty ducados to build; and will with two-thirds as many or even fewer rowers, carry twice as many soldiers as do the caracoas. The men are protected from sun and shower in excellent quarters which neither the caracoas nor the galleys have. They carry food for six months, a thing which those other vessels cannot do. They are very swift sailers, so that there is no ship that can pass them when there is not a contrary wind that prohibits sailing. They respond so readily to the oar, that while testing that ship before the governor and all Manila, against the swiftest galley of all, I left the galley more than half-way behind. They carry sufficient artillery to destroy the vessels of all the enemies that we have there, except those of pirates when such should go there. For the latter it is necessary to have large ships; and it would be advisable to keep there a couple of fragatas like those built in Habana by Pedro Melendes.
Those ships above mentioned are not only useful for war, but can save your Highness many expenses in ships, in carrying food and the tributes; for, in the time while I had it, about two months, until after I had given it to the governor, it alone accomplished more than did all the other vessels. Consequently, a vast sum can be saved, and the soldiers will be more eager, if they find themselves in so advantageous a vessel. Also the natives will be spared injuries; and innumerable other benefits will follow, which, in order to avoid prolixity, I shall refrain from mentioning. Your viceroy of Nueva España had me make a model of the said vessel for the exploration of the sea of California in Mexico.
Item: The garrison soldiers of Manila are a cause [of the ruin of the country], for many are killed, and they are lessened in numbers; and they commit many vile acts, by which the Spanish nation suffers great loss of reputation among those pagans. Inasmuch as they are paid there in three yearly installments, the result is that, as soon as they have received their money, most of them gamble it away in their quarters, and then go about barefoot and naked. Many sell their arquebuses to the natives, which is a great evil. They have to go about begging alms and commit innumerable acts of meanness among the pagans themselves—who, in contempt, call them “soldiers.” Further, will your Highness be pleased to order your viceroy of Nueva España not to allow any mestizos or mulattoes to be admitted among the men sent as reënforcements to the Filipinas; for such men give themselves up to intoxication, and injure us greatly.
It is possible to remedy the needs of the soldiers in this manner. Your Highness has imposed a situado of two reals on all the tributes of those islands, in order to pay one and one-half reals to the soldiers and one-half real to the prebendaries of the church. This amount is paid into the royal treasury. As the treasury always falls short, and the Audiencia has to be preferred in the payment of its salaries; and as the galleys and many other things cause a shortage, eight or ten months or one year are wont to pass without the soldiers receiving any pay; consequently, one can imagine their sufferings. It will be very important to have that situado placed in a separate fund. Since there are three royal officials and in the said treasury two are sufficient if one of them performs two duties (as has often been done), the third official could take charge of that situado. He could purchase food at the harvests which would be cheap, and every week he could give the soldiers a ration of rice—the ordinary bread of that country—or wheat, which is also produced there, besides giving them in money one real per day. The amount still remaining could be paid to them every four months in order that they might clothe themselves. If their pay were increased by eight reals more, they could live well; and one-half of those who die now would not die, which is much more costly to your Highness. If your Highness is not willing to have the royal official to whose charge that duty must fall perform it there, a rich and very intelligent citizen should be charged with it; and in cases of need he should have to supply what will be often necessary.
Item: Manila lacks artillerymen—I mean men who understand artillery when need arises; for men are not lacking to take the pay of artillerymen, some of whom have never heard a gun fired all their life, but only enjoy that salary as a favor. Consequently your Highness’s revenues are spent uselessly, for such men are artillerymen only in name. I petition your Highness that artillerymen be made to pass an examination, or that on demand they furnish a certificate of examination; and that whoever shall pay their salary or order it to be paid [to incompetent men] shall incur a severe penalty; and that any person who shall apply for a position in the artillery service when one becomes vacant, shall, if a capable artilleryman, be preferred to the others, and that no posts shall be granted by favor to those who do not understand artillery.
Item: That camp needs a founder of artillery, who must be an efficient and good workman; for during the last fourteen years nothing else has been done than to spend your Highness’s royal revenues in salaries and making estimates of cost, and they have accomplished nothing useful. There is a good supply of metals and everything else necessary. It is extremely advisable that those islands have some one who understands founding artillery, in order to fortify the city.
Item: Inasmuch as that city is so far from your Highness’s eyes, and where journeys to and fro are made with so great difficulty, it is necessary for the good government of spiritual affairs, according to the customary method in Yndia, that, in case of the decease of the archbishop of Manila, his successor be appointed there; or that at least the senior bishop, or whoever your Highness may choose, shall govern the archbishopric. For, the first time when the archbishopric was vacant, that city was seven years without a prelate; and the second time, three or four years. In this matter, I must tell your Highness that you could avoid having so many bishops there—especially those of Caceres and Nueva Segovia, who are in that same island of Manila; for they have no churches of importance, nor even any place wherein suitably to keep the most holy sacrament. Neither do the bishops do more than to confirm, and for that a bishop in partibus[12] would be sufficient. Considering that the royal treasury is poor and cannot attend to many other necessary things, it is very inadvisable to increase those expenses in other ways. And considering the future—for there might happen to be persons in those bishoprics who do not think of or profess the poverty and bareness now maintained by those who are there—that would be a great burden on the Indian natives, and of no use.
Item: That in the trade of the Filipinas with the kingdom of Japon, in exchange for the merchandise shipped there they carry silver to Manila; for Japon has quantities of silver, and many rich mines have been discovered. The said silver is of the quality required by law, its fifth is taken, and the Japanese emperor’s duties are paid as they are here paid to your Highness. Inasmuch as silver money is used in those kingdoms and districts only by weight—and thus the citizens of Manila receive it, while the same is usual in Piru and Nueva España, wherever there are mines, in buying and selling with pieces of silver marked by weight instead of being coined; and inasmuch as this is very useful to the citizens of Manila, since, if this trade increases as it is increasing now, it will not be necessary to trade at all with the coined money of Nueva España: therefore I petition your Highness to be pleased to allow the said silver to pass as it has always passed; and that table service and other articles may be made of it without new duties being demanded, since these are not due.
Item: That during the war with the Sangleys, when they revolted, the Indian natives about Manila and La Laguna de Bay, and especially those of the province of La Pampanga, fought with great valor against the Sangleys, and aided us with great loyalty and willingness. It was at a juncture when, had they joined the side of the enemies, the Filipinas would have been ruined. Will your Highness be pleased to order the governor to thank them for it in your Highness’s name. They will greatly esteem that, especially certain chiefs—as, for instance, Don Guillermo, who on that occasion was master-of-camp of the Pampanga Indians; and Don Ventura, master-of-camp of those of Bay. I also request that the governor be commanded to order the religious who have missions under their charge to treat the Indians well; for they are wont to lash the natives for slight causes, and equally with them even the chief Indian women. This is very necessary, both for the conversion and for good example, and in order to incline them to us and make them devoted to us. For they are a race, who, with little effort on our part and with reasonable treatment, will do whatever we desire. The same thing should be ordered to the alcaldes-mayor; and your Highness should order the royal Audiencia to have any injuries committed on the Indians rigorously punished—for, inasmuch as these have not been so punished, many troubles have happened.