The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 19 of 55 / 1620-1621 / 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

Prostrate at your Majesty’s feet, I desire to beg one thing, in which lies the wealth and prosperity of this land, or its destruction. Your royal Majesty can remedy it—although it be at the loss of his office to the governor of these islands; for in no other way is there any relief, either with royal decrees or orders from your Majesty—or in any other way—by your Majesty ordering the said governor that the ships sail from this port for Nueva España by St. John’s or St. Peter’s day;[2] for they can do it, as they used to do. In this way no shipwrecks will occur, just as there were none before. The losses and shipwrecks caused by not observing this cannot be told, I will mention as an example only the case of the present year. Inasmuch as they sailed late, two hundred and eighty persons died in the flagship, and all the rest arrived in a dying condition. They were over seven months just now on the return trip, after their escape from the Dutch enemy then assembled where they fought. Because they were not able to enter the channel to go to their usual port, as they were late, and because the winds contrary to them had begun, they were driven ashore and there the two hulls of the ships were wrecked. There was the one noteworthy thing, namely, that with only six pieces they fought the enemy, who had three ships. The loss was immense; besides the hulls, a great amount of property was lost—more than four hundred thousand pesos—and it was a miracle that everything was not lost. Written in this convent of Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, at Dilao, outside the walls [of Manila], August 7, 1620.

The most unworthy servant of your royal Majesty,

Fray Pedro de San Pablo, provincial minister.

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[1] The preachers of Charles V said to the Council of the Indias, in speaking of the repartimiento system in America: “We hold that this most great sin will be the cause of the total destruction of the state of Spain, if God does not alter it, or we do not amend it ourselves.” See Helps’s Spanish Conquest, ii, p. 56.

[2] St. John’s day is June 26, and St. Peter’s June 29.

Letter from the Audiencia of Manila to Felipe III

Sire:

At the end of last year, 619, this royal Audiencia reported to your Majesty a portion of the numerous excesses and imprudent acts of Don Alonso Fajardo, governor and captain-general of these islands. For that purpose it despatched, by way of Yndia, Captain Pedro Alvares, government and War secretary of this kingdom, with the same document that is herewith enclosed. Although this despatch was attempted twice it did not succeed, because the governor, suspecting it, exercised great vigilance to prevent it—as in fact he did, a certain sailor revealing it while confused. But, although he made no little investigation and practiced extortions to verify the matter, he was unable to ascertain who the person was, or why he was going, because the matter had been managed by a priest. And although a long relation can be made here of his objectionable acts, we shall, in order to excuse prolixity, touch on only a few of them.