Pedro de Heredia, who has been many years governor of Terrenate, is a good soldier; but he is old and rich, and it is advisable for your Majesty to send a successor to him. He should be one who will be content with the honor and dignity of the post of governor.
Your Majesty has sustained here a number of galleys at a great expense. They have been of very little or of no service. Some of them have fallen to pieces with the lapse of time; and others have been wrecked, not so much on account of disasters, as for the lack of experienced officers for that navigation, as it is very different from that of galleons. In this port there is now but one old galley; and as I have taken a trip in it, I can assure your Majesty that it serves for nothing else than vanity. To keep it up costs considerable, and therefore, and because this treasury is so deeply in debt, I have determined to prevent so excessive a cost to your Majesty. I shall only keep up the galley of Terrenate, which is necessary and cannot be spared; for your Majesty’s revenues do not allow superfluities. And, so long as your Majesty does not resolve upon another course, I shall not venture upon more at present than to repair this galley, which is old and unmanageable, in order that there may be something in which to occupy the crew (who lie idle the whole year), until a new order comes from your Majesty. [In the margin: “Have the new governor notified, in accordance with what the last one has written, in how bad a condition is the galley of which mention is made, the great expense that would be required to repair it, of how little use it is; that it can be dispensed with; and that, if there are no other reasons that prevent, or any inconveniences, he shall do so, and, after doing it, he shall give information of what has occurred, and of his opinion.”]
Your Majesty has a captain-general of artillery here, which is a superfluous post, not only on account of the little that there is for him to do, but because there will never be a land campaign; and on all occasions the governor attends to this, as to other things. It is also proper to adjust the jurisdictions of all [the officers], for they are all at variance, as some are trying to meddle in the affairs of others. That results in confusion and disorder; for the master-of-camp, in accordance with his title, claims that he can try causes in the first instance of all the men who are paid, both in and out of the army. The governor of the artillery, the castellans, the military captains, the substitutes [entretenidos], and others who are not soldiers of the army claim that they are exempt from such jurisdiction. I have thought it best to inform your Majesty, so that you may please order the measures taken that are most to your pleasure. [In the margin: “When that post falls vacant, have this section brought.”]
It is not advisable that it be known here that the governors should give so particular an account as I am giving, and as I shall always give, in accordance with the dictates of my conscience; for others, fearful of it, will not neglect to advise of many things of importance. Will your Majesty provide throughout, what is most to your pleasure. May God preserve your Majesty, etc. Manila, August 14, 1633.
Don Juan Cerezo Salamanca
Government matters
Sire:
I have informed your Majesty from Mexico that, in accordance with the regulations in regard to the vacancies in this government of Filipinas, the viceroy of Nueva España entrusted me ad interim with it because of the death of Don Juan Niño de Tavora, the regularly-appointed incumbent. I left Acapulco April 5, and entered these islands with the flagship and almiranta July 8, after a prosperous voyage, although the great calms of this year have obliged the ships to make port in the island of Mindoro, at a distance of twenty-five leguas from this city, where they are awaiting suitable weather to enable them to get to this city of Cavite. Accordingly, I came in an oared vessel to take possession of this government, on the second of the present month.
I am obliged to inform your Majesty of the judicial, treasury, military, and government matters, and as a new arrival I shall be able to do it quite free from interest and passion, and with the sole desire of fulfilling my duty as a vassal. I shall endeavor with all truth to give a succinct relation of all that I have found, so that, after your Majesty has read them, you may have the most advisable measures taken.
This government and the preservation of its provinces consists in that the commerce of Great China and Japon be current, and especially that of Japon. In truth this is more considerable, both as it is a powerful neighbor, and because they are wont to bring from that kingdom many products which are needed [here]—namely, iron, copper, lead, saltpeter, flour, salt pork, vegetables, drugs, and silver—and which it costs your Majesty considerable to have to supply from Nueva España.