My Dear Sir:
Yesterday the governor handed me the letter which your Grace was pleased to send him, in which your Grace promises to be loyal to his sacred Majesty, the king of Gran Bretaña, my master. You may believe, Don Diego, that your letter gave me especial pleasure and great joy—so much so that I resolved to send you one of his Majesty’s ships under my command, in order to assure your Grace of my protection, and aid in the name of my master, against the common enemy, España. I have been very sensible of the many injuries which your Grace has suffered under the tyrannical government of the Spaniards; but 1 am very pleased to know that your Grace has opened your eyes, and that your Grace will strengthen and encourage your people to humiliate the sovereignty of so cruel a nation. For motives of this nature, the king my master drew his sword in defense of his vassals, and of other nations, his allies, who suffered the lash of the Spanish tyranny in different parts of the world. Your Grace can rest assured of the consideration of the king my master, when he learns of your Grace’s loyalty and the injuries which your Grace and good compatriots have suffered from the hand of the one by whom you ought to have been protected and aided, from the general whom his Majesty despatched, together with the admiral. On the general’s return he will give information of the conquest of these islands, and is well instructed to represent to his Majesty the completely favorable attitude of the natives of them.
The admiral went with the greater part of the squadron to protect the dominions along the coast and Yndia. He has left me particular instructions to cultivate harmonious relations and friendship with the province of Ylocos and the other nations of the north. I am sorry that I have not paid your Grace a visit, but important business has prevented me. However, your Grace can rest assured that I shall be most vigilant in extending help to you.
In a short time, your Grace will have troops and war supplies. This despatch is to assure your Grace of our friendship and my satisfaction at receiving your letter, and because of your loyalty. In order that your Grace may communicate it to all the people, especially to those under your command, I am sending your Grace a small bronze cannon in token of affection.
I hope that the provinces of Pangazinan and Cagayan will soon follow your worthy example and tear off the chains of Spanish slavery.
I am also sending your Grace the edict published by the two leaders of sea and land, when we conquered our enemy. For my part I assure you that I shall religiously observe it, and I invite you when time permits, to despatch your boats to this capital, where they will be welcomed for their trade. The bearer of this letter is a captain in his Britannic Majesty’s service, and he will inform your Grace of particulars. Hence, I shall not go to great length to repeat, with my accustomed sincerity, that I shall employ all my strength in your defense, in order that your Grace may free yourself from the Spanish yoke. I shall not cease to beseech God, our Lord, to preserve your Grace for many years. Manila, May 6, 1763.[31]
[Addressed: “To Don Diego Silang, alcalde-mayor and war-captain for his Majesty in the province of Ylocos.”]
[Under date of March (sic in original; May?) 15, the British commander of the forces in Manila, Roberto Eduardo Fell, writes Anda, asking him to see to it that acts of barbarism and cruelty such as have been practiced by Anda’s troops against the British, on many occasions, be discontinued. He denies that the British soldiers have broken the laws of warfare, and during the sack, many officers tried to restrain them at the risk of their own lives, while the Spanish troops have on the contrary fired more than once at the white flag, thus not adhering to the honorable conduct of Spaniards in Europe. He does not ask for discontinuance of the war, but only observance of the common humanities of war.]