Part 12

It is now eight months since the rising in the province of Cagayan. The country is in rebellion, but it is true that the encomenderos gave cause for the disturbance by oppressing the natives with tributes, and in other ways. The one who caused most harm in this respect was Don Rodriguez Ronquillo, who died while in prison for this cause. The addition of four reals to the tribute, which was collected last year, also helped to rouse the rebellion. When I considered the serious harm which might result from the uprising in the land, I sent the master-of-camp, Pedro de Chaves, with competent troops, in order that, by means of kind methods, he might reduce them completely to the service of your Majesty. I ordered also that the increase in the tribute be suspended; and this has been done and will be continued until your Majesty is pleased to order otherwise. I think that, until the affairs of this land are better established, say for six years, these four reals should not be collected; but your Majesty will provide according to the royal pleasure.

The master-of-camp arrived with his troops at Cagayan, and in conformity with my order he pacified that land; and Magalate, the leader of the Indians, was killed by some soldiers in ambush. [17] This Indian had so much ability, authority, and shrewdness that he could have caused much damage if he had lived. The master-of-camp has now returned, and I am examining the papers which he brought with him. Although it is thought best to punish some of the subdued Indians, it is being done with mercy; for the bishop of Cagayan has told me that he holds a certain decree of your Majesty, whereby it appears that the war waged against those Indians at their conquest was not fully justified.

There have also been other uprisings of the Çambales blacks [18] in Pampanga, but they have all been suppressed by the effective measures which are so necessary in this land. I have succeeded in pacifying an Indian by the name of Casilian, who is the chief of the Çambales; and I am trying to bring him to this city, and to change the site of his settlement, in order that we may have more security.

There is always suspicion of Xapon, and, according to the advices which I now have, those people desire exceedingly to come here, although it is difficult for them to do so by ship. Consequently, I am, and shall be, well prepared for them, with arms in readiness. Garrisons are always maintained in that part of the country by which they would approach, namely, in the province of Cagayan. I have great hope, God helping, that Japon will be subdued. Several prominent persons there, with whom I have friendship and communication, have written to me. I have replied to them, and sent them presents, as must be done with these people. The one who is most friendly is the general of Coria, named Gentio, who is close in the order of succession in the kingdom to the Conbaco. [19] He wrote me that, although not a Christian himself, he is a friend of Christians. Having this good-will, he might receive the holy gospel, and I am trying to bring this to pass. This communication is secret, being without the knowledge of the Conbaco, who is very much hated in his kingdom, because of his great tyranny.

The ambassador Don Luis de Navarrete, whom I sent to the Conbaco, arrived there safely with the present which he took with him. The elephant was very well received, and they tell me that on the day when he entered Meaco (where the court of Japon resides), the concourse of people in the plaza was so great--because they had never seen elephants before--that seven persons were suffocated. When the ambassador had ascended to the hall, the king came out to meet him with thirty kings who were his vassals. My letter, a copy of which was sent to your Majesty last year, was then read in public. It was well received, and the king said that he would reply thereto. Then he wished to see the present which had been put in twelve boxes. Greatly excited and enraged by a picture of myself, which represented me armed and with a cane in my hand, he asked in a loud voice whether this were intended as a threat. He was answered in the negative, but that it was a custom of persons who held high offices to send their portraits as tokens of regard and friendship when embassies were despatched. Thereupon he was appeased, and ordered the picture to be placed in a large hall, and directed his wives and children to go to see it. After this the ambassador was invited to dine with him three times, and was finally dismissed with a present of twelve coats of mail, thirty lances, and two horses. The despatch has not yet arrived, but I fear that the ambassador has died, for he was very ill at Nangasaque. The information which I give your Majesty was gained from a letter of his. [20]

In compliance with your Majesty's orders, and after investigating the embarrassments of the royal treasury, I have cashiered two companies commanded by two of my relatives, thereby saving expenses to the treasury of more than two thousand pesos a year; but if you consider it best for your Majesty's service to extend the reduction somewhat, it shall be done.

Within this city I have made an impregnable refuge, which is bounded on one side by the sea and on another by the river; while on the land side one thousand armed men can, if sufficiently provisioned, defend it against one hundred thousand. I am uneasy, however, because Nueva España neglects this important post. The troops sent me from that country are useless, and the majority of them are unarmed. The captains deprive the soldiers of their wages, and I have a hundred such complaints. I have sent advices of everything to the Conde de Monterrey, [21] in order that he may correct this evil, for the reparation thereof belongs to him. Your Majesty's service will be furthered by giving orders to this effect.

I beseech your Majesty to order that, for the use of the troops of this camp, eight hundred arquebuses, four hundred muskets, and three hundred coats of mail be brought from Spain; for the troops are unarmed and your Majesty is put to much useless expense. I should wish never to have been born if, on any occasion, this kingdom could not be defended for your Majesty, for lack of arms.

I have found here an invention of the Sangleys for founding artillery. It is easy of accomplishment, and as there is much metal in the royal warehouses I am having fifty pieces of artillery made, which will take a ball of one to three libras' weight, the size most needed here. After these are finished, I shall not fail to go to China to attack the Sangleys. May our Lord preserve the royal Catholic person of your Majesty as is needed by these kingdoms, and as we your vassals desire. Manila, June 17, 1598.

_Don Francisco Tello_

Sire:

Your Majesty's royal instructions despatched in the year ninety-six were received in the month of May of the year ninety-eight. Your Majesty's commands will be fulfilled with all punctuality, in each and every respect; and the viceroy of Nueva España will be advised of what concerns him, in order that he may also observe your Majesty's commands. It is best for the service of your Majesty that the viceroy should punctually send the reënforcements supplied to this kingdom, and carefully attend to all other things pertaining thereto. I am very sorry to see the manner in which your Majesty's revenues are being wasted, and with so small a result; for the troops are in a wretched condition and without arms, and the captains try rather to rob them of their money than to secure good and serviceable troops. They are striving to deprive this last contingent, who are poor and unprotected, of the greater part of their pay. Owing to a misunderstanding, the viceroy also does something unsuitable to your Majesty's service--namely, he sends freight on certain ships which are despatched to these regions by private persons. To avoid expense to the royal exchequer, he makes entry thereof, and gives them license to carry a large sum of money. [22] From investing this they secure four times its value in goods; and all this wealth they use, and lade on their ships, and they take away the cream of the trade from those who were born in this country. As a result, this land is poor, harassed, and wretched; and the Peruvians and Mexicans are rich and powerful, for it is they who are engaged in this traffic. By the methods above described, there can be no obstacle which prevents them from receiving the highest profits. Your Majesty will command orders to be given in this matter as is most beneficial.

The troops of this land, old and deserving soldiers, are in great need, for the encomiendas are in rebellion, and they cannot be pacified in many years. They are very poor, and beset with afflictions; and it grieves me to be unable to assist them. Although I have supplied several with temporary positions, I have been careful not to give them to any follower or relative of mine. There are many who are unfortunate, and the thousand pesos which your Majesty was pleased to command to be granted every year, with the condition that the additional pay given from it should not exceed ten pesos annually, is not used for that purpose. This is because there is no one to take the money, for it yields but seven reals a month, which can do no more than buy food for one day. The provisions in this land are as dear as those in Castilla. If your Majesty were pleased to have these thousand pesos and another thousand--which can be obtained from charges laid upon the vacant encomiendas--divided by the governor among twenty or thirty unemployed captains and deserving soldiers, they would then be enabled to buy food; and many very great excesses committed by them in trying to obtain food among the Indians would be avoided. As these are caused by their extreme necessity, they are to a certain extent excusable, for no one is willing to be left to die of starvation. This point is worthy of much consideration. I entreat your Majesty to have the goodness to examine it and provide what is most needful.

Although by right of my office I can proceed to punish the captains and soldiers of the land, and do so, there are, mingled with the good men, so many who are vile and vicious that the majority of the men are constantly informing on one another. This vice, as well as that of writing defamatory libels and letters, is very prevalent. This is a state of affairs very unfortunate for this land, and one by which our lord is very ill served; and great and serious misfortunes follow. If your Majesty were pleased to charge each of the auditors here, in turn, privately to investigate these cases and give the offenders exemplary punishment, a great part of the present difficulty might be remedied. I assure your Majesty, that one of the things which make me most dissatisfied and anxious to leave the country, is the matter above stated. Therefore I have petitioned your Majesty to grant me favor and license for it, as I hope for it from your royal clemency. Many times I have considered and been brought face to face with the great evil that is done in this land by the marriage of elderly widows with whomsoever they may choose. They are old and but ordinary women, as they were those who first came here. Their husbands pacified the best encomiendas, and died; and these widows are left with five or six thousand pesos of income. They marry and have married despicably and irregularly, and old soldiers, honorable gentlemen, and noblemen have been defrauded, who by their descent would have inherited and succeeded to these encomiendas. I have thought of a plan suitable to correct this evil, about which I have conferred with grave religious persons--namely, that the childless widow who shall marry after the age of forty years shall hold but a life-interest in the encomienda. Will your Majesty have this considered and provide accordingly, considering the extreme importance of it.

Your Majesty's treasury is greatly embarrassed, as I have noted in the letter pertaining to the royal finances. It occurs to me to declare here what may be done in this regard, should it appear best to your Majesty. The Chinese who come here to trade every year bring eight hundred thousand pesos and sometimes more than a million. During the ten days they spend here they gain more than a hundred per cent; and this year, according to the universal opinion, fully two hundred per cent. They find plenty of money and sell as they would in their own land. Each outgoing ship pays as anchorage five hundred pesos and the duties that are paid to your Majesty are only three per cent, as imposed by Don Juan Rronquillo. If your Majesty would increase the duties by another three per cent, it would not hurt them to pay that amount, and your Majesty's royal treasury would receive much relief thereby. The goods brought by these heathen Chinese are silks of little cost and value, the scum of what they have; and they take back in return gold and silver.

I humbly beseech your Majesty in respect to this point, as to all my other suggestions, to accept so much as may be best for the royal service, which my zeal but desires to further. May our Lord preserve your Majesty for many long years, as we your Majesty's servants and vassals need. Manila, June 19, 1598.

_Don Francisco Tello_

Sire:

The report which by your royal instructions your Majesty commands me to send, as to the religious orders in these islands, the number of houses and religious that they contain, and the number needed--whom may your Majesty order to be sent, so that there may be sufficient religious instruction in the islands--will accompany this letter. It is sent with the promptness commanded by your Majesty, whose Catholic and royal person may our Lord preserve, as is necessary to Christendom, and as we your vassals desire. Manila, July 9, 1598.

_Don Francisco Tello_

[_Endorsed_: "Manila. To his Majesty, 1598. Don Francisco Tello. July 9."]

[_Instructions of the council_: "Have the superiors of the religious orders of España notified to send useful religious to the Philipinas. Let the viceroy of Nueva España be directed by letter that he shall assemble the superiors of those religious orders, shall confer with them in regard to the annual selection and despatch of religious who are fitted to engage in this conversion, and shall direct them in the matter. Let a letter be sent to the archbishop of Manila asking for definite information as to the houses there, how they are distributed, how many religious are in each one, and how many would be needed in order to provide the necessary instruction; and let him be directed to see that there is no lack, but that the conversion shall continue to increase."]

_Report of the religious orders in these Philippinas Islands, of their provinces and houses, and of the religious whom they have and those whom they need from España,in order that there may be sufficient religious instruction in the islands._

_St. Augustine_.--The Order of St. Augustine, the first order to be founded in these islands, has occupied the provinces of Tagalos, Pampanga, Ylocos, and Pintados. It has in them sixty houses, with one hundred and eight priests and preachers, and fifty-three lay-brethren. They must establish more houses, both for the entries into new regions, and the new explorations which are to be made; and for the provision of sufficient instruction. To this end it will be necessary to send annually twenty religious to the order. These should come from Nueva España, where there are many religious. It would be at very much less cost to the royal exchequer to do this, and most sufficient for this country, because they have already made a beginning with the Indians.

_St. Francis_.--The Order of St. Francis has occupied the province of Camarines, where it has forty houses, with one hundred and twenty religious, twenty-three of whom are lay-brethren, and the rest priests, preachers, and confessors. They need fifty religious, both that they may have sufficient instruction, and for the houses that they are to establish.

_St. Dominic_.--The Order of St. Dominic occupies the province of Cagayan, where it has twelve houses, with seventy-one religious. For the houses which they are to establish in that province, and that the province may have sufficient instruction, they must have twenty priests sent to them annually; for they receive as many lay-brethren in the islands as they need.

_The Society of Jesus_.--The Society of Jesus, which is the last established, has twelve houses, which lie in the provinces of Pintados, and in the islands of Camar, Leite, and Babao. They have in them forty-three religious, of whom twenty-three are priests, preachers, and confessors, and the rest lay-brethren. For the houses that they are to establish, and in Mindanao, where these religious will have charge of the pacification, they will need fifty priests at one time, and annual help henceforth; for they are reaping a great harvest in this country. They have two colleges here, one in Manila, and the other in the city of Santissimo Nombre de Jesus, where Latin is taught to the Spaniards, and the Christian faith to the natives, who manifest a deep interest.

The superiors of these orders are religious of much ability, and among the other members of the orders are many excellent linguists, who are accomplishing much in the conversion of the natives, which continues to increase daily.

Report of the Audiencia on the Conduct of Tello

Sire:

Among other things which seemed advantageous to your Majesty's service was for this Audiencia to govern in accordance with the instructions and orders your Majesty gave us, and to request the president, Don Francisco Tello, to observe them on his part. We have notified him in writing that it is your Majesty's will that he shall use the seal of your Majesty's arms only to seal the decrees made and issued by the president and auditor of this chancilleria. We have notified him that he is not to use it, as he does, in issuing commissions for civil and military appointments. We have told him that your Majesty has granted this privilege, under special decree, to the viceroys alone. But he does not refrain from doing this, as we have reported to your Majesty in a special letter of the first of this month.

We requested him, also, to wear suitable apparel in the judicial sessions of the Audiencia, since hitherto he has come in wearing a short cloak, and a hat with colored plumes. We asked him to wear the same suitable apparel in conducting the deliberations of the Audiencia, and in the building and council-room and court of the Audiencia. Up to this time, when the aforesaid president has held the courts, he has done so outside of the building of the Audiencia, and in a chamber of the inn where he ordinarily resides. On these occasions he has not been properly attired, appearing sometimes with a colored cloak and sometimes without any.

It is urged upon the president also that when the deliberations are being held, the door shall be bolted, that he shall allow no one to enter, shall keep secret all deliberations, and shall cause to be observed the respect and dignity due to this place where your Majesty's person is represented--which he has thus far not done with the requisite propriety and exactness. From this have resulted several disagreeable occurrences.

But especially has the president been informed that, since your Majesty has resumed the civil and criminal jurisdiction of these islands in the Audiencia, so that he [the governor] may be less occupied and more free to attend to matters of state and of war, he should not take charge of imprisonments and suits against the inhabitants and natives of this city. They complain that very often he persecutes them severely for some grudge, or because he does not like them; and that, even when he arrests them, he does not try their cases, and neither condemns nor acquits the accused; nor does he refer the cases to the Audiencia, so that they may be tried there, in accordance with the demands of justice therein. Of all these cases, he has the right to retain jurisdiction only over the offenses of the soldiers. These he may try directly, as your Majesty has granted to him, as being captain-general. We have had some conferences on these points with the aforesaid president, and have used other means to induce him to do right, and not transgress your Majesty's will. We have not, however, found him entirely submissive to it, especially as to the requirement to cease proceeding entirely alone in whatever suit he chooses. In this way he has begun to persecute those who are not entirely to his liking, and often with little justification. Because it is very important to your Majesty's service, and to the welfare of those who live here that this should not go on, we shall continue the necessary precautions, so that without giving occasion on our part for a break or disagreement with the president, he shall be submissive to what your Majesty has decreed, as you desire. The important thing is to report to your Majesty the state of affairs here, so that you may provide definitely for what is to be done. We state truthfully that we are under obligations to your Majesty to interfere in no manner with the exercise of his governing power, and that of waging war--unless, under title and pretext of his office as captain-general, he shall prosecute and harass for his own personal grudges, and for objects which are not for your Majesty's service, the inhabitants, and those who are not soldiers, and have committed no offense, since this must not go unremedied. Whatever your Majesty may be pleased to decree in all this matter, we shall remain without anxiety and in peace; for our only aim is the fulfilling of your Majesty's will, and our desire the satisfactory accomplishment of the affairs of your Majesty's service. May God keep your Majesty. Manila, July 15, 1598.

Doctor _Antonio de Morga_

The licentiate _Tellez Almaçan_

The licentiate _Alvaro Canbrano_

Documents of 1599

Letter to the archbishop of Manila. Felipe III; March 1. Letter from the bishop of Nueva Segovia to the king. Miguel de Benavides; May 17. Letter to Joan de Ibarra. Miguel de Benavides; May 22. Missions of the religious orders. Geronimo de Alcaraz; June 28. Military affairs in the islands. Francisco Tello, and others; July 12. Letter to the king. Francisco Tello; July 12. Ordinances enacted by the Audiencia of Manila. Francisco Tello, and others; June 1598-July, 1599. (_To be concluded_.)

_Source_: All of these documents arc obtained from original MSS. in the Archivo general de Indias, Sevilla.

_Translations_: The first, third, fourth, and sixth are translated by Robert W. Haight; the second, by José M. and Clara M, Asensio; the fifth and seventh, by Arthur B. Myrick, of Harvard University.

Letter from Felipe III to the Archbishop of Manila