The licentiate Geronimo de Salazar y Salcedo, fiscal for your Majesty
in the royal Chancillería of the Philipinas Islands. In the month of
February or March of each year there usually come from the kingdom
of China to this city of Manila thirty ships, and sometimes more,
with merchandise from that kingdom. This year they were detained
until the middle of May, and only fourteen ships came. In one of
them were three mandarins, who are the same as those whom we call
"governors." Three or four days before they arrived at this city,
the chief of them sent a letter to Don Pedro de Acuña, governor and
captain-general of these islands and president of the royal Audiencia
thereof. A copy of the translation of this letter will be sent with
this. In this they gave us to understand that Oyten, a Chinaman who
had been in these islands, told their king that in the port of Cavite
there was a great hill of gold which had no owner, and that the people
of that vicinity availed themselves of it to obtain a great quantity
of gold. Their king had sent him to learn the truth, for there had
been those who contradicted this; and therefore the governor should
have no apprehension, and might rest secure.
On the twenty-third of May the three mandarins landed in this city,
with many insignia of justice which they are accustomed to wear in
China, attended by alguacils, executioners, and other officers, with
wands and cords, and receiving much reverence. They had a small box
in which were carried the patents of their offices. While I was on
that day in the company of the governor, all three mandarins came
in to visit him, and we saw them coming from a window. I told the
governor that those mandarins could not be allowed to carry their
insignia of justice; but he answered me that there was nothing worth
notice in that. A short time after this, Pedro Hurtado Desquivel,
clerk of the court of the said royal Audiencia, in behalf of the
auditors thereof told the governor to take notice that he could not
consent that the mandarins should bear the insignia of justice in this
city. He answered in the same manner as he had replied to me. The
mandarins having taken up quarters in houses which were made ready
for them, I had information that they were sending thither Chinese and
flogging them, in form of justice, according to the Chinese usage. This
moved me to enter a petition in regard to it in the royal Audiencia,
demanding that this be stopped. I was ordered to give an information,
and I did so, as fully appears by the copy thereof which accompanies
this. When the governor learned of this, he was much angered at me,
and complained bitterly of me--saying that this proceeding was in
opposition to him; and that I should have first given him an account
of what I wished to petition, which I should have done very willingly
[_illegible in MS._] had I thought it of any use. But as he had seen
what occurred, it appeared to me--with the report of the Audiencia,
and what I had before said to him in regard to the mandarins not
bearing insignia of justice--that any further discussion of the
subject with the governor might be dispensed with, and that it was
my duty to petition as I did. The Audiencia took no action, because
the governor issued an act commanding that the mandarins should not
administer justice, or bear their insignia of chastisement through
the streets. The Audiencia commanded that this act be joined with the
information which I had given, and the mandarins went back to their
own country. As it appeared to me well that your Majesty should know
of this affair--of which you will find full details in the information
of which I speak--I have thought it best to give an account thereof to
your Majesty, so that your Majesty may be pleased to command that the
procedure be established in the case of mandarins coming from China
to this city, and direct in what state they are to go through the
streets; for the tokens of authority which those mandarins bore were
excessive. I have even gone so far, in order that this may be better
investigated, as to have a picture made of the style in which they
went about, a copy of which will go with this, since the brief time
prevents me from having another copy made. I have also had placed
upon it what each figure signifies, the explanations being in the
petition which I placed before the Audiencia, a copy of which goes
with the documents above mentioned.
On the twenty-ninth of April of this year it was God's will that there
should be so great a fire in this city that, within two hours, there
were burned one hundred and fifty houses, among them the best of the
city, and the thirty-two built of masonry, one of which was mine. [15]
Not having any people to help me, I could not save its contents, and
only with the greatest difficulty did I save my library. The cause
of the lack of people to aid in putting out the fire, and taking out
from several of the houses what they could, was that the governor had
ordered the gates of the cities locked so that no Chinese or Indians
could enter--although they would have been of much use, as they have
been in other fires which we have had. In the passion of my grief,
for I had lost more than six thousand pesos, I said that my house had
been burned through the lack of people and the order to shut the gates
of the city. This coming to the ears of the governor, he became angry
about this also, although he has never said anything to me about it;
for the resolution which he adopted of locking the gates could only be
based on the idea that the Chinese should not enter, lest they might
possess themselves of the city. This could have been guarded against
by letting what seemed to be a safe number of Chinese enter--as they
never carry arms, and are a wretched and miserable people--and by
then shutting the gates of the city and having soldiers to guard
the Sangleys who were going about on the inside; and so everything
would have been provided against. These occasions of annoyance to the
governor might induce him, as he is somewhat hot-tempered, to write
to your Majesty concerning me, seeking to discredit me--which I do
not deserve, considering the desire which I have to accomplish much in
the service of your Majesty, whom I also beseech to be pleased to have
me heard in regard to whatever is imputed to me. May God protect your
Majesty according to His power, with great increase of your kingdoms
and seigniories. Manila, in the Philipinas Islands, July 5, 1603.