Sire:
In former years the archbishop of these Philipinas Islands, on petition
of the natives of the village of Quiapo, which is near this city of
Manila, wrote to your Majesty, informing you that the fathers of the
Society of Jesus--under pretext that the former dean of this holy
church of Manila, whom your Majesty has lately appointed archbishop,
[59] had sold them a garden lying back of our village--have been
insinuating themselves more and more into our lands and taking more
than what was assigned them by the dean; and that we had scarcely
any land remaining in the village for our fields, and even for our
houses. The petition begged your royal Majesty to remedy this and
protect us under your royal clemency, since we are Indians, who cannot
defend ourselves by suits, as we are a poor people, and it would be
a matter with a religious order. Your royal Majesty, as so Catholic
and most Christian, sent a command to the royal Audiencia resident in
these islands to gather information of the details of this matter,
and to redress it, and not allow injuries to be inflicted on us. We
have heard that the royal Audiencia has advised your Majesty; but
we do not know what they have advised, for nothing was told us. Now
this present year, I, who am the chief, and claim that the lands which
are in dispute with the fathers are of greater extent, built a house
in my fields. One of the fathers [_i.e._, Jesuits], named Brother
Nieto, came with a numerous following of negroes and Indians, armed
with halberds and catans; and of his own accord, and with absolute
authority, razed my house to the ground. This caused great scandal to
those who saw a religious armed for the purpose of destroying the house
of a poor Indian--although, after seeing his intention to seize all my
property and bind me, I did not raise my eyes to behold him angered,
because of the respect that I know is due the ministers who teach us
the law of God. Although the alcalde-mayor of our village (namely,
the master-of-camp, Pedro de Chaves) was angry, as was proper, at the
little attention they paid to the royal justice of your Majesty and of
your servants; and went immediately on that same day to the destroyed
house, and did not leave the village until he knew that another small
house had been rebuilt for me in place of the one destroyed--yet, as
all the fathers had threatened me that, as often as I should build
a house there, they would return to raze or burn it (and this they
have declared before the alcalde-mayor himself and the canon Talavera,
our minister), and as I am a poor Indian, I fear the power of the said
fathers. For I fear that I can find no one to aid me in the suits that
the fathers are about to begin against me, or who will appear for
my justice, since I have even been unable to find anyone who dared
to write this letter for me. This letter is therefore written by my
own hand and in my own composition, and in the style of an Indian
not well versed in the Spanish language. But I confide my cause to
your royal Majesty's great kindness, and, prostrate at your Majesty's
royal feet, implore you to protect me with your royal protection, by
ordering the royal Audiencia and the archbishop to inform your royal
Majesty anew, and to summon me in order that I may inform them of my
claims to justice. Also in the meanwhile will you order the fathers
not to molest me in the ancient possession that I have inherited from
my fathers and grandfathers, who were chiefs of the said village. I
trust in the royal clemency and exceedingly great Christian spirit of
your Majesty that I shall be protected and defended in what should
have justice. This I petition from your royal person, whom may our
Lord preserve during many happy years, for the protection of these
poor Indians, your Majesty's loyal vassals, and for the increase of
this new Christian community. From Quiapo; July 25, 1609.
The useless slave of your royal Majesty,
_Don Miguel Banal_
[_Endorsed_: "Have the governor and the Audiencia investigate, and
in the meanwhile provide suitable measures."]