_Juan de Alcega_
_Domingo Birral_
Before me:
_Felipe Roman_, notary public.
And after the above the said alcalde-mayor caused to appear before
him Don Juan Lisin, an Indian chief of the said village of Cubao, who
received the oath through the said interpreter, was sworn according
to the law; and on this oath, being questioned in accordance with
the interrogatory, he deposed as follows:
In reply to the first question this witness declared that he knew that,
at the time when the Spaniards discovered and pacified these islands,
all the natives thereof--and especially those of this province,
as this witness has seen--wore no other garments than those made
of the cloths which they then wove, which were very good; nor did
they care to use, instead of this, stuffs from other countries. And
although one or two ships came from China, these carried no cloth,
but only plates, horns, iron, and _camanguian_, which they took in
exchange for rice and gold, and for cotton in the boll, where this
was grown. And thus he replied to this question.
To the second question he said that since the Spaniards had settled
in the city of Manyla, the Sangleys--who at various times had formed
settlements there--seeing there were Spaniards in the country, and
that the money they brought was different from that which had been
used there before, began to increase their ships, bringing each year
a greater number than before. In these they brought to the islands
very large quantities of provisions (although there was no need of
these in the country), together with many pieces of satin, damask,
and taffeta, and other pieces of fine silk, and a large quantity of
cotton cloths, white and colored. And so far has this gone that this
witness has known as many as twenty ships to come in a single year,
and he has known a time when at least eight entered the river of Manila
alone. For, besides these, many go to the provinces of Pintados, which
they call Pan, Cubu, Pangansinan, Ylocos, and Cagayan. And when the
natives of all this Panpanga and of the rest of these islands--the
Bisayan as well as the Tagalan--saw these large quantities of cloth
brought by the Sangleys, and that these were so cheap, they were
unwilling to weave cloth, as they were wont to do before the Spaniards
had come and before the Sangleys brought cloth to them. To avoid
this labor, little as it was, all the natives have taken to buying
their stuffs for clothing, and have entirely abandoned their own,
which they formerly wore. The result is that in all this province,
as this witness knows, no cloths are made; for whenever a garment is
needed by a chief, timagua or slave, he straightway goes to Manila,
where the Chinese have their market, and buys it from them. Another
result of this practice is this: As all the natives--chiefs, timaguas,
and slaves alike--dress in these Sangley garments, the slave as well as
the chief, no one can decide whether they are not all chiefs. A large
quantity of the cloth is consumed, and it seems to this witness that
the number is even larger than stated in the question, rather than
smaller. And if this evil is not resisted and remedied very soon,
this number will greatly increase. For as the natives are compelled
to buy them from the Chinese, every one of the said pieces of cloth,
however worthless it may be, costs a peso or a peso and a half. If
the matter is allowed to go farther, experience shows that each
year the price of clothing will go higher--all the more because the
natives of these islands, when they have any money, try to spend
that little for food and clothing; and, not valuing the cloth that
they already have, they buy what they need--in order not to weave it,
as this witness has said--paying whatever is asked for it. Even the
most prominent and the richest of the natives finds three pieces of
cloth enough for an entire year; and these he buys, whether cheap or
dear, never hesitating to give whatever is asked for them in barter,
rather than to weave them--although that would not be more work than
they could easily accomplish. If this be permitted, all goods will,
as before stated, grow dearer every day. A piece of cloth which this
witness has known to be sold, and himself has bought, in former years
for three or four reals, sells today for eight and twelve reals: and
it will very soon cost twenty, if no check or remedy be applied. Thus
he answered this question.
To the third question he replied that the evil referred to in the
question is as therein specified. Last year it was stated to this
witness that the Sangleys carried away to their country more than
three thousand pesos, which he knows leave these dominions. This
evil should be corrected; and the remedy would lie in forbidding all
the natives of these islands to buy any cloth whatever for their own
use, and in requiring them to weave the same, as they formerly were
accustomed to do. Thus he replied to this question.
In answer to the fourth question this witness declared that he knows
that, since the Spaniards have traded with the Chinese in these
islands, the natives have begun to desert their villages--some
of them leaving their rice-fields, and others the cultivation of
their vineyards or the planting of cotton, living in idleness and
vagabondage; some have taken service with the Spaniards and others with
the Chinese. All this has resulted in a corruption of their morals;
for, being paid in money for their services, and having a livelihood,
as stated in the question, they buy their clothes from the Sangley,
abandoning all labor, being encouraged and favored by the Spaniards;
and this has led to the offenses against God our Lord which are
mentioned in the question--which are very numerous, as the natives
are so many; and unless a remedy is quickly applied, these crimes
will increase more and more each day. Thus he replied to this question.
In reply to the fifth question this witness declared that he knows
that, if the ordinance mentioned in the question is enforced with
rigor, the evils and offenses against God, before mentioned, will
cease entirely; and, the said ordinance being observed, all the people
will work, as they did before the coming of the Spaniards. Thus the
country will be maintained and well provided with all necessaries,
and the money which now goes from it will remain here, and the natives
will be rich; and besides all this the natives will weave much cloth,
and make their garments from it, as it is three times better than that
from China. There would also be a large quantity of cloth for sale
to the Spaniards, and even much which they could use for themselves,
as they did before the Sangleys began to bring goods hither. Thus
would another large sum of money remain in the country. Of all these
advantages there is great need in this country, which has suffered
because an ordinance so just and advantageous to the entire country was
not framed sooner. There would be an end of another great evil to which
the country has hitherto submitted--namely, that the Chinaman buys
cotton and takes it to his own country. And the other abuses mentioned
in the question would also cease. Thus did he reply to this question.
To the sixth question he said that the proposals therein contained
are very just for the natives of these islands, and the Chinese, if
they continue to come to this country (which will not be necessary),
will be glad to barter their goods for the articles mentioned in
the question, and will be satisfied; for they traded thus before the
coming of the Spaniards, and went away well contented. And thus will
end the outflow of the money which has been hitherto carried from
this country, and will continue to be carried away if no remedy be
applied. This was his answer.
To the seventh question he replied that all these islands, except
this province of Panpanga, and that of Calonpite and Candava, and the
river and coast of Manila--all the rest, according to statements made
to this witness by people who have visited them, are well adapted to
the growing of cotton; and if the natives are induced to plant it,
a large quantity would be produced, enough to maintain even those who
do not cultivate cotton. Then much cloth will be made for the use
of the natives, better than that which comes from China; and there
will be a surplus for shipment to Nueva España in exchange for other
things; and there will be a further surplus of cotton for trade with
the Spaniards and the Chinese--although, as already said, it would
be no injustice to the Chinese to forbid them taking cotton hence to
their own country. Thus he replied to this question. He reaffirms,
upon the oath which he has taken, that all his statements are known
to be notoriously true, and are matters of current report; and he
signs his name. He seems about thirty years old.
_Juan de Alcega_
_Don Juan Lisin_
_Domingo Birral_
Before me:
_Felipe Roman_, notary.
[Eight more witnesses are examined; but as they testify to the same
purport as the two preceding deponents (and almost in the identical
language of these), we omit their testimony. All of them are Indian
chiefs, from villages near Manila; and all are presumably converts,
as all bear Christian forenames. At the end appear the following
affidavits:]
This document was prepared and copied from the original which remains
in my possession, and was prepared by me at the command of the said
alcalde-mayor; and which I declare to have been truly and certainly
done in the village of Bacolor on the twentieth day of the month of
May, in the year one thousand five hundred and ninety-one.
Witness: Pedro Garcia de Molina.
_Joan de Alcega_
I, Phelipe Roman, notary of the province of Panpanga, in place of
Rodrigo Quadros, notary-public of the same, prepared this document
by order of the alcalde-mayor, who here has signed his name. At the
end I have hereunto affixed my seal, in witness of the truth.
_Phelipe Roman_, notary.