Sire:
By two ships which sailed from this port for Mexico at the end of
June, 1591, I wrote your Majesty, advising you of everything here, in
duplicate, sending a copy in each ship. Afterward, on the eighteenth of
October (same year), by a fragata sailing to Malaca and Eastern India,
I wrote later events, and sent the duplicate of the letters. As that
route is not considered very safe, I send this, combining both reports,
written in fuller detail--fearing least perchance, on account of the
many accidents which have taken place on the sea in these years,
all the letters have been lost. I cannot help fearing so because,
as I write this, a ship has just arrived from Mexico, by which I have
received no letter from your Majesty; nor have I received one since
I have been in charge of this government--although, praise be to God,
I have had good news of the health of your Majesty. For this I return
infinite thanks to God, and pray that it may continue, and that He may
give your Majesty complete success in all the new cares and anxieties
which may present themselves. I am confident that His Divine Majesty
will give long life to your Majesty, in order that everything may be
ordered and arranged according to the needs of Christianity.
Supposing that the duplicates of the letters aforesaid have been
received, this letter will be more brief, in order not to repeat
herein what has been said elsewhere. It is now necessary to describe
in general the state of this land, although this year has been very
unfortunate, deaths and sickness being common among both Indians and
Spaniards; and we are also pressed hard and threatened by enemies,
as your Majesty will learn by a separate letter. As to the general
quiet and tranquillity of this state and kingdom, it has never been
better; for great progress is being made in the strengthening and
adornment of public buildings, both ecclesiastical and state.
Hitherto the Spaniards have not experienced misfortune, but much profit
in traffic; and trade [with Nueva España] is being regulated and put in
order. The natives are content and happy; the Chinese are more fond of
trading with the merchandise which they bring from that kingdom. There
came this year twenty-eight ships with much merchandise, including
very rich goods of silk and other articles. The religious are agreed
among themselves, and aside from the bishop, everything is quiet as it
should be--except in some few matters, of which I will give an account
to your Majesty. The encomenderos have more peace of conscience than
they have heretofore had, and justice is equitably administered in
the districts of the alcaldes and the villages of the Indians; and,
finally, everything which my poor strength could accomplish has been
done for the common tranquillity and good government. As I realize
my little worth and ability, I would wish it to be known how much I
desire and strive to accomplish in the service of God and your Majesty.
The cathedral church is completed, thanks be to God; and mass has
been celebrated therein since the twenty-first of last March with a
large attendance and much devotion, and to the great satisfaction of
the people.
The seminary for girls, although in its first house, is maintained
in seclusion and good order; and there have been several marriages
or establishments made from among the inmates. As I have written,
that house is so unsuitable that the erection of the new church and
house is being pushed forward; it is being built of stone, and will be
very substantial and commodious, and will be completed inside of six
months. Your Majesty is patron of this house; and not only on account
of the preeminence of the royal patronage and what for this reason is
due, but for the good ordering of the house, I desire that there be
sent me from España some rules or laws whereby such houses are ruled
and governed. The regulations which I have been able tentatively
to ordain here are those accompanying this letter. This house will
have four hundred pesos of income. That being built has not hitherto
received anything whatever from the royal exchequer of your Majesty;
for, although I would like to give it, your Majesty does not have it
here. I am sending also a set of rules for the conduct of the hospital,
in order that your Majesty may order them amended there.
The new fort, which will be called Santiago, is now raised from
the level of the ground more than two estados; and in one ravelin
thereof, which is now finished, eight pieces of artillery have been
mounted already, and guard is kept. By the time this reaches you,
God willing, the fort will be finished and perfected. All the beach
from the fort of Santiago to the fort of Nuestra Señora is occupied by
the curtains and traverses--the latter very suitable, two and a half
estados in height. It needs nothing but the parapet, which is being
built. Although that already built was called a fort, it is not one,
nor can it be of use; for it is but a large tower, badly cemented,
and was falling in four places. It was braced by four buttresses
which were called cavaliers, and cost your Majesty a large sum, as
I have written. Everything is now being rebuilt in order to put the
fort in good condition.
I have launched four galleys, and have for them a gang of free
rowers on pay, although they are hard to manage. Even that has
been accomplished in the face of great difficulties and scruples;
for the religious say that I cannot maintain galleys or rowers, or
avail myself of Indians for that purpose. If they do not serve, it is
impossible to maintain galleys here, because there are no other people
to row. What I have been able to accomplish is that the Indians are to
remain on the galleys until your Majesty shall advise me of the plan
which you are pleased to adopt. I have manned one of the galleys with
four hundred Çambales, who were captured in war. They were given to me
by some captains and soldiers, and I have used them in your Majesty's
service. They are now on a galley and would to God that I could thus
provide everything for the many needs which your Majesty has here.
As regards the sailing of the ships on the account of your Majesty,
and not that of private persons, I have already written the weighty
reasons, and send herewith a duplicate of the letter in which they
are set forth. In fact, when all the expenses are on your Majesty's
account, this not only causes no loss whatever to your Majesty's
offices and royal exchequer, but results in great profit to this
state from the charges on the tonnage. The cost is but half of
what it is when the ships sail at the expense of private persons;
and, if your Majesty would set the price of the tonnage at the same
rate as private persons set it, there would be gained a large sum
of money. This is the truth, although in Mexico they try to argue
and discuss this point for private ends. Moreover, in this manner
deserving soldiers are utilized and occupied, as your Majesty ordains,
in these matters of transportation; and the dangers arising from the
insufficient number and the vices of those who come from Mexico in
these vessels are avoided. There are also deceits practiced by private
persons, and other reasons which I have already stated. Besides, when
the ships belong to private persons, their owners will not become
citizens of these islands; and, on account of the large amount of
money taken away by them, the prices of merchandise are raised, and
the land is ruined. I therefore repeat that if your Majesty will set
a moderate price for the tonnage on the ships, not only will there
be no expense for your Majesty's exchequer, but there will be gained
more than twenty thousand pesos. In accordance therewith will your
Majesty please signify your will.
As I wrote your Majesty last year, troops have been sent for the
pacification of the Çambales, and in their proceedings with the natives
the severity and chastisement which they deserved were dispensed
with. Garrisons were established, and many of the chiefs were subdued;
they appeared to act sincerely, and gave evidence of being tractable
and living in peace and justice. The troops returned, and thereupon the
pacified ones, and those who still remained to be reduced, came down
from the mountains to the highways, robbed, murdered, and committed
innumerable injuries. Therefore I determined to lay a heavier hand
upon them, and to bring them to open warfare, if that could be done
conscientiously, after consulting with the religious orders, and after
I had made inquiries concerning the damages, treacheries, uprisings,
and crimes of the Cambales, and the reasons and causes therefor.
All the religious orders concurred in the opinion that war by fire and
sword was justifiable, as is evident by the original opinions which I
send herewith to your Majesty. In conformity therewith I resolved to
strike the blow at once by sending troops with six captains. Under
each captain was a troop of twenty Spanish soldiers and five or
six hundred Indians--Pampangos, who were willing to go to war, and
gave much assistance, because of the damages received by them from
the Cambales. They approached that country, which had never before
been entered, by six routes; and although they were troubled by the
roughness of the roads and the large brambles, they hid themselves
and destroyed all the food and the crops which were either harvested
or growing. In that region those whom they killed and took captive
amount, men and women, to more than two thousand five hundred;
and from the men taken the captains and soldiers gave me about four
hundred Sambales. I have utilized them for your Majesty's service on
the galleys, where they are learning to row. Many have been reduced
by famine, and have formed settlements where they were ordered to do
so. As it was the rainy season, and the troops were dying, I commanded
them to withdraw, leaving garrisons at convenient points, and well
provisioned, in order that they might overrun the country and destroy
their rice and grain. I believe that, because of this, these people
will not revolt again nor raise any disturbance. On the contrary, I
think that in due time they will be pacified thoroughly. The relation
of what was done, accompanies this letter.
All of Cagayan has been as quiet as Manila for many days and
months. Tributes are being collected from the encomiendas that remained
to be pacified and subdued. A memorandum of encomiendas and villages
explored lately, with an account of the discovery of Tuy, accompanies
this letter.
I enclose, with the duplicate, also the relation of the late
exploration of Tuy, in which I stated that my son Don Luis would remain
there, in order to make another entrance of not less importance, of
which I had a reliable report and account. It happened that, having
gone upon this errand, and having arrived with the soldiers that he
was taking to the province of Ylocos, through which he had to pass,
he was taken ill, in the month of October, with attacks of fever. This
sickness was very severe, and he came here to be treated; and, although
he is doing well, he has not entirely recovered his strength. Almost
all the soldiers fell sick at the same time, as that district is at
that season very unhealthful. Captain Don Alonso de Sotomayor died,
as well as some of the soldiers there. Others were brought to the
city sick, and so the expedition had to be abandoned until a more
favorable opportunity.
On account of these expeditions and pacifications, and because their
country is not very healthful (and particularly so this year), both for
Spaniards and Indians, a number of the soldiers have died, so that,
from the total of four hundred, I have but two hundred left. And
although this fort, in its present condition, can be defended by a
much smaller force than formerly, yet without it, there would be no
safe position. Since España is at such a distance, when reenforcements
arrive half of the former troops will have died. If in any one year
(as has happened) there should fail to be a ship from Castilla, it is
pitiful to see the state of this land. Moreover--as I report elsewhere
to your Majesty, and send papers thereon--for the new danger from
hostile Japanese, against which I am guarding, I need troops, in order
to defend a land so destitute and far away that it cannot expect succor
in time of necessity. Although I have sent earnest petition therefor
to Mexico, I think that they will neglect my request, just as they do
everything else, unless they see an order from your Majesty I beseech
your Majesty to have compassion for this new plant of the faith of
Jesus Christ, which costs your Majesty and your subjects so dearly to
establish and preserve. May your Majesty grant me grace and send me
troops, and let those who come be from those realms of Castilla--a
matter of moment and importance--and not the creoles or exiles from
Mexico. I should also be provided with ammunition, arms, and men to
cast artillery. An order should be sent to Mexico to supply me with
money, to meet the needs and contingencies. I trust in our Lord, and
in the excellent arrangement and plan that this city is assuming, that
if there are supplied barely sufficient troops to defend a town of this
size, your Majesty need not fear all Xapon, nor any other more powerful
enemy that might attack us. This I discuss at greater length elsewhere;
but here I only remind your Majesty of the completion of this fort,
and the necessity of troops therein, as also of the workmen and their
wages for which, in my former letters, I have petitioned your Majesty.
By a decree which I have received here from your Majesty, I am
ordered to make inquiries as to whether there is quicksilver here,
or if it can be brought from the Chinese realms and taken to Mexico,
and at what price. I will say that I have dealt with these Chinese,
and they are so distrustful that unless the money is given them
beforehand, they will not bring the goods the following year. It
is true, nevertheless, that they guarantee the fulfilment of their
commission. They ask one hundred ducats for a pico of quicksilver,
the equivalent of one hundred and thirty Castilian libras. If this
price is satisfactory, will your Majesty order as suits your royal
pleasure; for they can bring from their land whatever quantity is
desired. May our Lord preserve your Majesty for many long years,
with increase of better kingdoms and seigniories, as is needed for
Christendom. At Manila, May xxxi, 1592.
_Gomez Perez Dasmariñas_