In the galley named "Santiago," on the nineteenth of the month
of April, one thousand five hundred and seventy-eight, the very
illustrious Doctor Francisco de Sande, governor and captain-general
for his Majesty of the Western Islands declared: that, inasmuch as
his Lordship is going with a fleet of galleys to the island of Borney,
both to teach the natives there the Christian law, and to reduce them
to the dominion of his Majesty--as well as to ascertain and inform
himself about the customs, past and present, of the said natives,
what law and ceremonies they observe, and the mode of life among
the natives thereabout and in other parts, who are vassals of his
Majesty--in order to attain this he ordered to be conducted, and did
conduct, the following inquiries and procedures:
For the investigation of the above-named matters, the aforesaid
governor summoned to his presence an Indian who, through the medium
and speech of Juan Ochoa Ttabudo, an interpreter, declared his name to
be Magad-china, and himself an inhabitant of Balayan. Without taking
the oath, he promised to tell the truth; and, being interrogated
according to the tenor of this declaration, said that he knows that
the king of Borney is wont to detain many Indians who resort to
Borney for trade and intercourse, and that he does not permit them
to leave the country, especially those Indians whom he knows to be
rich. The witness knows that the king forces them to marry in that
country, so that at their death he may obtain their possessions. In
this way he has seen detained against their will, Indians of Çubu,
the island of Lucon, Balayan, Bonbon, and other districts of
these islands--all rich and influential men. In especial was he
acquainted with an Indian of Manila, a messenger of Raxa Soliman,
by name Simalinquidlan; another named Siparan, a native of Manila;
and a chief named Siganbal, a native of Balayan, whom he (the present
witness) knows to have been detained by the king of Borney, in his
country, and he does not allow them to leave it. The said chief of
Balayan has been detained six years, and some eighty or ninety tacs
of gold were taken from him, besides slaves, and all these were kept
by the king. At the end of the said six years, the said chief fled
returning to Balayan, his native village. In like manner, the present
witness knows that the king of Borney is detaining many Indian chiefs
and _timaguas_ [freemen], and that he will not allow them to leave
his country. Likewise this witness, upon going to Borney to trade,
was detained in the island against his will for eight or nine years,
until the said king of Borney sent him to Balayan to sell a trifle
of _camanguian_ and other articles--whereupon he remained in the
said town, and would not return to Borney. He has seen this done and
practiced by the king of Borney against many persons, both chiefs and
timaguas, of the region about Manila, who are vassals of his Majesty.
Being asked where he learned the worship of Mahoma, and who declared
it to him, he said that the ancestors of the Borneans were natives
of Meca, as he, the present witness, had heard; for the natives
of Balayan, Manila, Mindoro, Bonbon, and that region did not have
knowledge of the said worship until the Borneans had explained it
to them; they have done so with the natives of these islands, and
therefore all these are Moros now, because their ancestors learned
it from the said Moros of Borney. [21] Their language, both spoken
and written, is derived from Meca; and the said Borneans and natives
of Sian and Patan possess and observe their Alcorans--the law and
worship of Mahoma. He said that in the book of the Alcoran, which the
present witness has seen and has heard preached, they say and assert
that they are the enemies of the Christians. Likewise in other books
they say that the Borneans have always desired to make Moros of the
Christians--a thing that he has also heard declared by the _catip_
[caliph?] whom the said Borneans regard as a priest, and who preaches
the said doctrine of Mahoma. This said catip, and others, with like
expressions preach the said doctrine of Mahoma, so that the said
natives observe it. They declare and publish that the law of the
Christians is evil; and their own, good. The witness knows that,
in the former year, seventy-four, the king of Borney undertook to
attack Manila, and to plunder and kill the Spaniards, launching for
the purpose a fleet of one hundred galleys and one hundred small
vessels. In each large vessel were about fifty, and in the smaller
about thirty men--all together, in the judgment of this witness,
making about seven or eight thousand men. All were of one mind, to
kill the Spaniards at Manila. The said fleet left the river of Borney
to begin the said expedition, but, after sailing about twenty leagues,
immediately returned, because the son of the king of Borney was taking
part in the said expedition; and, in order that the Spaniards might
not land at Borney in another part, and kill his father, he did not
continue the said expedition, but returned with the whole fleet,
without his enterprise having any effect. The witness has heard
that the king of Borney wrote letters to Raxa Soliman and Lacandora,
chiefs of Manila, so that they might revolt against the Spaniards,
and saying that all would be protected. Likewise he has heard his
relatives and other Moros tell how in former times the king of Borney
has sent preachers of the sect of Mahoma to Cebu, Oton, Manila,
and other districts, so that the people there might be instructed
in it as were those of Borney. And this witness, in his own time,
has heard the said doctrine preached in Balayan, by a Moro regarded
among them as a priest, by name Siat Saen. Also it is well known that
the said Borneans are wont to plunder the Calamianes, and enslave the
people and take them to Borney. They do the same in other districts
thereabout. The witness has heard that the said king of Borney holds
captive a Spaniard, named Diego Felipe, and two Christian Visayans,
whose names he does not know. This is what he knows, or is currently
reported, and what he has seen. He certified as to its truth, ratified
it, and signed it, in his own language, as did the said interpreter. He
was about thirty-one years old.
_Joan Ochoa Ttabudo_
Before me:
_Alonso Beltran_, his Majesty's notary
[Following this are depositions taken from four other men, two of them
natives of Borneo. The testimonies of all are very similar to the
foregoing, and show the policy of the king of Borneo. One testimony
declares that the king was wont to make the rich and influential
men who might land at his island captains, in order to retain their
wealth. The document continues:]
[_Letter to the king of Borneo_.]
I, Doctor Francisco de Sande, governor and captain-general for his
Majesty in these islands and districts of the West, by order of his
Majesty, the king of Castilla and Leon, my sovereign, Don Ffelipe,
the greatest king and most powerful sovereign in the world, send
this letter by these messengers to you, Outardo Soltan Lixar, king
of Borney, so that you may know my will, and what I require.
You know already how I, with the other captains and soldiers of the
Castilians live, by order of the king, our sovereign, in Manila, in
the island of Luçon, in Çubu, and in other districts. There in Manila,
Çubu, and other districts it has been rumored that you have tried and
are trying to do us harm, and to make war upon us; that you have tried
to induce and have solicited the natives of Luçon and other districts
to rebel and revolt against us; that you have sent spies to Çubu and
other districts; that you have left your residence for this purpose
of warring against us with a fleet of ships. All these things are
without any reason, and I know not what is the cause therefor; for my
will is good and I desire to show naught but good to all, and ill to
none. Since I am proceeding to confer with you openly and publicly, I
notify you that I am not coming to plunder or to harm you, but to prove
of use to you; for the king, my sovereign, orders thus, and accordingly
I gladly notify you that I am going to you. My sovereign, the king of
Castilla, spends his money through us, the Castilians, and sends us
into all parts of the world, in order that we might proclaim the law
of the true God. For this purpose I came hither; and now I am going
to confer with you, chiefly that you may know your God and Creator,
and to teach you the true law. I wish to do you no ill, nor to seize
your possessions; on the contrary, if you are our friend, I will aid
and defend you, according to the orders of the king, my sovereign. To
this end I offer you peace and friendship on our part, in such wise,
that there may be mutual security, on both sides, to go and to come,
to see one another, to trade and traffic, as is usual among friends.
What you are to do is to admit preachers of the holy gospel, who may
preach the law of the Christians in your lands in all security; and
likewise that any person whatever of your country may have entire
liberty and permission to attend the preaching of the law of the
Christians, and that he who wishes to become a Christian may do so
without any ill befalling him.
Further, I desire that you shall send no preachers of the
sect of Mahoma to any part of these islands, nor to the heathen
among the Tingues [hill-people], nor into other parts of your own
island--inasmuch as the doctrine of Mahoma is a false and evil law,
and the religion of the Christians alone is true, holy, and good.
Further, I desire that you send me a Christian Spaniard, called
Diego Felipe, whom I am told you have there, as well as others if
you have them; and two Visayans, natives of Çubu, Christians whom
we know that you have, and who were captured from their own country;
likewise whomever else you have in your power. You must give to the
heirs of Raxa Soliman and Lacandora, natives of Luçon--vassals of the
king, my sovereign, and his subjects, in his royal name the slaves and
property that you have retained there belonging to them; and whatever
belongs to any other vassals of the king, my sovereign. This I would
do myself, if I had anything of yours or of your people, and would pay
and return it, and would do justice to them in that regard very openly.
_Item_: You must allow those persons whom you have detained, because
they are rich, to go about freely, and give them leave to return to
their own lands, since they are natives of these islands of the king,
my sovereign. They went to trade with you, and you have no right to
constrain them; but you must allow them to go freely with their wives,
children, and possessions.
Likewise, you must forbid your people from asking tribute in these
islands, inasmuch as I collect tribute in them, as it is the right of
our king, my sovereign. I write this letter that you may be advised
of my wishes. You must answer it immediately, and not detain the
messengers, even if they should say that they wish to remain in Borney
with you; for if they are detained, I shall understand that there is
some mischief and deceit on your part against our people. As we are
coming by way of the sea, and have need of food, you must send food
to us, in accordance with what is asked by my messengers, in return
for our money. This shall be paid you, as you wish; and for the same,
we are bringing silver and gold. I shall be glad to receive your
reply and to talk with you. Advise me with all haste. May God grant
you the true light and health.
_Doctor Francisco de Sande_
(On the thirteenth day of April of the above year, I delivered two
copies of this letter, one in the Bornean language, and the other
in that of Manila, to chiefs Magat and Magachina, so that they might
give them to the king of Borney.