Sacred Royal Catholic Majesty:
In the fleet that your Majesty had sent from this Nueva España to
the islands of the West, there were among the people some religious
of St. Augustine who were in your Majesty's service. By your order,
I was one of them. We had a prosperous voyage as your Majesty will
already have been fully informed. The fleet effected a landing, and
founded a colony (in accordance with the instructions brought from
this Nueva España) in the island of Çubu--as that place abounds in
food, has a very good port and is a healthful region, as has been
since found by experience; and it is very strong for defense, in
any casualty that might befall us. From that place a ship was sent
to discover the return route [to New Spain]. It succeeded well,
although it appears that some of its men died. The people who
remained there have all this time endured very great privations,
notwithstanding the richness of the region, because they could make
no settlement so peacefully that it was not against the will of the
natives. Therefore they were disquieted, and many fled, deserting
their towns; and those who remained determined not to cultivate their
fields, or to sow, believing that by this stratagem they could drive
us from their land. Consequently they and ours have endured very
great extremities, because the same thing was done in other islands
where the Spaniards went to find food--so much so that many times the
natives have taken the food more than four leagues inland, carrying
it upon their shoulders, and crossing creeks and rivers with it,
with great risk of their lives. Then too another cause of so great
distress has been the lack there of boats with oars; and the fact
that, up to the present, no one has ventured to seek richer and more
abundant lands--which are very near, as Lequios, Japan, and Jaba
[Java], therein fulfilling your Majesty's commands. After all that,
came the Portuguese fleet, arriving about the end of September of last
year (1569), under command of Gonzalo Pereira. That man, although we
made every possible effort for peace with him, would agree to nothing
except that, in any case, we must leave these islands, or else go
with him. The first could not be done, because we had no ships; nor
the second, because that was very ignominious for us. Therefore as we
came to no agreement, he determined to begin hostilities, and make
war on us, trusting to his numerous ships--although afterward it
did not turn out as happily as he thought, as your Majesty will see
by the relation which the viceroy sends from this Nueva España. [20]
The blockade being so long and rations so scant, the poor soldiers were
in such distress that they took to hunting rats, of which there are
great numbers in that land, and which are much larger than those of
España. With all this privation, and the allurements and abundance in
the Portuguese fleet, they served your Majesty with as great loyalty
and cheerfulness in this war, and in all the rest, as I believe any
men in the world have ever displayed in their king's service. There
was nothing which gave them so great pleasure as being ordered to
do things wherein they risked their lives. Therefore it seems to me
that your Majesty ought to reward their services, because until this
present assistance ordered to be sent them by your Majesty (which is
very helpful), they have had nothing but two almudes [21] of uncleaned
rice every Saturday (after cleaning which there remained but one),
without receiving any other gratification.
I came to this Nueva España to give information of the great need of
supplies there, and of some injuries done to the natives on account
of the extremities that the soldiers suffered, and of many other
things which seemed to me fitting for the service of our Lord and
of your Majesty. I have informed the viceroy of all those things;
so that, as he is nearer to those regions than is your Majesty,
he may remedy them. I believe that he will remedy them, because
he is a good Christian and conducts this business as earnestly as
your Majesty would desire. Some of these things I think it will be
necessary to submit to your Majesty's consideration, and I believe
that this has been done. They have ordered me to return immediately
to the islands, because they tell me that in so doing I shall fulfil
your Majesty's service.
In what concerns the conversion of the natives, nothing has as yet
been really done, until we know your Majesty's will, because so near
Çubu there are lands as great and as rich as this, which belong to
your Majesty--as China, Lequios, Jabas [Java], and Japan. We have
heard that you will order us to go to those places and leave these
other islands--which, although they have many mines and rivers of
gold, are very ordinary, in comparison with the former. The people
there are very barbarous, while those others are civilized. Now that
your Majesty's will is manifest to us, we will commence the work in
earnest, because hitherto, only about one hundred persons have been
baptised. It will be a very great obstacle to conversions, if the war
with the Portuguese continues. Therefore, I beg your Majesty through
love of the Lord that some means and expedient be adopted to prevent
its continuation; because, besides the great scandal given to the
natives, it is a great pity that Spanish and Portuguese, who are so
friendly in España, should come here to kill each other, as if they
were infidels. I could advise your Majesty regarding everything else
in these regions, such as the nature of the land and the nature and
conditions of the peoples and what would be most profitable to your
Majesty in it. A true relation of everything has been given to the
viceroy, so that he may send it to your Majesty. May our Lord keep
your Majesty's royal person in good health and in his service many
years, and increase you into greater kingdoms. Mexico, January 16,
1570. Your Sacred Royal Catholic Majesty's least and humble servant,
_Fray Diego de Herrera_