Sire:
Last year I wrote your Majesty an account of the state of military
affairs. What has happened since then is as follows.
The pacification of Mindanao was undertaken by General Don Juan
Ronquillo, who fought with the enemy and eight hundred Terrenatans who
came to their assistance. He destroyed and defeated them, killing a
number of people. Just when the ruler of Mindanao had offered to make
peace, Ronquillo received my order to retire with all his forces to
La Caldera, as I did not know of the successful engagement. Before
this he had written to me, after having conquered the enemy, that,
on account of this success and the improvement of affairs, he would
not, even if he should receive an order from me to do so, retire until
affairs were more settled. However, when my order arrived, he was in
some difficulties, and therefore left that place and retired to La
Caldera, which is near. There he built a fort, and before he departed
thence, he received my second order to remain at the river of Mindanao,
the first place taken, and build a fort there. Not only did he fail to
comply with this order, but he has returned with all the troops except
a hundred men, leaving everything there exposed to danger. I reported
this to the Audiencia, and after they had examined the papers thereof,
I resolved to arrest the said Don Juan, accuse him, and after trying
him, convict or acquit him. [16] Affairs being in this condition,
I sent aid to La Caldera, which was very necessary; and I wrote to
the army, encouraging them to persevere in the service of your Majesty.
It is now eight months since the rising in the province of Cagayan. The
country is in rebellion, but it is true that the encomenderos gave
cause for the disturbance by oppressing the natives with tributes,
and in other ways. The one who caused most harm in this respect was
Don Rodriguez Ronquillo, who died while in prison for this cause. The
addition of four reals to the tribute, which was collected last year,
also helped to rouse the rebellion. When I considered the serious
harm which might result from the uprising in the land, I sent the
master-of-camp, Pedro de Chaves, with competent troops, in order
that, by means of kind methods, he might reduce them completely to
the service of your Majesty. I ordered also that the increase in the
tribute be suspended; and this has been done and will be continued
until your Majesty is pleased to order otherwise. I think that,
until the affairs of this land are better established, say for six
years, these four reals should not be collected; but your Majesty
will provide according to the royal pleasure.
The master-of-camp arrived with his troops at Cagayan, and in
conformity with my order he pacified that land; and Magalate, the
leader of the Indians, was killed by some soldiers in ambush. [17]
This Indian had so much ability, authority, and shrewdness that he
could have caused much damage if he had lived. The master-of-camp
has now returned, and I am examining the papers which he brought
with him. Although it is thought best to punish some of the subdued
Indians, it is being done with mercy; for the bishop of Cagayan has
told me that he holds a certain decree of your Majesty, whereby it
appears that the war waged against those Indians at their conquest
was not fully justified.
There have also been other uprisings of the Çambales blacks [18] in
Pampanga, but they have all been suppressed by the effective measures
which are so necessary in this land. I have succeeded in pacifying
an Indian by the name of Casilian, who is the chief of the Çambales;
and I am trying to bring him to this city, and to change the site of
his settlement, in order that we may have more security.
There is always suspicion of Xapon, and, according to the advices which
I now have, those people desire exceedingly to come here, although
it is difficult for them to do so by ship. Consequently, I am, and
shall be, well prepared for them, with arms in readiness. Garrisons
are always maintained in that part of the country by which they would
approach, namely, in the province of Cagayan. I have great hope, God
helping, that Japon will be subdued. Several prominent persons there,
with whom I have friendship and communication, have written to me. I
have replied to them, and sent them presents, as must be done with
these people. The one who is most friendly is the general of Coria,
named Gentio, who is close in the order of succession in the kingdom
to the Conbaco. [19] He wrote me that, although not a Christian
himself, he is a friend of Christians. Having this good-will, he might
receive the holy gospel, and I am trying to bring this to pass. This
communication is secret, being without the knowledge of the Conbaco,
who is very much hated in his kingdom, because of his great tyranny.
The ambassador Don Luis de Navarrete, whom I sent to the Conbaco,
arrived there safely with the present which he took with him. The
elephant was very well received, and they tell me that on the day when
he entered Meaco (where the court of Japon resides), the concourse of
people in the plaza was so great--because they had never seen elephants
before--that seven persons were suffocated. When the ambassador had
ascended to the hall, the king came out to meet him with thirty kings
who were his vassals. My letter, a copy of which was sent to your
Majesty last year, was then read in public. It was well received,
and the king said that he would reply thereto. Then he wished to see
the present which had been put in twelve boxes. Greatly excited and
enraged by a picture of myself, which represented me armed and with a
cane in my hand, he asked in a loud voice whether this were intended
as a threat. He was answered in the negative, but that it was a custom
of persons who held high offices to send their portraits as tokens of
regard and friendship when embassies were despatched. Thereupon he
was appeased, and ordered the picture to be placed in a large hall,
and directed his wives and children to go to see it. After this the
ambassador was invited to dine with him three times, and was finally
dismissed with a present of twelve coats of mail, thirty lances,
and two horses. The despatch has not yet arrived, but I fear that the
ambassador has died, for he was very ill at Nangasaque. The information
which I give your Majesty was gained from a letter of his. [20]
In compliance with your Majesty's orders, and after investigating the
embarrassments of the royal treasury, I have cashiered two companies
commanded by two of my relatives, thereby saving expenses to the
treasury of more than two thousand pesos a year; but if you consider
it best for your Majesty's service to extend the reduction somewhat,
it shall be done.
Within this city I have made an impregnable refuge, which is bounded
on one side by the sea and on another by the river; while on the
land side one thousand armed men can, if sufficiently provisioned,
defend it against one hundred thousand. I am uneasy, however, because
Nueva España neglects this important post. The troops sent me from
that country are useless, and the majority of them are unarmed. The
captains deprive the soldiers of their wages, and I have a hundred
such complaints. I have sent advices of everything to the Conde
de Monterrey, [21] in order that he may correct this evil, for the
reparation thereof belongs to him. Your Majesty's service will be
furthered by giving orders to this effect.
I beseech your Majesty to order that, for the use of the troops
of this camp, eight hundred arquebuses, four hundred muskets, and
three hundred coats of mail be brought from Spain; for the troops
are unarmed and your Majesty is put to much useless expense. I should
wish never to have been born if, on any occasion, this kingdom could
not be defended for your Majesty, for lack of arms.
I have found here an invention of the Sangleys for founding
artillery. It is easy of accomplishment, and as there is much metal
in the royal warehouses I am having fifty pieces of artillery made,
which will take a ball of one to three libras' weight, the size
most needed here. After these are finished, I shall not fail to go
to China to attack the Sangleys. May our Lord preserve the royal
Catholic person of your Majesty as is needed by these kingdoms,
and as we your vassals desire. Manila, June 17, 1598.
_Don Francisco Tello_
Sire:
Your Majesty's royal instructions despatched in the year ninety-six
were received in the month of May of the year ninety-eight. Your
Majesty's commands will be fulfilled with all punctuality, in each
and every respect; and the viceroy of Nueva España will be advised of
what concerns him, in order that he may also observe your Majesty's
commands. It is best for the service of your Majesty that the viceroy
should punctually send the reënforcements supplied to this kingdom,
and carefully attend to all other things pertaining thereto. I am
very sorry to see the manner in which your Majesty's revenues are
being wasted, and with so small a result; for the troops are in a
wretched condition and without arms, and the captains try rather
to rob them of their money than to secure good and serviceable
troops. They are striving to deprive this last contingent, who are
poor and unprotected, of the greater part of their pay. Owing to a
misunderstanding, the viceroy also does something unsuitable to your
Majesty's service--namely, he sends freight on certain ships which are
despatched to these regions by private persons. To avoid expense to
the royal exchequer, he makes entry thereof, and gives them license to
carry a large sum of money. [22] From investing this they secure four
times its value in goods; and all this wealth they use, and lade on
their ships, and they take away the cream of the trade from those who
were born in this country. As a result, this land is poor, harassed,
and wretched; and the Peruvians and Mexicans are rich and powerful,
for it is they who are engaged in this traffic. By the methods above
described, there can be no obstacle which prevents them from receiving
the highest profits. Your Majesty will command orders to be given in
this matter as is most beneficial.
The troops of this land, old and deserving soldiers, are in great need,
for the encomiendas are in rebellion, and they cannot be pacified
in many years. They are very poor, and beset with afflictions; and
it grieves me to be unable to assist them. Although I have supplied
several with temporary positions, I have been careful not to give
them to any follower or relative of mine. There are many who are
unfortunate, and the thousand pesos which your Majesty was pleased
to command to be granted every year, with the condition that the
additional pay given from it should not exceed ten pesos annually,
is not used for that purpose. This is because there is no one to take
the money, for it yields but seven reals a month, which can do no more
than buy food for one day. The provisions in this land are as dear as
those in Castilla. If your Majesty were pleased to have these thousand
pesos and another thousand--which can be obtained from charges laid
upon the vacant encomiendas--divided by the governor among twenty or
thirty unemployed captains and deserving soldiers, they would then be
enabled to buy food; and many very great excesses committed by them
in trying to obtain food among the Indians would be avoided. As these
are caused by their extreme necessity, they are to a certain extent
excusable, for no one is willing to be left to die of starvation. This
point is worthy of much consideration. I entreat your Majesty to have
the goodness to examine it and provide what is most needful.
Although by right of my office I can proceed to punish the captains
and soldiers of the land, and do so, there are, mingled with the
good men, so many who are vile and vicious that the majority of
the men are constantly informing on one another. This vice, as
well as that of writing defamatory libels and letters, is very
prevalent. This is a state of affairs very unfortunate for this
land, and one by which our lord is very ill served; and great and
serious misfortunes follow. If your Majesty were pleased to charge
each of the auditors here, in turn, privately to investigate these
cases and give the offenders exemplary punishment, a great part of
the present difficulty might be remedied. I assure your Majesty,
that one of the things which make me most dissatisfied and anxious
to leave the country, is the matter above stated. Therefore I have
petitioned your Majesty to grant me favor and license for it, as I
hope for it from your royal clemency. Many times I have considered
and been brought face to face with the great evil that is done in
this land by the marriage of elderly widows with whomsoever they may
choose. They are old and but ordinary women, as they were those who
first came here. Their husbands pacified the best encomiendas, and
died; and these widows are left with five or six thousand pesos of
income. They marry and have married despicably and irregularly, and
old soldiers, honorable gentlemen, and noblemen have been defrauded,
who by their descent would have inherited and succeeded to these
encomiendas. I have thought of a plan suitable to correct this evil,
about which I have conferred with grave religious persons--namely,
that the childless widow who shall marry after the age of forty years
shall hold but a life-interest in the encomienda. Will your Majesty
have this considered and provide accordingly, considering the extreme
importance of it.
Your Majesty's treasury is greatly embarrassed, as I have noted in the
letter pertaining to the royal finances. It occurs to me to declare
here what may be done in this regard, should it appear best to your
Majesty. The Chinese who come here to trade every year bring eight
hundred thousand pesos and sometimes more than a million. During the
ten days they spend here they gain more than a hundred per cent; and
this year, according to the universal opinion, fully two hundred per
cent. They find plenty of money and sell as they would in their own
land. Each outgoing ship pays as anchorage five hundred pesos and
the duties that are paid to your Majesty are only three per cent,
as imposed by Don Juan Rronquillo. If your Majesty would increase
the duties by another three per cent, it would not hurt them to pay
that amount, and your Majesty's royal treasury would receive much
relief thereby. The goods brought by these heathen Chinese are silks
of little cost and value, the scum of what they have; and they take
back in return gold and silver.
I humbly beseech your Majesty in respect to this point, as to all
my other suggestions, to accept so much as may be best for the royal
service, which my zeal but desires to further. May our Lord preserve
your Majesty for many long years, as we your Majesty's servants and
vassals need. Manila, June 19, 1598.
_Don Francisco Tello_
Sire:
The report which by your royal instructions your Majesty commands me
to send, as to the religious orders in these islands, the number of
houses and religious that they contain, and the number needed--whom
may your Majesty order to be sent, so that there may be sufficient
religious instruction in the islands--will accompany this letter. It
is sent with the promptness commanded by your Majesty, whose Catholic
and royal person may our Lord preserve, as is necessary to Christendom,
and as we your vassals desire. Manila, July 9, 1598.
_Don Francisco Tello_
[_Endorsed_: "Manila. To his Majesty, 1598. Don Francisco Tello. July
9."]
[_Instructions of the council_: "Have the superiors of the
religious orders of España notified to send useful religious to the
Philipinas. Let the viceroy of Nueva España be directed by letter
that he shall assemble the superiors of those religious orders, shall
confer with them in regard to the annual selection and despatch of
religious who are fitted to engage in this conversion, and shall
direct them in the matter. Let a letter be sent to the archbishop
of Manila asking for definite information as to the houses there,
how they are distributed, how many religious are in each one, and how
many would be needed in order to provide the necessary instruction;
and let him be directed to see that there is no lack, but that the
conversion shall continue to increase."]
_Report of the religious orders in these Philippinas Islands, of
their provinces and houses, and of the religious whom they have and
those whom they need from España,in order that there may be sufficient
religious instruction in the islands._
_St. Augustine_.--The Order of St. Augustine, the first order to be
founded in these islands, has occupied the provinces of Tagalos,
Pampanga, Ylocos, and Pintados. It has in them sixty houses,
with one hundred and eight priests and preachers, and fifty-three
lay-brethren. They must establish more houses, both for the entries
into new regions, and the new explorations which are to be made;
and for the provision of sufficient instruction. To this end it will
be necessary to send annually twenty religious to the order. These
should come from Nueva España, where there are many religious. It
would be at very much less cost to the royal exchequer to do this,
and most sufficient for this country, because they have already made
a beginning with the Indians.
_St. Francis_.--The Order of St. Francis has occupied the province
of Camarines, where it has forty houses, with one hundred and twenty
religious, twenty-three of whom are lay-brethren, and the rest priests,
preachers, and confessors. They need fifty religious, both that they
may have sufficient instruction, and for the houses that they are
to establish.
_St. Dominic_.--The Order of St. Dominic occupies the province of
Cagayan, where it has twelve houses, with seventy-one religious. For
the houses which they are to establish in that province, and that
the province may have sufficient instruction, they must have twenty
priests sent to them annually; for they receive as many lay-brethren
in the islands as they need.
_The Society of Jesus_.--The Society of Jesus, which is the last
established, has twelve houses, which lie in the provinces of
Pintados, and in the islands of Camar, Leite, and Babao. They have
in them forty-three religious, of whom twenty-three are priests,
preachers, and confessors, and the rest lay-brethren. For the houses
that they are to establish, and in Mindanao, where these religious
will have charge of the pacification, they will need fifty priests
at one time, and annual help henceforth; for they are reaping a great
harvest in this country. They have two colleges here, one in Manila,
and the other in the city of Santissimo Nombre de Jesus, where Latin
is taught to the Spaniards, and the Christian faith to the natives,
who manifest a deep interest.
The superiors of these orders are religious of much ability, and
among the other members of the orders are many excellent linguists,
who are accomplishing much in the conversion of the natives, which
continues to increase daily.