The King. Don Alonso de Tenza, knight of the Order of Alcantara, my
governor and captain-general of the Philipinas Islands, and president
of my royal Audiencia thereof: The letter which you wrote me on August
20, 1622, containing information regarding the state of those islands,
has been received; and in my royal Council of the Indias the points
that belong to their province have been considered, and you will be
furnished with the resolutions adopted thereon.
You mention the revolt and retreat to the hills of certain natives
of the provinces of Pintados, Nueva Segovia, and Cambales, and the
reason which you think they had for it. I appreciate the care which
you have exercised in that matter, since on other occasions when
you have been directed to see that the Indians be treated as well
as possible, you have endeavored to have my orders carried out, for
in this way they will be preserved as we desire. Again I charge you
that you inform the superiors of the convents, and religious who are
busied in the conversion and teaching of the Indians, how important
it is to treat them well.
Since you were unable to attend to the mines of the province of
Pangasinan, in the mountains and the lands of the Ygolotes, on account
of the press of business which you have had, you will now carry on
their exploration, since you see that it is desirable to accomplish
this enterprise. [50] As for the efforts that you have made to discover
certain fruits of the land, and your assertion that a considerable
quantity of nutmeg [51] has been discovered similar to that from
the Malucas Islands, you will make the necessary investigations
to ascertain this accurately. I also charge you to continue what
you have begun, and to send a quantity of the said nutmeg to the
officers of my royal exchequer in the City of Mexico in Nueva España,
so that they may send it to these kingdoms; and there also shall the
investigation be made, according to the orders sent in my decree.
As regards your remarks concerning the Licentiate Geronimo de Legaspi,
auditor of that Audiencia, you will execute your orders in the matter,
and I shall await the result. What you write in response to my decree,
which was sent you on June 8, 1621, that you should investigate the
mode of life of the wives of the auditors and other officials therein
mentioned, is noted; and all this is placed in your charge and on your
conscience. You are to correct the abuses which you find existing,
no matter whom they concern, and shall read this section in the
Audiencia, so that they may know my will.
I am advised of what you say, and have often represented, as to the
necessity that the persons who are appointed to that Audiencia shall
be well-known and approved. I am also advised as to what you say of
the person of Don Geronimo de Silva, and the assistance which you have
had from him. The embassy for Japan--with a gift, which shall not seem
an acknowledgment--you say, could not be sent off last year, which
is well. In the future, you will execute your orders in this matter.
All the other sections which your letter contains have been considered,
and now nothing remains but to make suitable provisions regarding
them. [Madrid, October 9, 1623.]
_I The King_
By order of the king, our lord:
_Juan Ruiz de Contreras_