Although I am awaiting the ships and in them a letter from your Grace
with good news of the health and prosperity that I desire for your
Grace, yet I have wished because of the shortness of the time and
because these ships are about to sail, to write this present letter to
your Grace, in order to inform you of the condition of affairs here. I
wrote your Grace last year, although briefly, for I had only been in
this country for twenty days. Now that I have lived here one year, and
know more about conditions here, I say that in regard to the camp and
soldiers that I found here, the condition was very imperfect, and they
had no organization or [knowledge of] military art. For there was no
greater force or difference between our men and the natives of the
country than the advantage of weapons and arquebuses. Even those the
Indians were accustomed to carry, as was the case in a review that was
held here at my order of all the soldiers here before my arrival. Since
then I have managed to give this matter the best system and
organization possible. Accordingly, the soldiers who came with me
appoint their guards daily, and attend to their posts, sentries, and
patrols with concert and punctuality—a matter that has been
introduced and maintained since my arrival. The soldiers are cheerful
and well paid, for they received one aid in Mexico and another one here
a few days ago. I trust that this matter will be thoroughly perfected,
notwithstanding the not slight obstructions and opposition to the new
soldiers in the slight aid and vile persuasions of those who were here
before. The latter asked them why they tired themselves out in this
work, and said that it was unnecessary, and worth nothing except to
make them fall sick and die. It is because they have so honorable
thoughts, that although they see that the pay is drawn now from the
king and so punctually, yet with the new system that has been ordered,
not a single one of them has ever wished to concur in it, although they
are perishing of hunger, and besides have nothing to do except to
suffer themselves to come to submit in order to receive pay. For they
are good for nothing else than to do bad turns to the others, and
notwithstanding that, they publish more services than those of the duke
of Alva; [112] and together with that they act in so unbridled a manner
to the others in the guardhouse that it became advisable to punish them
slightly for some offenses that could not be passed by especially in
these beginnings. Those punishments consisted of tying the hands behind
the back and suspending the soldier, imprisonment, exile, and other
things. The matter even went so far that one day a certain soldier gave
the lie to his corporal of the guard and raised his hand against his
alferez and resisted him. Any of those actions merited death, and he
was accordingly executed, in order that the soldiers might understand
that I was in earnest and that the matter had gone farther than was
desirable. That had a very salutary effect, and acted as a check to
all, for from that time, there has been no disturbance but all has been
quiet and good discipline prevails.
There are very few soldiers here, for I only brought 270, and about 40
of those have died already. Before they reach here, those who are sent
die and desert on the way. In fact the soldiers of Nueva España are
not suitable, and consequently, it will be advisable for those who come
here to be sent from España.
The pay also that is given here to captains, officers, and soldiers is
very little toward their maintenance. Therefore I petition your Grace
to favor this, so that they may increase in service to his Majesty, and
so that I may have more leeway in rewarding them and encouraging them
to [exert themselves] in his service.
There was no ammunition here nor a house for it, or any magazines or
money to get ammunition or other very important things. There were no
barracks for the soldiers, who were quartered on the houses of the
citizens, to the great discomfort of the latter. That also gave
opportunity to the soldiers themselves to live loosely and sensually.
Consequently, I have built a barracks that will accommodate 400, and
they will be readily accessible for guard duty and for anything that
arises.
I have surrounded the city with a suitable stone wall, that stretches
from the point of a fort which is being built to another which was
built in a very improper manner, and will only serve now for show. This
wall is about one thousand brazas long and has a foundation below
ground of about one and one-half estados. It is about 16 feet broad,
[at ground level] while above ground level it tapers in another one and
one-half estados from the 16 feet, to twelve feet. From the 12 feet
thickness it tapers to about one vara of slope if one measures from the
level of the ground. Then begins the right curtain, and it has a width
of 8 feet—a space sufficient to drag a piece of artillery along it.
At the very least it will serve for a good entrenchment on any
occasion. At present all the seacoast side is in some state of security
and suitability. I trust, God helping, that in one year’s time, it
will have so much security that it will be seen that it will not be as
heretofore; for one would believe that we have been here only as
guests, and have been awaiting no more than the arrival of the hour of
departure, and to leave it as it was. [113]
In regard to the soldiers here before my arrival, such as they were, I
have done what his Majesty orders me, namely, rewarded them and given
them whatever there was of importance and interest, all in accordance
with the memoranda of my instructions; [114] although in that regard I
am sure that there was some manipulation and that an evil report was
given to his Majesty. Although hitherto everything has been given to
the soldiers here, I must tell your Grace that I brought very honorable
captains and soldiers with me who have served his Majesty considerably
in Ytalia and Flandes. I also brought excellent gentlemen, to whom,
since no posts or encomiendas of the country have as yet been given to
them (at least of posts of war on sea and land), I would like his
Majesty to permit me to assign such posts according to the rank of each
and to support them, for as yet they have had no other support than
that of being near my person, and that I may in this manner assign them
suitable pay. I petition your Grace to protect and favor me before his
Majesty, for this is a post that needs men, and it costs so much to
conduct them here, and there is no other kind of support for them,
except the power and faculty that his Majesty gives in this, so that it
might be had here; for since his Majesty entrusts other things to me,
he might well entrust this, being assured that I shall not spend one
real improperly for his Majesty, nor more than what I may deem
advisable.
When I arrived here I found a province called Zambales which was in
strong revolt, and many thefts and murders had been committed there. I
endeavored to attract the people to make peace by good means; hut
having found that none of them availed, I determined to send two
captains there, one by sea and the other by land. I ordered them to
build two presidios in the districts most suitable for aiding the
people from, and for making them obedient to his Majesty. One of the
presidios is called Tarla, and the other Las Arenas. The Zambals seeing
that the presidios were so located that they restrained their steps and
thoughts, and that active measures were being taken, by those means
more than two thousand five hundred men have been reduced and have
settled near the presidios. [115] By means of that reduction, another
province called Pampanga has been assured. [116] All this city is
supplied with food from the latter province, which was greatly harassed
and troubled by the Zambals. Besides the abovesaid the Zambals are
slowly being reduced fifty by fifty, and that work will continue until
they all come in.
I also found another province called Cagayan which had been in revolt
from his Majesty’s service after they had rendered homage for some
years. I sent a captain and 80 soldiers there, and after the same
methods employed toward the Zambals had been used, and after having
seen that the latter refused to render obedience, it was necessary to
open war. By that means all the inhabitants of that province were
reduced in the space of six months, and came to pay the tribute to his
Majesty—they and others who had never been discovered until then. It
is said that there are many people still to discover. Good methods will
be used toward them so that they may come into the service of his
Majesty. The last-named province has a port located near the cape of
Bojador and that of El Engaño. One may enter that harbor without
passing amid these islands, and the exit from it is so good that one
has only to take to the open sea on leaving it. It is so near China
that one can reach that country in three days and return in another
three. I believe that we could annually despatch a ship hence with
merchandise for España, and it would be very advisable to have a good
Spanish settlement in that port. I propose that matter to your Grace,
petitioning you to please order such a settlement to be made if it seem
suitable, since it is good for the future to have a settlement so near
to China.
The above is all that occurs to me at present of which to inform your
Grace. In the one year and ten days now since I came to these islands,
I can say that in most of that time, I have been busy settling
oppositions and innovations of the bishop and the doubts and inventions
of him and his friars who do nothing except to obstruct and embarrass
everything that is done here. Although whenever the bishop came to me
with new causes, for anger he left me well satisfied and content, that
condition did not last longer, on account of his age and inconstancy,
than the arrival of any other person who influenced him to whatever
side he would. Consequently, he has proved only a constant opposition
to my office, and I have been unable to do my duty with any sort of
liberty as the royal jurisdiction has no weight here. For besides that
this is so little and new, it was all seized by the many justices
appointed by the bishop, who had an infinite number of fiscals and
alguacils all over, and a vicar and protector at every step. They were
appointing alguacils, building prisons, and setting up stocks,
arresting and lashing Indians, and were very domineering and meddlesome
in all things. The bishop, although I have opposed his journey as much
as possible, is going there. [117] However, he says obstinately that it
cannot be avoided; and his heart is full of venom and he is desirous of
doing harm. But since he cannot in truth say anything that can touch me
one jot and prove disservice to my king, his imaginings give me no
concern for I know how he usually succeeds in them. The ships have now
arrived, and with them Diego Ronquillo, who gave me your letter. I am
well satisfied with it, and will reply to it in another letter. May our
Lord, etc. Manila, June 21, 1591.