Chapter 8

6. _Item_: He declares that, in his opinion, it would be very undesirable for the Japanese tyrant to put into execution his proposed expedition to Manila, of which he insolently wrote to your Majesty's governor in that city; and this matter might be entrusted to Governor Gomez Perez Dasmariñas, as he is a very valorous and resolute soldier. He by his valor and prudence will succeed in the undertaking; and had Doctor Santiago de Vera, your Majesty's governor, sent, years ago, a captain of the energy, valor, and mettle of the present governor, that island and those near by would be gained and pacified, to the great gain of your Majesty's royal exchequer.

7. _Item_: He declares that, in order to effect the above, it will be very advisable for your Majesty to order the island of Bindanao conquered and settled. This island is located about eighty leguas from the island of Terrenate and from the others, which are separated from one another by not more than two or three leguas; and some are even nearer. Besides being advisable for the above purpose, the island is very large, and thickly populated, and contains a very abundant supply of cinnamon, which, if cultivated, will bring great gains to your Majesty's royal exchequer.

8. _Item_: He declares that it would be advisable to reënforce the city of Santisimo Nombre de Jesus, on the island of Cubu, with more troops, for its security, as well as that of the other islands near by and those of Maluco, as it is a way station between Maluco and Nueva España, and one of the best ports as yet known in those islands.

9. _Item_: The said father Fray Francisco de Ortega, in the name of that city and the island of Cubu, by virtue of the specific and general authorization given him for that purpose, humbly begs and entreats your Majesty that its title of city, given it by the governors who have ruled in that island, be confirmed by your Majesty by your royal decree, in consideration of the fact that it is the first settlement made in those islands, the place where the natives began to be converted, and where the inhabitants first rendered obedience to your Majesty; and by this they will be advantaged and favored. [_In a different hand_: "Let it be given the title of city."]

10. _Item_: He begs and entreats your Majesty to be pleased to order that the regidors of that city hold office for life, and not for one year, as now; and that their appointment be entrusted to the governor, so that he may appoint them in your Majesty's name; for thus the regidors will be the oldest and most deserving men, and that community will be governed better.

11. _Item_: He begs and entreats your Majesty to be pleased to give license that the inhabitants of that city [Santisimo Nombre de Jesus] may build a vessel of about two hundred and fifty toneladas, in order that the said ship may be sent with the vessels sailing from Manila to Nueva España, with the wax, cotton cloth, and the other cloth made from banana leaves, called medriñaque--in which products tributes are collected by all those of this island and by the encomenderos of the island of Panae. The reason for this request is that in taking these things to Manila there is great risk and danger from the natives, because each Spaniard who goes to Manila is forced to take forty or fifty Indians, whence it happens that there are more than four hundred Indians in Manila for three months of each year and longer, who are outside their native place. This is to the great damage and loss of the natives, and if your Majesty grants this permission, it will be avoided. [_In the margin_: "Let this be referred to the governor, so that if there is no special disadvantage, and it does not conflict with his present orders, he may grant permission for the sailing of this vessel."]

12. In what pertains to the island of Luçon, where the city of Manila has been founded, and the other islands of that archipelago, the said Fray Francisco de Ortega declares that everything is improving since the arrival of Governor Gomez Perez Dasmariñas in that country; for he is very vigilant and painstaking in all matters touching the service of God our Lord, and of your Majesty. Thus all things are peaceful and tranquil; and by his prudence, good example, and good government, that state and the spread of the holy gospel are increasing rapidly.

13. Likewise, with zeal for the service of God and of your Majesty, according to what he saw, learned, and heard asserted by persons zealous for the service of your Majesty, he declares that the galleys that are [at] the Havana [20] are of little use and advantage, and a great expense to the royal exchequer, because they cost annually forty-two thousand ducados. And since they are there, they have been of no effect at all--although occasions have arisen when they might have been useful--because they were not well equipped, and lacked soldiers. Therefore it will be advisable either that they be strengthened and disposed as is necessary for the occasion that may arise, or that such excessive expenses without any profit accruing from them be avoided. [_In the margin_: "Already provided for."]

14. _Item_: That the port on the point at the entrance to Havana [Cavite?] is very important for the guard and defense of the entrance to the port; but it must be strengthened with more pieces of artillery, for it has very few for the defense of the entrance by sea and land, if a large force of enemies should come; and that the fort built on the headland in front of the point is very good, exceedingly strong, and very important for its object. Nevertheless, according to what he saw, learned, and heard said by military men, the work must be made smaller, for it covers a great deal of space; and, unless it be retrenched, a much greater garrison must be supplied, besides a great deal of artillery for its guard and defense, and for the object for which it was built.

[_Endorsed_: "+ Father Francisco de Ortega of the order of St. Augustine."]

Decree for Despatch of Missionaries

The King: To Gómez Pérez Dasmariñas, knight of the order of Santiago, my governor and captain-general of the Filipinas Islands. After reading what you wrote me recently in regard to the need of those islands for religious to carry out our obligation to the conversion and instruction of the natives, I have ordered the needful despatch put thereto, so that at the present one hundred religious are going there--to wit, forty Augustinians, twenty-four Dominicans, eighteen descalced Franciscans, and eighteen of the Society. Furthermore, additional missionaries shall be sent until the need is met. Now because I have learned that better results will be obtained by assigning each order to a district by itself, and more emulation will ensue among them without their embarrassing one another, or their work overlapping, as might happen if they were assigned to districts regardless of order, I command you, together with the bishop of those islands, to divide the provinces, for the said instruction and conversion, among the religious of the orders, in such a manner that where Augustinians go there shall be no Franciscans, nor religious of the Society where there are Dominicans. Thus you will proceed, assigning each order to its province; taking note that the province allotted to the Society must have the same manner of instruction as the others; for this same obligation rests upon them there as upon the others, and it does not at all differ from them. Given at Aranjuez, April 27, one thousand five hundred and ninety-four.

_I The King_

Countersigned by Don Luis de Salazar and approved by the Council.

Reply to the Japanese Emperor's Letter

In the city of Manila, on the twenty-second day of April, one thousand five hundred and ninety-four, Don Luis Perez Dasmariñas, knight of the order of Alcantara, governor and captain-general of the Philipinas Islands, ordered a council of war, held in his presence in the royal houses and attended by Licentiate Pedro de Rojas, lieutenant-governor; the Master-of-camp Diego Ronquillo; Captain Gomez de Machuca, factor and treasurer; Captain Don Juan Ronquillo; Captain Pedro de Chaves; Captain and Sargento-mayor Juan Xuares Gallinato; Captain Joan de Villegas; Captain Pedro de Arceo Cuevasruvias; Captain Jhoan de Laxara; Captain Francisco de Mercado Andrade; Captain Juan Esquerra; Captain Christoval de Axqueta; Captain Hernando Muñoz de Poyatos; Captain Pedro Sarmiento; Captain Diego de Castillo; Captain Antonio de Canedo; Captain Augustin de Urdiales; Captain Antonio Rodriguez Chacon; Captain Don Francisco de Mendoza; and Captain Gaspar Perez. The said governor communicated to them that Governor Gomez Perez Dasmariñas, his late father (who is in heaven), sent to Japon father Fray Pedro Bauptista and other Franciscan fathers, together with Pedro Gonçalez. The latter returned from that kingdom of Xapon a few days ago, and brought for the said governor a letter from the king, which was shown to them, and its contents read, after it was translated into the Spanish language. It was as follows:

_Letter from the Emperor of Xapon_

Father Pedro brought me letters from which I learned the customs of your country, as also from what Father Pedro told me particularly, and from what Father Cobo had stated before. When I was born, the sun shone on my breast; and this is a miracle, and portends that I was destined from the beginning to be lord of all between the rising and the setting sun, and that all kingdoms must render me vassalage and bow down before my door; and unless they do it, I will destroy them with war. I have conquered all the kingdom of Xapon, and that of Coria, and many of my commanders have asked my permission to go and capture Manila. Learning this, Faranda and Funguen told me that ships went there from here, and came back, and so the people there appeared not to be enemies, for which reason I did not send troops. I made war against the Koreans and conquered as far as Meaco, because they failed to keep their word. Afterward my soldiers killed many Chinese and many nobles who came to help the Koreans. In view of this they humbled themselves, and sent an ambassador who asked that we send some of our people to Coria, and said that the Chinese desired eternal friendship with the kingdom of Xapon. I have sent many of our people to Coria to occupy the fortresses and await the embassy. Should they break their word again, I will go in person to make war upon them; and after going to China, Luzon will be within my reach. Let us be friends forever, and write to that effect to the king of Castilla. Do not, because he is far away, let him slight my words. I have never seen those far lands, but from the accounts given I know what is there. You were very discreet in coming immediately, and this pleased me greatly. I received your present. I will never fail in my friendship. Those who come from your country may come safely over land and sea without any wrong being done them, or their property being stolen. You may believe everything that the man who came with the father says, because he has seen my country and the hospitality which I tendered. Write to the king of Castilla that he is waiting there. Tell him to send a man of position so that our friendship may be stronger. The rest I have entrusted to Funguen.

The above letter being read, the governor told them that it was true that the king, on the face of the letter, offered peace and friendship to this country and ratified what Faranda negotiated with the governor's father. Yet it was also plain, the governor said, from his arrogant words, that the peace and friendship were to last only for an indefinite period; those words did not accord with the authority and good name of our king and the Christian name and reputation of the Spanish nation, because of the pride and arrogance with which he referred to his birth and his personality, saying: "I am a man destined from the beginning to be lord of all from the rising to the setting sun, to whom all kingdoms must render vassalage and bow down before my door; and, unless they do it, I will destroy them." Again, as the governor declared, not satisfied with this, he threatened us with his desire to capture the land, by saying: "Many of my commanders have asked my permission to take Manila;" and then by referring to the manner in which he humbled the Chinese in the war with Coria, to their sending him an ambassador, and to his reply that if they broke their word, he would go in person to China and would make war against it, in which case Luzon would be within his reach. From all this it was difficult to draw any meaning not ominous for us; and what sounded the worst was when he gave us to understand, deceiving himself into that belief, that the embassy and presents taken by father Fray Pedro Bautista were sent as tokens of obedience--"You were discreet in coming immediately, and this pleased me greatly. I received the present which came as specified in the letter," etc. Then the governor said that this friendship would be too dearly bought, if it cost us one atom of reputation or authority; and seeing that he must not and could not hide from our sovereign the receipt of the said letter, with which the emperor of Japan was acquainted, knowing well its contents and purpose, he deemed it fitting to answer said letter in a manner that would undeceive him in this important matter; and for that purpose he had dictated a reply which he would have read to them afterward. It begins by giving the emperor an account of the death of his father and of other events which he would be bound to learn, but which might be reported to him in a distorted form. After this he thanks him for the confirmation of amity; and then, with some heat and no less truth, calls his attention to the uncertainty of the prophecy concerning his rule over the world, enlightening him by the way as to some matters of our holy faith. In conclusion, with reference to the acknowledgment of subjection which he had supposed us to make, the letter states that our trust was wholly in God and in our obedience to Him, while our allegiance to our most Christian king admitted of no other allegiance, and of no other subjection, dominion, or acknowledgment of vassalage. And finally, in order to appease him somewhat at the end of the letter, a complete confirmation of peace and amity is offered him; and he is told that the king will be notified, and that in this, and in sending someone hence, and receiving persons from there, and in other tokens of friendship, good treatment, and a good understanding, his subjects would find this peace and amity here and on the part of his Majesty. The answer was immediately read, and is as follows:

_Reply to the letter_

The letter addressed by your Grandeur to my father was received by me as the person left in charge of the government of this land at his death, which occurred on the way to Maluco. He was treacherously killed while sleeping one night, without apprehension or precaution, as one who did not dream of having enemies or traitors with him. The traitors were the Sangleys, whom he took with him to work his galley. Like the ineffably low, vile, and cowardly people that they are, they killed my father because he trusted them and set them loose for their own comfort. The news of this event reached me far from the place of its occurrence, while I was awaiting him with the fleet and troops, that we might depart. Although after his death I endeavored to continue my journey, I was prevented because of several events and considerations. I came back here desirous of hearing news from your Grandeur, and of seeing your letter replying to those sent by my father through Father Fray Pedro. Although two vessels arrived here from Xapon, they could not give me the desired news. The arrival of Pedro Gonçalez has pleased me greatly, especially in view of the fact that I was unable to understand his delay, and of the rumor here that your Grandeur was going to send your armies, a report very different from the agreement made in your name with my father by your ambassador and servant Faranda, which was for firm peace and full amity. Through the letter brought by Pedro Gonçalez, I have learned that it is your royal desire that such relations be continued; and this has greatly pleased me, for it is to be hoped that as the kings are great, great will be the friendship, and greater still the fruits of it. Equally great is my desire that hereafter we treat each other in every way like friends, with less formality and more frankness than in your royal letters hitherto received; because to say that the sun at your royal birth promised you the whole world and its sovereignty, I believe can only be the saying of someone who wishes to please and flatter you with such a prophecy--which is in no wise possible or practicable, for many reasons. The first is that the very power which according to your Grandeur's statement is to give you that dominion is unable to do it, since the sun is, just like the sky, the earth and everything else created, the work of our true God and therefore it can neither promise nor fulfil such a promise. The sun has no more life or power than what God gave it, and this does not go to the extent of taking or giving away kingdoms, which can only be done by God himself. It is to this great God and Lord that thanks are due for all our life and power; and it is He who has such power, and not the sun or anything else which, as already stated, is an object created by Him. From the above-stated truth it must be inferred that it was flattery and nothing practicable that those learned men said. In this prophecy they have shown themselves to be in the wrong; because, even if no other obstacles were to be encountered, it would be impossible to fulfil the prophecy when it is considered what a long time it would require to do so, and how short our life is, especially so when the greater part of it is past. After this obstacle a greater one arises, and that is that, even if so many and powerful kings as the world holds were to be subjugated, my king would suffice to overthrow all these prophecies. And because it is right that I do so, and in order that your Grandeur be not deceived by what is nothing else than the false flattery of ignorant people, I acquaint you with the fact that my king's power is such, and the kingdoms and countries under his royal and Christian rule are so many, that his power and greatness is beyond compare with that of many kings and lords, though they be most powerful, each by himself. His dominions here are but a corner, and my king's possessions cannot be judged by his dominion here. Now, returning to what I was saying, since our lord and king is so powerful as he is, and only one of the many kings of this world, it can be easily imagined that all the rest of them will not obey one man alone, and that no human power could control so much. Even were every one of them to render you obedience, it is not to be thought that either our king or his subjects would do it; but on the contrary, were it not that our divine and Christian laws prevent us from taking unjustly from any one that which does not belong to us, and if affairs were in accordance with power and strength, my king only would be the one obeyed and acknowledged as such ruler. In all other matters we put our trust not in human power, which does not and cannot extend beyond God's divine wishes, but in Him whom we acknowledge as our true Lord and God, as well as the God of everything created. Under His omnipotent care we feel safe; and this feeling of safety and trust is not imagined, but real and proved by wonderful and miraculous deeds and events. Having such men near you as father Fray Pedro and others, your Grandeur could gain information--if for no other reason, merely for curiosity, since your Grandeur is so desirous of learning about greatness; and once having learned the greatness of our omnipotent Lord, you will see how wise we are in putting our trust and confidence in Him, who is almighty. I have said all this not to displease your Grandeur, but in order that you may realize why we do not render obedience to other dominion, other power or other lord, than Jesus Christ, almighty and true God and Lord, and our most Christian king Don Phelipe. As regards the friendship that your Grandeur says we ought to maintain forever, we, on our side, will observe it; and I feel certain that your Grandeur will keep it on your part, since it is so declared in your royal letters. I will advise my king and lord at the earliest opportunity of the peace and friendship established, so that he may ratify it from there; and I trust in the Lord that everything will be done as desired by your Grandeur, whom I wish to serve and please as the friend of my king and our own. In order to do so, I should have been glad if I had some curious things from Castilla, to send as presents to your Grandeur; but I cannot do it now, and will send them later, when they come. Should your Grandeur wish that as friends we send each other men of rank and station so that our intercourse might be more friendly and informal--not that the religious who have gone are not among us here respected and highly esteemed as servants of God, and are not sufficiently high in station--but from now on a layman could be sent of higher rank than that of those who have gone heretofore. Should your Grandeur desire to send someone to visit the court of my king and see its splendor and the power and dominion of his Majesty, he will be sent on from here, and will be well received and highly favored by my king, because he is very fond of receiving and entertaining foreigners, and especially such as might come from your Grandeur, who would receive especial favor. Your Grandeur can advise me of your decision in regard to this as well as the other matters; and may the Lord keep you and enlighten you with His divine light.

Then the governor said that because of the duty which, as a Christian, he owed to the Lord, and because of his duty to the king as his servant and subject, and because of the strict account which he must render sooner or later, he thought this a very serious case which could not be ignored or passed by. He said that it required just such an answer as the one he had decided to send; and that he would have answered the emperor with more decision and heat, were it not for the danger incurred by the fathers and the Christians residing in that kingdom, and the danger to these islands, if the emperor were to be openly provoked and displeased to the extent of declaring war. Because of the above-mentioned reasons, and taking into consideration the service of the Lord, and the welfare of those people, and the growth of the new gospel so pleasing to the Lord and so earnestly desired by his Majesty, and notwithstanding his judgment and belief that the said answer should be sent just as read here, he desired to call together these grave and important persons and inform them of this affair, so that, having examined the said letter, they could give their opinion. If they approved of it, it would be sent; but should they, for any reasons or considerations, desire it to be otherwise, they should give signed statements of their opinions, with the reasons therefor, and this opinion, together with his letter, and a copy of the letters from Japon and the reply which they think suitable, will be sent to his Majesty for the protection of the governor in the future, as in this matter he would not do anything but what might be resolved upon, and decided to be most beneficial to the service of God and of the king our lord, and to the good name of the Spanish nation.