The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 10 of 55 1597-1599 Explorations by Early Navigators, Descriptions of the Islands and Their Peoples, Their History and Records of the Catholic Missions, as Related in Contemporaneous Books and Manuscripts, Showing the Political, Economic, Commercial and Religious Conditions of Those Islands from Their Earliest Relations with European Nations to the Close of the Nineteenth Century

Part 21

Chapter 213,849 wordsPublic domain

In order that this act may be better enforced, and that nothing may arise to obstruct or hinder its fulfilment (inasmuch as it has been ordered, by other acts, that all the natives shall raise the said fowls and swine, under certain penalties), the said alcaldes-mayor are again charged to exert all care in this matter, so that the natives may easily furnish what is assigned to and ordered from them. Furthermore, there shall be no Sangleys (whether infidels or Christians), or native chiefs or timaguas, excused from undertaking the said breeding, and furnishing the said allotment, since it is important for their own welfare, utility, and profit. The said reservation shall be observed in regard to everything else therein contained; and they ordered all the said alcaldes-mayor to issue letters and royal decrees, with this act inserted therein, in order that the provisions herein contained may begin to be observed from the first of January of the coming year, one thousand five hundred and ninety-nine, beginning with Tondo and continuing with the other places in the said order. And the said alcaldes-mayor shall be notified that, just as care will be taken to reward them for the care and diligence that they shall exert in its fulfilment, in like manner those who do not observe it will be punished; and orders will be given to take especial account in their residencias of the carelessness or neglect observed by them in this. Thus they decreed and ordered, and affixed their signatures.

_Don Francisco Tello_ _Doctor Antonio de Morga_ The licentiate _Tellez Almaçan_ The licentiate _Albaro Çambrano_

Before me:

_Pedro Hurtado Desquibel_

_An act ordering the auditor last appointed to audit the accounts of this city for the past year XCVIII_.

_Don Francisco Tello_ _Doctor Antonio de Morga_ The licentiate _Tellez Almaçan_ The licentiate _Albaro Çambrano_

Before me:

_Pedro Hurtado Desquibel_

_An act decreeing that the residencias of the faithful administrators of this city shall be taken every two months._

In the city of Manila, on the nineteenth of December, one thousand five hundred and ninety-eight, the president and auditors of the royal Audiencia of the Philipinas Islands declared that, whereas the king our sovereign, in one of his royal ordinances, ordains and commands that the said president and auditors shall take a residencia every two months of the faithful administrators of the city in which this his royal Audiencia shall reside: therefore, in order that the said royal ordinance may be exactly enforced, and his Majesty's royal will observed and enforced in everything, they ordered, and they did so order, that from the first day of January of the coming year, one thousand five hundred and ninety-nine, and thenceforth, the said decree shall take effect. They appointed therefor the licentiate Albaro Çambrano, auditor of this royal Audiencia, to take the said residencia of the said regidors and faithful administrators who have filled the said offices, and to take from them an account of how they employed their time in the past, and up to the said day. This shall be done in due form, and in conformity with the law. And they gave him power and full commission therefor, as far as the law required. In the future, the said residencia shall continue to be taken every two months by the said auditors--the licentiate Tellez Almaçan, and Doctor Antonio de Morga, each in his turn, and in the aforesaid manner, to succeed the licentiate Albaro Çambrano. By this act they so provided, ordered, and appointed.

_Don Francisco Tello_ _Doctor Antonio de Morga_ The licentiate _Tellez Almaçan_ The licentiate _Albaro Çambrano_

Before me:

_Pedro Hurtado Desquibel_

An act decreeing that the auditors shall keep a record of the suits concerning the royal exchequer.

Before me: _Pedro Hurtado Desquibel_

_An act decreeing that an account of the resources of his Majesty's exchequer in these islands be sent to the royal Council of the Indias_.

In the city of Manila, on the nineteenth of December, one thousand five hundred and ninety-eight, the president and auditors of the royal Audiencia and Chancillería of the Philipinas Islands declared that, whereas the king our sovereign in one of his royal ordinances, orders and commands the aforesaid president and auditors that the official judges of his Majesty's exchequer shall send in account to his royal Council of the resources of his exchequer in these islands, with their signatures affixed, together with those of the aforesaid president and auditors: therefore, in conformity with the said royal ordinance, and in order that its provisions may be strictly enforced, they ordered, and they did so order, that the said official judges shall be notified to give orders immediately to have a true report made, with entire clearness, and without any reservation, of the resources of his Majesty's estate in these islands, and under their charge, and of their disbursements and expenses. As soon as the said report is made, copies in duplicate shall be sent to the king our sovereign, in his royal Council of the Indias, by the first ships sailing from these islands for Nueva España, in the form that his Majesty orders and commands. By this act they so voted, ordered, and decreed.

Before me:

_Pedro Hurtado Desquibel_

_An act decreeing that a book shall be prepared in which are registered the citizens of these islands, with their merits and services_.

In the city of Manila, on the nineteenth of December, one thousand five hundred and ninety-eight, the president and auditors of the royal Audiencia and Chancillería of the Philipinas Islands declared that, whereas the king our sovereign, in one of his ordinances, orders and commands the aforesaid president and auditors to prepare a book wherein to register the inhabitants and dwellers in these islands, and inscribe their merits and services, and the rewards and remunerations which have been given them in recompense--a copy of which shall be sent him in his royal Council of the Indias, so that, when they ask for rewards, they shall be given what they deserve: therefore, in order that the royal will of the king our sovereign be strictly observed, enforced, and fulfilled, they ordered, and they did so order, the said book, for the said purpose, to be made immediately; and when all that his Majesty orders and commands in the said royal ordinance is finished and completed, copies shall be made in duplicate and sent on the first ships leaving these islands for Nueva España, to the king our sovereign in his said royal Council. By this act they so voted, ordered, and decreed.

Before me:

_Pedro Hurtado Desquibel_

_An act decreeing that the treasurer of the royal exchequer shall collect all the fines that are in any wise imposed by this royal Audiencia_.

In the city of Manila, on the nineteenth of December, one thousand five hundred and ninety-eight, the president and auditors of the royal Audiencia of the Philipinas Islands declared that, whereas the king our sovereign, in one of his ordinances, orders and commands the said Audiencia, that the treasurer of his Majesty's royal exchequer in these islands shall collect all the fines that are in any wise imposed by this royal Audiencia, which are to be applied both to the use of the royal treasury, and to the courts and other judicial expenses; that the chief alguazil of this court shall have charge of executing them; that whatever the said treasurer collects, he is to present immediately to the officials of the royal exchequer; that the aforesaid officials shall place it in the chest with the three keys; that they shall enter in a book all that they may collect from such fines, placing on one side the fines for the royal treasury, and on the other those of the courts; that the aforesaid officials shall take care that charge of them is given to the said treasurer; that the latter, at the end of each year, shall audit the said fines; and that then a succinct report of them shall be sent to the royal Council of the Indias, signed with his name and the names of the other officials, together with the certification of the court notary of this royal Audiencia, of the fines that shall have been imposed: therefore, in conformity with the said royal ordinance, and in order that its provisions may be strictly enforced, they ordered, and they did so order, that the official judges of his Majesty's royal exchequer in these islands be notified to observe and enforce thoroughly the provisions of the said royal ordinance of which mention is here made, _in toto_, without failing in any point, each one in matters concerning him, just as is here declared. Nor shall the said fines be expended, under any consideration, otherwise than shall be specified by this royal Audiencia, under penalty that whoever shall order them otherwise disbursed shall repay the amount from his own pocket. By this act they so voted, ordered, and decreed.

Before me: _Pedro Hurtado Desquibel_

_Bibliographical Data_

All documents in this volume--translated from either the originals or transcriptions thereof--are obtained from MSS. in the Archivo general de Indias, Sevilla; their pressmarks are indicated as follows:

1. _Letter from Morga_, June 30, 1597--"Simancas-Secular; Audiencia de Filipinas; cartas y expedientes del presidente y oidores de dicha Audiencia vistos en el Consejo; años 1583 á 1599; est. 67, caj. 6, leg. 18."

2. _Administration of hospital._--The same as No. 1.

3. _Letters from Tello_, 1597.--The same as No. 1--except letter of June 22, "Simancas-Secular; cartas y espedientes del gobernador de Filipinas vistos en el Consejo; años 1567 á 1599; est. 67, caj. 6, leg. 6."

4. _Letter from Ronquillo_.--The same as No. 1.

5. _Report by Morga_.--The same as No. 1.

6. _Recommendations as to reforms_.--"Simancas-Secular; Audiencia de Filipinas; cartas y espedientes de personas seculares de dicha Audiencia vistos en el Consejo; año's de 1565 á 1594; est. 67, caj. 6, leg. 34."

7. _Reception of royal seal_.--The same as No. 1--except "Años de 1600 á 1612; est. 67, caj. 6, leg. 19." The dates would indicate that this MS. is misplaced in the archives.

8. _Letters from the archbishop_, 1598.--"Simancas-Secular; Audiencia de Filipinas; cartas y expedientes del arzobispo de Manila vistos en el Consejo; años de 1579 á 1679; est. 68, caj. 1, leg. 32."

9. _Letters from Benavides_.--"Simancas-Secular; Audiencia de Filipinas; cartas y espedientes de los obispos sufragáneos de Manila; 1598 á 1698; est. 68, caj. 1, leg. 34."

10. _Letters from Tello_, 1598--The same as No. 3 (June 22).

11. _Report of the Audiencia_.--The same as No. 1.

12. _Letter to the archbishop_.-"Audiencia de Filipinas; registros de oficio; reales ordenes dirigidas a las autoridades del distrito de la Audiencia; años de 1597 á 1634; est. 105, caj. 2, leg. 1."

13. _Missions of the religious orders_.--"Simancas-Filipinas; descubrimientos, descripciones y poblaciones de las Islas Filipinas; años de 1582 á 1606; est. 1, caj. 1, leg. 3|25."

14. _Letters from Tello_, 1599.--The same as No. 3 (June 22).

15. _Ordinances by the Audiencia_. The same as No. 1.

NOTES

[1] See Morga's account of the martyrdom of the Franciscans, in his _Sucesos_ (Hakluyt Soc. trans.), pp. 78-84; and that by Santa Inés, in his _Crónica_, ii, pp. 273-581, 621-644. The latter writer furnishes also biographical sketches of the martyrs (among whom was Pedro Baptista). They were canonized in 1862.

Taikô-sama was a name adopted by Hideyoshi in 1591, when he made a partial abdication of his power in favor of an adopted son. He died in September, 1598.

[2] This confraternity was founded (1594) at Manila by a priest named Juan Fernandez de León, who came to the islands in 1591. The association was planned in imitation of that at Lisboa, and included prominent members of all the orders, as well as secular persons. Its first presiding officer was Luis Pérez Dasmariñas. In conjunction with the Franciscans, the Confraternity of La Misericordia ("mercy") administered the hospital for many years. See Santa Inés's _Crónica_, ii, pp. 200-215.

[3] This was Fray Martin de León, according to Santa Inés (_Crónica_, ii, p. 270).

[4] Food prepared from the sago-palm (see _Vol_. IV, p. 276).

[5] Husk of the cocoa-nut (Retana's edition of Zúñiga's _Estadismo_, ii, p. 449*).

[6] _Ketchil_, a Malay word signifying "little, young;" hence a young man of distinction, a son or brother of the Molucca princes: in Amboina it is the designation of the heir-apparent. Marsden's _Dictionary_, cited by Stanley, in his translation of Morga (Hakluyt Soc. publications), p. 59.

[7] The salambao is a raft of reeds or bamboo; on which is erected an apparatus not unlike the mast and yard of a square-rigged ship. To one end of the yard is attached a net which may be raised from and lowered into the water. This contrivance is called by the natives _timba_. See full description of the salambao, and of other native modes of fishing, in Zúñiga's _Estadismo_ (Retana's ed.), i, pp. 199, 200; and illustration of this apparatus in F. Jagor's _Travels in the Philippines_ (London, 1875), p. 47.

[8] "The black people or Caffares of the land of Mozambique, and all the coast of Ethiopia and within the land to the Cape de Bona Speranza." ... "The Portingales do make a living by buying and selling of them" (Linschoten's _Voyage_ (Hakluyt Soc. trans., London, 1885), vol. i, pp. 269, 277).

[9] _Blanca_: half a maravedi, equivalent to nearly one mill in U.S. money.

[10] A law dated 1556 provides that jettisons are to be reckoned as risks in common, and to be distributed among ship, freight-money, and cargo. See _Recop. leyes Indias_ (ed. 1841), lib. ix, tit. xxxix, ley x.

[11] Apparently referring to Fray Marcelo de Rivadeneira, one of the Franciscans who went to Japan with Pedro Baptista. Rivadeneira wrote a book, _Historia de las islas del Archipiélago_, etc. (Barcelona, M.DC.I), which describes the countries of Eastern Asia, and relates the history of Franciscan missions therein.

[12] In the Archivo general de Indias, Sevilla, is a document which contains the following statement: "I, Captain Joan de Bustamante, accountant and official judge of the royal exchequer of the Filipinas islands, certify that, according to the books, accounts, and papers of the office and records of the said royal exchequer, it is not, since the past year of fifteen hundred and eighty-one, when the cathedral church of this city was founded by Don Fray Domingo de Salazar, first bishop of these islands, up to the present year of fifteen hundred and ninety-nine, evident nor apparent that there have been given from the royal exchequer to the said church any bells, images, ornaments, chalices, candelabra, missals, or choir-books for the service thereof; nor has there been paid over for that purpose any coins of gold, as appears by the said books and papers to which I refer. In certification whereof, and that this may be apparent, I have, on the petition of the dean and chapter, _sede vacante_, given these presents in Manila on the fifth of July of the year one thousand five hundred and ninety-nine."

[13] _Vosotros_: the familiar form of the second person plural of the personal pronoun; its use in this case was a mark of contempt for his audience.

[14] The convent of San Francisco del Monte was situated at somewhat more than a league from Manila; and an estate was granted to the Franciscan order by Santiago de Vera, for the support of the convent. See Santa Inés's _Crónica_, i, pp. 531-534, for full account of its foundation.

[15] This dignitary was Fray Miguel Benavides, of the Dominican order; see _Vol_. VII, p. 234.

[16] Morga says of this affair, in his _Sucesos_ (Hakluyt Soc. trans.), p. 62: "Ronquillo was set at liberty on showing a private letter from the governor, which he had sent him separately with the first instructions, ordering him in any case to come to Manila with all his forces, because he wanted them for other necessities of the islands; and Don Juan said that on the strength of that letter he had not waited for second instructions."

[17] According to Morga, this chief was killed by some of his own followers, to gain the reward offered by the Spaniards.

[18] Span., _negros çambales_. It is possible that _y_ was omitted by some error; or it may mean the blacks who lived in the hill-country of the Zambales district. The Zambales were a Malay tribe; but, as we have already seen (_Vol_. VIII, p. 218), their revolt against the Spaniards in 1591-92 was in association with the Negritos of that region. As will be remembered, the Zambales surviving that revolt were placed in new settlements in other districts.

[19] Another corruption of Kuwambaku, the official appellation of Hideyoshi, then ruler of Japan (see _Vol_. VIII, p. 262, and note 42).

[20] Morga states that Navarrete, after sending the letter to Tello died at Nangasaki.

[21] Gaspar de Zúñiga y Acebedo, Conde de Monterey, was viceroy of Nueva España from September 18, 1595, to September, 1603, when he became viceroy of Peru; he died in March, 1606, while in the latter office.

[22] This statement is somewhat blindly worded; but Tello apparently means that the viceroy, to save expense to the royal treasury, sends government supplies to the Philippines on private ships; and, instead of paying the owners freight thereon, he permits them, contrary to the royal decrees, to carry money to the islands for investment, on which they make enormous profits.

[23] This letter was addressed to Felipe II; but of course its writer had not then received news of the king's death, which occurred September 13, 1598; he was succeeded by his son, Felipe III (_Vol_. 1, p. 353).

[24] See list of encomiendas existing in 1591 (_Vol_. VIII); this encomienda is there named Passi.

[25] These italic paragraphs are a part of the letter itself. The matter included in brackets and preceded by the words "_In the margin_" is remarks written in Spain.

[26] The letters or words in brackets are conjectural readings, the original being illegible or worn in many places. When no conjectural reading is given, the break is indicated by leaders.

[27] A sort of vessel with lateen-rigged sails, used in the Levant trade; the name is of Arabic origin.

[28] Thus in original--apparently a misnumbering of paragraphs.

[29] See La Concepcion's account of Dasmariñas's unfortunate expedition (_Hist. de Philipinas_, iii, pp. 231-277).

[30] Bolinao is the name of a cape at the northwest extremity of the peninsula of Zambales, Luzón; also applied to a narrow channel between that cape and the small island of Santiago. The submarine cable from Hongkong formerly landed here, but now reaches Manila direct.

[31] The paragraphs in italics which accompany the sections of Tello's letter are apparently brief summaries thereof, made by some clerk for the use of the Council of the Indias.

[32] Referring to the diocese of Nueva Cáceres (also known as Camarines). It was offered successively to three Franciscans, two of whom declined the honor; the third, Fray Pedro Bautista, was already a martyr in Japan when the royal decree arrived at Manila. The office was finally conferred (1600) upon Francisco de Ortega, O.S.A. Benavides was the first bishop of Nueva Segovia, and Agurto of Cebú.

[33] A grant of graces, indulgences, and dispensations awarded by the Holy See to the faithful of either sex, inhabitants of Spain, Portugal, their colonies, and the kingdom of Naples. The condition requisite for the enjoyment of these favors is the contribution yearly of a small alms for the support of divine worship and maintenance of institutions of beneficence, as hospitals, asylums, and the like. Among the privileges granted are absolution from reserved cases, commutation of vows, exemption from abstinence and fasts, and so on. In former ages the alms thus contributed were employed in battles against infidels and heretics. The document empowering the recipient of the above favors to make use of them must be printed on stamped paper, and sealed and signed by the commissary-general apostolic delegated therefor by the Holy See. The dispensation must be renewed yearly. Moroni--_Dizionario_ (Venezia, 1840), v, 283-285--states that, from the revenue thus received from the Crusade sales annually, the following amounts are turned over to the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in the Vatican, for its support, viz.: by Spain, $12,000; by Portugal, $4,000; by Brazil, $2,000; by Naples, about $700. (See Ferraris--_Bibliotheca_, art. "Bulla Cruciatæ.")--_Rev. T.C. Middleton_, O.S.A.

[34] Another appellation of the diocese of Nueva Segovia, which comprised the province of Cagayan.

[35] This was Fray Pedro de Agurto, bishop of Cebú; his official appellation in the text is derived from the name of the capital city of Cebú. Agurto was a native of Mexico; he became a friar in the Augustinian order, in which he filled many important posts. He took possession of his diocese of Cebú on October 14, 1598, and died at Cebú on the tenth anniversary of that day (1608).

End of Project Gutenberg's The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, by E. H. Blair