Part 24
[74] Probably alluding to one of the two Franciscans captured by the Moros nearly two years before (Montero y Vidal's _Hist. piratería_, i, p. 154), but afterward ransomed by the Spaniards--Fray Domingo de los Mártires and Fray Alonso de la Soledad.
[75] Apparently a reference to the beri-beri, a disease common in India and other lands of Southern Asia. A similar or identical disease, prevalent in Japan, is there known as _kak'ké_; see William Anderson's account of this disease in _Transactions_ of the Asiatic Society of Japan, vol. vi (Tokyo, ed. 1888), pp. 155-181.
[76] In the text this is a curious double play upon words, which cannot be exactly reproduced in translation. The Spanish reads, _y que multos por dar en el clavo an de dar en la herradura_--literally, "many in striking the nail will strike the horseshoe," _clavo_ meaning both "nail" and "clove."--_Trans_.
[77] Cocks mentions in his _Diary_ (i, p. 268) the arrival of French ships at Bantam in 1617.
[78] Spanish, _amplitud ortiva_, meaning an angle measured on the eastern horizon. The term amplitude, thus used (by English writers also), is an old one in astronomical terminology. In the description of the second comet, _al pie_ refers apparently to the head of the comet, which is here called its foot because sometimes this point was nearer to the horizon.--_Rev. Jose Algue_, S.J. (director of Manila Observatory).
[79] Referring to the ancient astronomical notion that a comet was an exhalation.--_Harry T. Benedict_ (professor of astronomy, University of Texas).
[80] "Evidently the modern province of Awa or Boshiû (its Chinese name), which is situated in the eastern part of Shikoku Island, in Tôkaidô or "the eastern sea-road." See J.J. Rein's _Japan_, p. 9.
[81] That is, one of the fixed number of notaries assigned or allowed to Manila.
[82] See _Vol_. x, p. 230, note 30.
[83] See _Vol_. xvii, p. 145, note 44.
[84] _Recopilación de leyes_ contains the following law in regard to the rations of rice: "Inasmuch as the presidents and auditors of the Audiencia of the Filipinas Islands, and the officials of our royal treasury are accustomed to divide among themselves all the tributes of rice belonging to us in La Pampanga for the expense of their houses, taking it at the price at which the tributarios give it at the harvest, whence it happens that the rations given on our account are lacking, and that they must be bought at excessive rates; and as such procedure is very prejudicial to our royal treasury: therefore we order the president and royal officials to avoid it and stop so pernicious a custom, for thus is it advisable for our royal service." [Felipe III, Madrid, December 19, 1618 --lib. ii, tit. xvi, ley lxxii.]
[85] The following document, preserved in Archivo general de Indias with the same pressmark as Fajardo's letter (see Bibliographical Data, _post_), was probably ordered to be copied as a help toward solving these doubts.
The King: To the president and auditors of my royal Audiencia of the Filipinas Islands. I have heard that, [the command of] a company of infantry having become vacant because of the death of Don Tomas Brabo, and my governor and captain-general of those islands, Don Pedro de Acuña, having appointed to it Captain Juan de Billaçon--who in order that he would accept had to be urged by the said Don Pedro, both because he was a very worthy and deserving man and one who had done many services, and because there was no one else to select, and because it was an occasion when a great number of boats were expected from China which it had been rumored were to come to attack the islands, to revenge the Sangleys who had been killed in the insurrection of the year six hundred and three--you issued an act, in which you ordered that the said governor should appoint the said company in conformity to the ordinance, and that in the meantime there should be no innovation in anything--just as if such a matter were the chief that should be attended to then, since it was an occasion in which the governor was toiling so arduously in fortifying districts and strongholds of those islands, raising ramparts, and making ditches in order to be as ready as possible for the awaiting of so great a multitude of men as rumor said were to attack those islands. Inasmuch as it is proper that matters pertaining to war be solely in the charge and care of the said my governor and captain-general, I have, after examination of the matter by my royal Council of the Indias, considered it fitting to issue the present, by which I order you not to interfere and oppose the said governor in anything pertaining to war and government matters; and when any case arises, in which any doubt may exist as to the form and execution of it, it is my will that the orders of the said my governor be followed and obeyed, and that you advise me, through my said Council, of the doubt, and what shall be your opinion regarding it; so that after my Council has examined it, the measures most advisable to my service may be ordered and commanded. Given Ventocilla, November four, one thousand six hundred and six years.
_I The King_
By order of the king, our sovereign:
_Juan de Civica_
I, Pedro Muño de Herrera, who exercise the office of scrivener of the assembly of the royal Audiencia and Chancilleria of the Philipinas Islands, had this copy drawn and drew it from the original royal decree which is in my possession, by order of Don Alonso Faxardo de Tença, comendador of the redoubt in the order of Alcantara, governor and captain-general of these Philipinas Islands, and president of this royal Audiencia. It is a certified copy and is thoroughly revised and collated with its original. In the city of Manila, on the twentieth day of the month of August, one thousand six hundred and twenty, witnesses being Ambrosio Corrales and Pedro Muñoz de Herrera, junior.
_Pedro Munoz de Herrera_
[86] In the preceding document, this name appears as Juan Saenz de Hegoen.
[87] The original if read strictly requires the above translation. It reads "_porque son gente de mucho fruto y no se buelven tantos dellos como de otras Religiones y particularmente la de Santo Domingo que e entendido sean ydo delta mas de los que yo quissiera_." "_Della_" should refer then to "_la_" and thence back to "_religiones_." But the meaning cannot be that the religious left the order, but rather their brethren in the islands and returned to Nueva España or Spain. Fajardo's language throughout this letter is loose and complicated, and it is possible that, "_della_" refers to the word "_tierra_" ("country") understood, in which case the translation would be "have left the country."
[88] Alonso Baraona was a native of Quintanario, of the province of Bargos. He took his vows in the Augustinian college of Burgos in 1596, and was prior of the college of Santo Niño in 1607. He ministered in Dumangas (1608), Batan (1609), Jaro (1616), Aclán (1613), and Passi (1614); and became definitor ami prior provincial in 1617. In 1623 he was at Bay, and died, in 1626. See Perez's _Catálogo_.
[89] The cardinal archduke Albert of Austria was the sixth son of Maximilian II and Maria of Austria, and was born in Austria November 13, 1559. In 1570 he was sent to Spain, where he rose rapidly in Philip's favor. In 1577 he received the cardinal's hat from the pope and was made archbishop of Toledo by Philip in 1594. He was viceroy of Portugal from 1584-1595, when Philip, thinking to appease the people of the Low Countries, made him commander or regent there, and determined to marry him to his daughter Isabel. The sovereignty of all the Netherlands was to be left jointly to them and their heirs, and, in case of no issue, to revert to the Spanish crown. Philip formally abdicated his authority over the Low Countries, May 6, 1598, and their marriage was solemnized jointly with that of Philip III, April 13, 1599, after Albert had renounced his cardinalate and archbishopric. He died July 13, 1621, after ruling his provinces humanely and generously, although unable to stem the current toward Dutch independence. See Moreri's _Dictionnaire_.
[90] Jacques (Jakob) le Maire (Lemaire), the Dutch navigator, and the first to double Cape Horn, was born at Egmond, and died at sea, December 31, 1616. His expedition to the South Seas was undertaken at the instigation of his father, Isaac le Maire, a well-known merchant, and the ships were to reach the South Seas by Magalháes's or any other route. The two vessels were placed in command of Wilhelm van Schouten, and Le Maire was chosen director-general. The ships were equipped at the port of Hoorn, and set sail June 14, 1615, from the Texel. Passing by the south-eastern corner of Tierra del Fuego, they entered and passed through the strait that now bears Le Maire's name January 24-26, 1616. Between January 27 and 31, they doubled the Horn, which they named for the port of Hoorn. October 28 of the same year after various adventures among the East Indian Islands, they cast anchor at Jacatra in Java, where the "Concorde," the only vessel left, was sequestered as not having been sent by the Dutch East India Company; while van Schouten and Le Maire were sent to Holland to be tried, Le Maire dying as above stated. A relation of the expedition was written by one of the participants. See vol. iv, pp. 531-618, _Recueil des voyages ... de la Compagnie des Indes Orientales_ (Amsterdam, 1725).
[91] The viceroy of Nueva España at this time was Diego Fernandez de Córdoba, marqués de Guadalcázar. He began his term October 28, 1612, and in 1621 was appointed viceroy of Peru.
[92] The lacuna at this point--sections 10 to 14 inclusive--with some duplications and other peculiarities in numbering, are precisely as in the original document.
[93] See the letter written to the king by Fajardo, August 10, 1619, _ante_. where this same abuse is mentioned.
[94] See the royal decree following this document, which was probably issued in consequence of this section of Los Rios's letter, and which will appear in _Vol_. XIX.
[95] See the various letters relating to the controversy between the calced and discalced religious of the Order of St. Francis, in _Vol_. XX of this series.
[96] An early law of _Recopilación de leyes_ (lib. v, tit. viii, ley xxix) thus rules the taking of fees: "In the Filipinas Islands all the notaries and officials entitled to them shall collect their fees, according to, and in the quantity provided and ordained for our Audiencia of Méjico, so far as it shall not have been altered by the laws of this book." [Felipe II; Toledo, May 25, 1596, ordinance 61.]
[97] The residencia of the governor was later ordered to be taken in accordance with the following law, found in _Recopilación de leyes,_ lib. v, tit. xv, ley v: "The governor and captain-general of the Filipinas appointed by us, shall, as soon as he enters upon the exercise of his duties, take the residencia of his proprietary predecessor, or his predecessor _ad interim_, even should he not hold our special commission. But shall he have been so entrusted by us, he shall proceed by virtue of it, in accordance with law. In either case, he shall send a report of the residencia to the Council, as is usual." [Felipe IV; Madrid, December 4, 1630.]
[98] See descriptions of the disease called scurvy, in Pyrard de Laval's _Voyage_ (Hakluyt Society's translation, London, 1890), ii, pp. 390-392; and _Jesuit Relations_ (Cleveland reissue), iii, pp. 51, 53.
[99] See the full and interesting description given by Pyrard de Laval (_Voyage_, ii, pp. 180-214) of the Portuguese trading vessels on the India line (_naus de carreira_), practically the same as the Spanish vessels described by Rios Coronel; and of their construction, equipment, crews, lading, management, etc. On p. 214 is an engraving of one of these great ships.
[100] See decrees relating to this in _Vol_. XIV, pp. 182, 270.
[101] This is the fiber obtained from the husk of the cocoanut; the word is of Indian origin, and from it is derived the English "coir." See, with description of the manner in which this fiber is manufactured into rope in India, Pyrard de Laval's _Voyage_, i, pp. 250, 285: ii. pp. 374, 443.
[102] _Obispo de anillo_: a bishop _in partibus_ (see _Vol_. VIII, p. 68). The Spanish dictionaries define _obispo de anillo_ as auxiliary or suffragan, bishop. The Academy's dictionary adds: "To these bishops the pontiff assigns one of the churches formerly owned by them, but now in the power of heathen." Consequently the _de anillo_ becomes equivalent to _in partibus infidelium_. A bishop _in partibus_ is one consecrated to a see which formerly existed, but which has been, chiefly through the devastations of the followers of Mahomet, lost to Christendom. The creation of such bishops exists from the time of Leo X; but they existed _de facto_ from the time when the first Christian see became vacant from hostile inroad or through the action of a hostile government. The Moorish conquest in Spain resulted in many of such bishops fleeing to the still unconquered parts, where they wandered from place to place, with no particular duty, but officiating as opportunity offered. This state of affairs led to great abuses, for a bishop whose see was _in partibus_ would often enter some remote portion of the diocese of a more fortunate brother, and there exercise, in various ways, without the permission of the bishop of the diocese, his episcopal office. Clerks whom their own bishop would not have promoted to priests' orders often received through the agency of these wandering bishops the ordination which they desired. A decree of the Council of Trent forbade that abuse. The title _in partibus_ was often given in Protestant countries, where to appoint a bishop to a local see would have aroused hostility. Besides the vicars apostolic in a non-Catholic country, the vicars of cardinal-bishops, auxiliary bishops in countries where it is usual to appoint them, and papal nuncios, usually have their sees _in partibus infidelium_. They can attend general councils, and, since they are considered as truly wedded to the churches of which they bear the titles, they cannot be appointed to other sees except upon the conditions common to all episcopal translations. By a decree of the Propaganda, February 28, 1882, the formula _in partibus infidelium_ was abolished, and non-resident bishops are to be known as "titular" bishops of their sees. See Addis and Arnold's _Catholic Dictionary_.