The Philippine Islands, 1493 1898: Volume XVI, 1609 by H.E. Blair

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[229] A definite law, as is shown in _Recopilacion de leyes_,
lib. iii. tit. iv, ley xiii, charged the viceroys of Nueva Espana
to send help to the Philippines. The law is as follows: "We charge
and order the viceroys of Nueva Espana to aid the governor and
captain-general of Filipinas on all occasions that arise, with very
special care, promptness, and diligence, with whatever the latter
shall request; and with the men, arms, ammunition, and money, that he
deems necessary for the conservation of those islands, salaries [the
original is _sueldos_, perhaps a misprint for _suelos_, signifying
'provinces' or 'districts'], presidios, and whatever else is under
his charge." Felipe III, Aranjuez, May 25, 1607.

The two following laws impose certain restrictions on the
reenforcements sent to the Philippines from Nueva Espana:

"One of the captains who shall raise men in Nueva Espana as
reenforcements for the Filipinas Islands, shall act as their agent
to the port of Acapulco. There he shall deliver them to the general,
or commander of the ships about to sail; but no captain shall take
passage or go to the islands with the men of his company." Felipe III,
Zamora, February 16, 1602; lib. iii, tit. iv, ley xvi.

"Among the men sent by the viceroy, who shall go as a reenforcement
from Nueva Espana to Filipinas, he shall not allow, under any
circumstances, or admit, any mestizos or mulattoes, because of
the annoyances that have been experienced from them." Felipe III,
Valladolid, August 30, 1608; lib. iii, tit. iv, ley xv.

[230] See _ante_, note 227, the citation of the law from _Recopilacion
de leyes_, lib. iii, tit. x, ley xiii.

[231] See _Vol_. XII ("Various documents relating to commerce"),
pp. 57-75.

Banuelos y Carrillo, in his relation to the king, says: "That the
inhabitants of the Manilas should be allowed to export as many
boat-loads as possible of the country's produce--such as wax, gold,
perfumes, ivory, and cotton cloth [_lampotes_]--which they must buy
from the natives of the country, who would thus be hindered from
selling them to the Dutch. In this way we would make those peoples
friendly, and supply Nueva Espana with their merchandise; and the
money taken to Manila would not leave that city.... Your Majesty
should consider that one and one-half millions in gold go to China
annually." This commerce was advantageous to the Celestial empire
alone and to certain individuals of Manila. It was fatal to Espana,
and harmful to the islands, whose industry was gradually perishing
like that of the metropolis.--_Rizal_.

[232] See in _Vol_. VIII, pp. 316-318, a royal decree enforcing these
prohibitions under severe penalties.

[233] Coarse stuff made of goat's hair, or a glossy silk stuff;
probably the latter is intended in the text. _Gorvoran_ or _gorgoran_
is a sort of silk grogram.

[234] This fabric is now called Pina. It is made from threads
stripped from fibers of the leaf of that plant or fruit, and which
are never longer than half a yard. It cannot be woven at all times,
as extreme heat or humidity affects the fiber. The machinery employed
is of wood, unmixed with any metal, and of rude construction. This
fabric is stronger than any other of equal fineness, and its color is
unaffected by time or washing. The pieces are generally only 1 1/2 feet
wide: the price varies from 1.s. 4d. to 2s. 6d. per yard. Pina of a
yard wide is from six reals to a dollar (of eight reals) a yard. All
the joinings of the threads are of knots made by the fingers. It is
fabricated solely by native Indians in many parts of the Philippines,
but especially in Ilo-Ilo. The use of this stuff is extensive, and
the value is estimated at 500,000 dollars or L120,000; the value of
the annual export of it to Europe for dresses, handkerchiefs, collars,
scarfs, and wristbands, which are beautifully embroidered at Manila,
is estimated at 20,000 dollars annually. (Mr. Consul Farren, January
21, 1851).--_Stanley_.

In order to obtain the fiber of this plant, the fruit is first cut,
so that the leaf may become as long and broad as possible. When
the leaves are well developed they are torn off, and scraped with a
sharp instrument to separate the fleshy part and leave the fiber;
this is washed, dried in the sun, combed out, and classed in four
grades according to its fineness. The cloth has a peculiar softness
and delicacy; and it is said that that made formerly (one or two
centuries ago) was much finer than that made now.

[235] _Scorzonera_ is a genus of composite plants, of numerous
species; the leaves or roots of many are used as vegetables or
salads. _S. tuberosa_ and other Eastern species have edible roots.

[236] Delgado (_ut supra_) says that this fruit (_Diospyros kaki_,
Linn.) was brought by the Chinese traders, and called _Xi-cu_
in their language, whence is derived the word _chiquey_. It is a
beautiful scarlet fruit, although there is another species of a
yellow color. Both are sweet and pleasant to the taste. Some of the
yellow variety were grown in the Visayas, but Delgado says the tree
is not indigenous to the islands. The fruit is shaped like an acorn
but is about as large as a lemon. The peel is soft and the interior
like honey, and it contains several seeds. The tree is wide-spreading
but not very tall. The leaves are small and almost round. _D. kaki_
is the Chinese or Japanese persimmon; _D. virginiana_ is the American
persimmon. From other species is obtained the valuable wood called
ebony.

[237] This must be the cloth and not the porcelain of Kaga, which
even today is so highly esteemed.--_Rizal_.

[238] With very slight differences, this custom and ceremony is
continued to the present [1890].--_Rizal_.

[239] "A three per cent duty was imposed in the Filipinas on
merchandise, for the payment of the troops. We order that part of the
law to be observed, but that pertaining to the other things paid from
those duties to be repealed." Anover, August 9, 1589. (Ley xxii.)

"We ordain that the Chinese, Japanese, Siamese, Borneans, and all other
foreigners, who go to the ports of the Filipinas Islands, pay no duty
on food, supplies, and materials that they take to those islands,
and that this law be kept in the form in w, hich it may have been
introduced, and not otherwise." Anover, August 9, 1589. (Ley xxiv.)

"On the Chinese merchandise and that from other countries, shipped to
Nueva Espana by way of Filipinas, an impost ad valorem tax of ten per
cent shall be collected, based on their value in the ports and regions
where the goods shall be discharged. This tax shall be imposed mildly
according to the rule, and shall be a tax additional to that usually
paid on departure both from the said Filipinas Islands and from the
provinces of Nueva Espana, to any other places where they may and
shall be taken." El Pardo, November 1, 1591. (Ley xxi.)

"We order that the duty of three per cent collected in the Filipinas
Islands on the merchandise taken thither by the Chinese be increased by
another three per cent." El Pardo, November 20, 1606. (Ley xxiii.) The
above laws are from _Recopilacion de leyes_, lib. viii, tit. xv.

[240] The agave (_Agave americana_; the _maguey_ of Mexico) is found in
the Philippines, and is called _pita_, but Delgado and Blanco think
that it was not indigenous there. Its fibers were used in former
times for making the native textile called _nipis_, manufactured
in the Visayas. As used in the text, _pita_ means, apparently, some
braid or other ornament of agave fibers.

[241] The ducado of Castilla was worth slightly more than two
pesos.--_Rizal_.

[242] These imposts and fetters, which the products of the country
did not escape, are still [1890] in force, so that foreign markets
must be sought, since the markets of the mother-country offer no
greater advantages. According to a document of 1640, this commerce
netted the government 350,000 pesos annually.--_Rizal_.

[243] The salary is now [1890] 40,000 pesos.--_Rizal_.

[244] _Recopilacion de leyes_ (lib. iv, tit. i, ley v) outlines the
governor's and Audiencia's power in regard to conquests by private
individuals, as follows: "We grant permission to the governor and
president of the Filipinas Islands and its Audiencia to make contracts
for new explorations and conquests [_pacificaciones_] with persons,
who are willing to covenant to do it at their own expense and not at
that of our royal treasury; and to give them the titles of captains
and masters-of-camp, but not those of adelantados [_i.e._, governors]
and marshals. Those contracts and agreements such men may execute, with
the concurrence of the Audiencia, until we approve them, provided that
they observe the laws enacted for war, conquest, and exploration, so
straitly, that for any negligence, the terms of their contract will be
observed, and those who exceed the contract shall incur the penalties
imposed; also provided the parties shall receive our confirmation
within a brief period assigned by the governor." Felipe II, Guadalupe,
April 1, 1580; Toledo, May 25, 1596, a clause of instructions.

[245] There are eight auditors now [1890], and their salary
has increased to 4,700 pesos, while that of the fiscal is 5,500
pesos.--_Rizal_.

[246] _Recopilacion de leyes_, lib. v, tit. xv, ley xxviii, contains
the following on suits arising from residencias, dated Lerma, June
23, 1608: "Suits brought during the residencia against governors,
captains-general, presidents, auditors, and fiscals of our Audiencia
of Manila, and against any other officials, both civil and criminal,
shall pass in appeal and be concluded in that Audiencia, if they do
not exceed one thousand pesos of the current money."

[247] The tributes of the Indians in the Filipinas amount to more
than 4,000,000 pesos now [1890]; and from the Chinese are derived
225,000 pesos.--_Rizal_.

[248] Now since there is no exploitation of gold mines, and since
the Indians have no jewels that would justify this tenth or fifth,
the Spaniards substitute for this the imposts upon property, which
amount to 105,400 pesos, and that upon industry, which amounts to
1,433,200 pesos. In 1640, the revenue from the above source [fifths or
tenths] had decreased so greatly, that only 750 pesos were collected
annually.--_Rizal_.

[249] Import duties now [1890] amount to 1,700,000 pesos.--_Rizal_.

[250] Export duties now [1890] amount to 285,000 pesos.--_Rizal_.

[251] According to Hernando de los Rios, the Filipinas Islands could
have been self-sustaining from the beginning from their own products,
had it not been for the expeditions and adventurous conquests in the
Moluccas, Camboja, etc.... In the governorship of Don Juan de Silva,
the treasury owed, for the war in the Moluccas, more than 2,000,000
pesos to the Indians, besides what it must have owed to the inhabitants
of Manila.--_Rizal_.

[252] This excellent custom has entirely perished.--_Rizal_.

"The president of our royal Audiencia of Filipinas and one auditor
of that body, shall, at the beginning of each year, examine the
accounts of our royal officials, and shall finish their examination
within the two months of January and February. On finishing their
examination they shall send a copy of them to our council for the
reason contained in the following law. Should the examination not be
finished in the said time, our officials shall receive no salary. The
auditor who shall assist in examining the accounts shall receive as
a compensation the twenty-five thousand maravedis that are ordained;
but he shall receive that amount only in that year that he shall send
the said accounts concluded to our council." Ordinance 97, Toledo,
May 15, 1596. (Ley ix.)

"For the accounts of our royal treasury, which must be furnished in
the usual form by our officials of the Filipinas Islands annually,
during the administration of their duties, the officials shall
deliver for inventory all the books and orders pertaining to those
accounts, and all that shall be requested from them and that shall
be necessary. They shall continue the course of their administration
[of their duties] with new and similar books. These accounts shall be
concluded before the governor of those islands, and the auditor whom
the Audiencia and the fiscal of that body may appoint. In case of the
finding of any doubts and remarks it is our will that the auditor and
governor resolve and determine them, so that they may be concluded and
finished. And inasmuch as the factor and overseer must give account of
certain things in kind and products of great weight and tediousness,
we order that that account be examined every three years, and that
the concluding and settling of the doubts and remarks shall be made
in the form declared. And we order that when the said accounts of
the said islands are completed and the net balances struck, they
shall be sent to our Council of the Indias, so that the accountants
of its accounts may revise and make additions to them according to
the manner of the accountancy." Valladolid, January 25, 1605. (Ley x.)

The above two laws are taken from _Recopilacion de leyes_, lib. viii,
tit. xxix.

[253] The Chinese engaged in agriculture and fishing now [1890]
are very few.--_Rizal_.

[254] The Rizal edition misprints _fuerca e premio_ as _fuerza
a premio._

[255] The custom of shaving the head, now prevalent among the Chinese,
was imposed upon them by their Tartar conquerors.

[256] A kind of stocking called _tabi_.--_Rizal_.

[257] The following law was issued at Segovia July 4, 1609, and
appears in _Recopilacion de leyes_, lib. iii, tit. iv, ley xviii:
"The governor and captain-general of the Filipinas Islands shall
ever strive to maintain friendly relations, peace, and quiet, with
the emperor of Japon. He shall avail himself, for that purpose, of
the most prudent and advisable means, as long as conditions permit;
and he shall not risk the reputation of our arms and state in those
seas and among oriental nations."

[258] This port (established before 1540) was in Colima, Mexico,
near the present Manzanillo. It was plundered and burned by the
English adventurer Thomas Candish, on August 24-25, 1587.

[259] Thus named because seamen and voyagers noticed especially
the lateen sails of the light vessels used by the natives of the
Marianas.--_Rizal_.

[260] A marine fish (_Sparus auratus_), thus named because it has
spots of golden-yellow color.

[261] A chart of the Indian Ocean, by L. S. de la Rochette
(pub. London, 1803, by W. Faden, geographer to the king) shows three
volcanoes in about 25 deg. north latitude, and but a few degrees north
of the Ladrones. One of them is called "La Desconocida, or Third
Volcano," and the following is added: "The Manilla ships always try
to make this Volcano."

[262] A group of islands called Shidsi To, lying in 34 deg. 20'.--_Rizal_.

[263] "Thirty-eight degrees" is probably an error for "twenty-eight
degrees," and these islands [the first ones mentioned in the above
sentence] would be the Mounin-Sima Islands, lying between 26 deg. 35'
and 27 deg. 45'; and Lot's Wife in 29 deg. 51', and Crespo, in 32 deg. 46',
which [latter] are supposed by the _Univers Pittoresque_ to be the
Roca de Oro [rock of gold] and the Roca de Plata of the ancient
maps.--_Stanley_.

For these latter islands, see _Vol_. XIV, p. 272, note 45.

[264] A fungous substance that grows in the sea, and contains signs
of life.

[265] Probably the dogfish, a species of shark.

[266] Most of these places can be identified on the old maps of
the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and most of the names
are retained today. The island of Cedros is shown on a map of 1556
(Ramusio: _Vniversale della parte del mondo nvovamente ritrovata_). The
island of Cenizas is shown, on the old maps, in about 32 deg., and Cedros
in about 29 deg.. The Marias or Tres Marias Islands are Maria Madre,
Maria Magdalena, and Maria Cleofas. Cape Corrientes is south of
La Valle de Banderas and Chametla. Socatul is called Socatula and
Zocatula. An English map of 1626, engraved by Abraham Goos, shows
the town of Ciguatlan, north of Aquapulco, which may be the same as
Morga's Ciguatanejo. Los Motines cannot be identified.

[267] Acosta in his _History of the Indies_ (Hakluyt Soc. edition,
London, 1880) says of the courses between the Philippines and New
Spain: "The like discourse is of the Navigation made into the South
sea, going from New Spaine or Peru to the Philippines or China, and
returning from the Philippines or China to New Spaine, the which is
easie, for that they saile alwaies from East to West neere the line,
where they finde the Easterly windes to blow in their poope. In the
yeere 1584, there went a shippe from Callao in Lima to the Philippines,
which sailed 2000 and 700 leagues without sight of land, and the
first it discovered was the Iland of Lusson, where they tooke port,
having performed their voiage in two moneths, without want of winde or
any torment, and their course was almost continually vnder the line;
... The returne is like vnto the voiage from the Indies vnto Spaine,
for those which returne from the Philippines or China to Mexico,
to the end they may recover the Westerne windes, they mount a great
height, vntill they come right against the Ilands of Iappon, and,
discovering the Caliphornes, they returne by the coast of New Spaine
to the port of Acapulco."

[268] Bartolome Leonardo de Argensola was born in 1566 of a family
of Italian origin, being the second son. Taking orders, he became
rector of Villahermosa in 1588, and chaplain to Maria of Austria,
the queen, in 1598. After the latter's death he was commissioned by
the Conde de Lemos, president of the Council of the Indias, to write
a history of the conquest of the Moluccas. He later spent some time in
the kingdom of Naples, and about 1618 was made historian of Aragon. He
died at Zaragoza in 1631. In addition to the present history, which
is noted for its excellent literary style, he wrote _Primera parte
de los anales de Aragon_ (Zaragoza, 1630) the continuation of the
_Anales of Zurita_. He was also a poet, whose poems are remarkable for
their purity of style and loftiness of sentiment; they are published,
with those of his elder brother, under the title _Rimas de Lupercio
i del doctor Bartolome Leonardo de Argensola_ (Zaragoza, 1634). One
of the chief poems is an ode in honor of the church after the battle
of Lepanto.

[269] The original book contains numerous side notes indicative of
the subject matter of the text. We omit such notes in our translated
extracts.

[270] The above places are identified as follows: Cafa is the
modern Kaffa or Theodosia, a Russian seaport on the Black Sea;
Trapisonda is either the city or district of Trebizond or Tarabozan
(called by the Turks Tarabesoon, and formerly Traplezus); Barcito
(misprint for Bareito?), Lepo, and Damasco, are Beirut, Aleppo,
and Damascus respectively.

[271] Argensola defines this title, which he also spells _sangaje_,
as equivalent to "count" or "duke," and says that it may be derived
from _senchaq,_ a Turkish word meaning "captain."

[272] Argensola gives a description of the clove in book ii, pp. 52-54
of his work.

[273] The Dutch.

[274] _Canafistulo_: referring to the drug known as senna, which is
obtained from the leaves of several species of _Cassia_. According
to Retana (Zuniga's _Estadismo_, ii, p. 454*) the Bisayan name for
this plant is _ibabao_ (the ancient name of Samar Island).

[275] "Eagle" (Latin, _aguila_) is here a corruption of the Malay
name _agila_, referring to the fragrant, resinous wood of a tree
(_Aguilaria agallocha_) used for many centuries by Asiatic peoples,
especially the Chinese, for incense; it is also called "Kalambak"
and "aloes-wood." Calambuco is another species of this genus, its
wood little fragrant, but used in cabinet work (_Century Dictionary_).

[276] True wealth and prosperity of the republic of Venice were
largely due to its preeminence in the Oriental trade, carried on by
the overland route through Asia, in caravans. By the discovery of
the Cape of Good Hope the Portuguese opened the sea-route to India,
by which the products of the East were carried to Europe more cheaply
and in greater abundance; and the decline of Venetian prestige and
wealth rapidly followed (in the sixteenth century).

[277] This probably refers to Giovanni Pietro Maffei, a noted
Jesuit scholar and writer, and the book mentioned is his _Historiarum
Indicarum Libri xvi_ (Fiorenze, 1588). Maffei was born at Bergame about
1536, according to Moreri, but in 1533 according to Sommervogel. In
1563 he accepted the chair of rhetoric at Genoa, where he also acted
as secretary of the republic of Genoa. August 26, 1565 (Sommervogel)
he entered the Jesuit novitiate. He occupied a high place in the
order until his death at Tivoli, October 20, 1603. Besides the book
mentioned above, he wrote also a life of St. Ignatius Loyola, and a
history of the pontificate of Gregory XIII, the latter of which was
never published. His temper was irascible and his personality not
very pleasing. He strove always to maintain a pure Latin style in
his Latin writings.

[278] Argensola, like Morga, confuses the naming of the Philippine
archipelago.

[279] The aquatic plant commonly known as "cat-tail flag" or reed
(_Typha latifolia_).

[280] A measure, one-third vara in length.

[281] Small armed vessels like rafts.

[282] This was Father Antonio Marta, a Neapolitan, and superior of
the Jesuit missions in the Malucas; with him was associated Antonio
Pereira, so prominent in the expedition of Hurtado de Mendoza. See
La Concepcion's account of Marta's services at this time (_Hist. de
Philipinas_, ii, pp. 197-204). Marta is not mentioned by Sommervogel.

[283] See Dasmarinas's version of this proceeding, in _Vol_. VIII,
pp. 239, 294; he there states that the Indians thus taken were to be
freed at the end of three years' service. Cf. _Vol_. X, p. 214.

[284] See letters sent by Dasmarinas and his son Luis to the king of
Camboja, as a result of this embassy, in Vol. IX, pp. 76-78 and 86,
87; and accounts of the Spanish expeditions to that country under Luis
Dasmarinas, in Vol. IX, pp. 161-180, and X, pp. 216, 217, 226-240--also
in Morga's _Sucesos_, chaps. V, VI (in Vol. XV of this series).

[285] Punta Azufre is on the southern coast of Batangas, Luzon; at
a little distance is Punta Cazador--at the extreme southern point of
Calumpan peninsula--probably the Caca of the text.

[286] _Bastardo_: the large sail which is hoisted on> a galley when
there is little wind.

[287] Cf. La Concepcion's account of Dasmarinas's expedition, in
_Hist. de Philipinas_, ii, pp. 194-212.

[288] See accounts of this and later expeditions to conquer Mindanao,
in _Vol_. IX, pp. 181-188, 281-298; and X, pp. 53-75, 214, 215,
219-226.

[289] A small piece of ordnance.

[290] One of the early appellations of the strait between the northwest
point of Samar and the southeast point of Luzon, now known as San
Bernardino Strait. As it was the regular outlet for the vessels plying
between the Philippines and Nueva Espana, this strait was also called
Paso de Acapulco ("the Acapulco passage"). By some authorities the
meridian of San Bernardino was used as the standard, or "meridian
of departure." See San Antonio's _Chronicas_, part i, 55 (cited by
Retana in Zuniga's _Estadismo_, ii, p. 156*; see also p. 409*).

[291] This is an error or misprint for "Morga."

[292] See Morga's account of this, where it appears that these were
not English, but native Moro boats.

[293] The governor's letter is given by Argensola partly in synopsis,
and partly in direct quotation. The latter we enclose in quotation
marks. Sec in _Vol_. XIV (pp. 44-50) this letter, translated from
the MS. preserved in the Sevilla archives; that is apparently at
least a duplicate of the original letter to the Chinese official,
and one of the despatches sent to Spain by Acuna.

[294] This Dutch commander, was Steven van der Hagen, and this his
second voyage to East Indian waters. See _Vol_. XV, appendix B.

[295] A Portuguese pound, containing sixteen ounces.

[296] _Anfion_: a name given to opium in the East Indies.

[297] In the text, _funcas_; apparently a misprint for _fustas_
or for _juncos_.

[298] A word derived from _garra_ (of Old High German origin),
signifying "the foot of a bird" or "the paw of a beast;" _i.e._, the
anchor metaphorically "claws" the bottom of the water where it rests,
struggling to retain its hold against the force of the wind. See
Echegaray's _Diccionario general etimologico_ (Madrid, 1887-89).

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