The Philippine Islands, 1493 1898: Volume XVIII, 1617 1620 by Various

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From Nueva Espana silver is exported to China, but little more;
they do not carry silver thence to Japon, because there is no lack
of it there. Some other things are taken to Japon, among them silks
brought from China, but little else; for they have nothing in Nueva
Espana useful to Japon, except these few articles.

From Felipinas they carry to China silver obtained in Nueva Espana,
but there is nothing else to carry. To Japon they take silks which
they buy in China, or which the Chincheos are accustomed to bring to
Manila, which is unquestionably the metropolis of Felipinas.

From the trade of Nueva Espana and Felipinas with China and Japon less
in customs duties are paid to your Majesty than from that of Eastern
India with the same countries, because there is nothing upon which
to pay them except the silks. Thus this trade is not so advantageous
as that of Eastern India. Indeed, your Majesty's profits will be much
greater if this trade of Nueva Espana and Felipinas shall cease. This
will be experienced not only by the crown of Portugal, but even by
that of Castilla.

By the crown of Portugal this will be experienced because, if the
people of Eastern India alone were to sell goods and to buy those
of the Chinese and Japonese, they would obviously gain more and be
able to pay higher customs to your Majesty; for when the sellers
and buyers are many and different, all is to the advantage of the
Chinese and Japonese, because then they sell and buy on their own
terms. Under such circumstances your Majesty's subjects have sustained
great injuries, and many times have sold their goods for prices far
below what they had cost, in order not to carry them home. From these
circumstances, too, quarrels have arisen in China and Japon between
the subjects of the two crowns--to the discredit of Espana and to the
shame of Christians there who see discords among Christians and among
subjects of the same king. The Portuguese, in order not to suffer these
injuries, will abandon this trade: if they do so, Eastern India will
be in great danger, especially now, from those who go there from the
north. And your Majesty will even come to lose it; and this through
not having wherewith to maintain the fleet by means of which it is
protected and prospered, as has been shown by experience. In the same
way your Majesty will lose the city of Macao which you have in China,
for as it is in the territory of the king of China, it has no income
other than through this trade.

This result will also be experienced by the crown of Castilla, because
the trade of Nueva Espana with China serves only to carry thither
silver which ought to come to Espana, and to bring from China the
silks which might be sent from Espana. Whence great injuries to Espana
follow, as is notorious, through the loss both of the silver of which
it is deprived, and of the duties and profits on its silks. The trade
of Nueva Espana with Japon is also unprofitable, because there are no
goods on which to secure gain either going or returning, except what
they may get from the silks which they carry from China, to Japon,
and from some iron, copper, cabinets [_escritorios_], and similar
articles. Indeed, on account of the before-mentioned disadvantages,
it is easier to lose than to gain in this trade; and if it should
be expanded your Majesty would suffer other disadvantages. This has
already been seen on some occasions when it has been tried.

The trade of Filipinas with China may be hurtful in so far as the
silver carried is concerned, because this might come to Espana. It is
true, the silk trade with China is of some profit to Filipinas as a
basis of trade with Nueva Espana--which cannot be dispensed with--to
supply the things needed from there. But this silk trade might be
substituted by carrying some of the gold of Filipinas to Nueva Espana
to buy what is necessary from Espana, to which thereby would come more
advantage; and by carrying also some of the silks which the people
of Chincheo are wont to take to Manila. These are bought in this way
more advantageously than when the Filipinas merchants go to China to
buy, as has been seen during many years' experience with the former
method. But it might even be well to put an end to the coming of the
people of Chincheo to Manila (many of whom live there by agreement),
because they have already attempted to take possession of the city;
and now, when the Hollanders are resorting thither, this should be
more carefully watched. To prevent the coming of the Chinese, your
Majesty might order the inhabitants of Macao to take to Manila the
silks, bronze, and other things needed in Filipinas which the people
of Chincheo bring. And everything will be more secure, the profit
will be much greater, and all of it will accrue to your Majesty's
subjects if it be ordered that the Chinese shall not sell anything
that the inhabitants of Macao have to sell.

The trade of Filipinas with Japon is very hurtful to your Majesty
and to your subjects, since, as they carry in it nothing but silks
from China, which the people of Eastern India and those of Macao
also take to Japon, all the advantage lies with the Japonese; for,
as they are in their own land, and have a larger number of articles
to choose from, they buy where they wish and at their own figures,
and they sell their own goods in the same way. All this is injurious
to your Majesty's subjects, and advantageous to that king to whom they
pay so large customs duties. Sometimes the people of Felipinas and
those of Eastern India have returned without selling or buying, in
order not to suffer total loss. Thus results a great loss of customs
which ought to be paid to your Majesty. And not alone do you suffer
in your exchequer but also in your reputation, because the Japonese
despise your Majesty's subjects when they see the disorders that they
create; [7] and they lose [also] respect for your viceroys. When, in
order to correct this impression, certain embassies are sent to those
kings, they judge from this that your Majesty's subjects have greater
need of them than they have of your Majesty or your viceroys. This
has been observed during all these past years, especially among
the Japonese--who, being arrogant, proud, and warlike, think that
everything depends upon them, and ask odds of no one. They, judging
by the great number who go to Japon from Felipinas that they are
necessary to the latter, have ever thought of making war upon these
islands in order to conquer them for themselves. [_In the margin_:
"And now that the Northerners are there, it is possible for them
together to attack the forces."]

From what has been said the plain inference is that your Majesty,
who is king of both realms, ought to order that the trade be so
conducted that what is gained by one be not lost by the other. You
ought also to consider which line of trade will profit you most,
and should enforce this one and prohibit the other by decrees issuing
from both crowns, enforcing them through your viceroys, and imposing
severe penalties upon violators of such decrees, and greater ones
upon those who fail to require them to be kept. [_In the margin_:
"This was ordained by the king, Don Felipe Second, grandfather of
your Majesty, as the Council of Portugal will inform you."]

From the foregoing it is easily seen that the trade of Eastern India
is, from a temporal standpoint, the most profitable to your Majesty and
for your subjects; and from a spiritual standpoint, for the maintenance
and propagation of Christianity in China and Japon. This was proved
in the years during which this plan was tried. [_In the margin_:
"Conversion there has entirely ceased today because this plan has not
been tried during recent years, and because of the severity of the
present emperor of China, who even punished laymen for protecting the
religious who went from Felipinas to China contrary to his commands."]

It is plain, therefore, that the trade of Nueva Espana and Felipinas
with Japon and China is unprofitable in comparison with that of Eastern
India, not to mention the marked injuries already pointed out which it
inflicts upon Espana, and which must be repaired and corrected lest
greater ones be sustained. The trade always carried on with Nueva
Espana is fully sufficient to maintain Felipinas. In this they carry
gold and some of the silks which the Chinese merchants carry from
China to Manila to be sold; and they might bring silks from Macao,
should your Majesty now order it. In return they bring from Nueva
Espana what they need for their own maintenance and growth (to make
it unnecessary to go to Japon and China for the same). In proportion
as this plan has been observed the welfare of both the Eastern and the
Western Indias has been advanced; and the kingdoms of Espana have had
great profits from them, through their carrying silver and bringing
back merchandise. Now that the Hollanders are so powerful there, it is
necessary that this be watched with the greatest care and vigilance,
in order that what your Majesty gets from there may not be lost.

EVENTS IN THE FILIPINAS ISLANDS
FROM THE MONTH OF JUNE, 617, UNTIL THE PRESENT DATE IN 618

Last year I informed you at length of the naval battle, and of the
signal victory which our Lord was pleased to give us over the enemy,
the Hollanders, who came to these islands with the largest force that
has ever been here. They brought ten galleons well equipped with men,
artillery, ammunition, and other implements of war. Of these ten
galleons they lost three in the battle--one, the admiral's ship,
was sunk, and two were burned. Four of the remaining seven fled to
Maluco, badly damaged. So many of their men were killed and wounded
that, although they had set out with a large number, they arrived
with scarcely one hundred. These were the messengers of an event
most disastrous for them but fortunate for us. The other ships fled
to Japon.

Until now the natives of the Malucas Islands had greatly favored
the heretics; but, loving novelty and seeing that the power of
the Hollanders had declined, they began to plan a revolt. When the
Hollanders learned of this, they hanged in Machien, one of their best
strongholds, a chief whom, it was understood, the natives wished
to place at the head of the insurrection. But in other quarters
they could not so quickly effect a remedy. In the island of Siao
the people killed all the Hollanders who had seized their land,
except three whom they handed over alive to our governor of Maluco
for galley-slaves. The natives of the island of Vanda [Banda] dealt
in the same manner with the Hollanders who were there, and gained the
ascendency. In Ambueno some of the natives revolted. The Hollanders
tried to pacify them by force of arms, but we do not know how the
affair ended. All this, however, was not what most disturbed the
Hollanders, but it was rather the fact that they saw that English ships
had come and formed an excellent stronghold in Pullovay. [8] Thus,
when the Hollanders undertook to eject the English from that port,
the two nations were engaged in as bloody warfare with each other as
[each was] with us. From all these circumstances it seems that the
strongholds of the Hollanders were about to fall; and that, if at
that time it had been possible to go with a fleet to the Malucas,
a great exploit might have been performed. By this means, as wrote
the governor of Ternate, Lucas de Vergara Gabiria, everything might,
perhaps, have turned in our favor. But it was not possible to do this
as was desired.

As I informed you in my report of last year, two other galleons,
called "Leon Rojo" and "Fregelingas," had separated from the rest
of the fleet near the coast of Ilocos, a province of the island of
Manila, in order to plunder, to more advantage and with less risk, the
Chinese who were accustomed to steer for that coast. For this reason
they took no part in the naval battle. This was very fortunate for
them, since, without loss of men or of artillery, they plundered nine
[many--_V.d.A._ [9]] Chinese ships, laden with very valuable silks
which the Chinese were bringing here to the city of Manila. When these
learned of the destruction of their fleet, they made haste to return
to Japon, where they arrived on the seventh of July, 617. On the way
they overtook two Chinese ships loaded with silks. They captured them,
and, as their own were full of the plunder that they had taken, they
put seven men as a guard on each of the Chinese ships and took them
thus to Japon. When in sight of Japon the ships were driven by a storm,
and one of the Chinese vessels was separated from the other and from
the two of the Hollanders. It made port in the kingdom of Satsuma. But
the authorities of this place, learning that the ship was a captive,
and disapproving of a thing so foreign to civilized intercourse, would
not consent that they should remain in the port longer than four days,
at the end of which time they forced them to leave. During these four
days the Chinese who came in the ships, about thirty-four in number,
went ashore and secretly bought some catanas, arms peculiar to Japon
and not very different from cutlasses. With these they embarked for
Firando, another kingdom of Japon. One night they suddenly fell upon
the Hollanders [the seven who guarded the ship], and, in spite of
their resistance, they beheaded them and threw them into the sea. The
Chinese then loaded all their goods upon little fishing boats that
they had provided for the purpose, and setting fire to their ship,
fled with their property in different directions. In all of this
they were very diligent and discreet. If they had not been so, the
Hollanders who reside in that kingdom undoubtedly would have taken
the ship away from them by legal process, because (as we shall see
later) the Hollanders have things much to their liking at the court
of the emperor.

The two galleons, "Leon Rojo" and "Fregelingas," and the other Chinese
ship, of which I spoke, arrived at Cochi [Kochi], a port of the
island of Firando, one league from the port and city of Firando. [10]
Here they began in great haste to unload the galleon, "Leon Rojo,"
with the purpose of going to look out for the ship of Macan. The
Portuguese who reside in Nangasaqui, learning of this design, went
to the governor of that city to complain of what the Hollanders were
planning. He sent them at once to the Jeno [11] of Firando with an
order by which the Jeno was commanded not to allow any Dutch ship to go
out in search of the ship of Macan commanded by the Portuguese. This
precaution, however, was unnecessary, because our Lord prevented,
by other means, the accomplishment of their purpose. On the day of
the blessed apostles St. Peter and St. Paul, a furious storm overtook
them while they were in the port of Cochi. The "Leon Rojo" ran aground
and filled with water; the "Fregelingas," through loss of mainmast
and rigging, was badly shattered. The Chinese ship also ran aground,
and silks of great value were injured by water. With infinite labor
and expense they hauled off the "Leon Rojo," and, as best they could,
they took it to the port of Firando. They were compelled, however,
to give it up and leave it here for lost, because the leak was so
great that it was impossible to stop it. They took the "Fregelingas"
also to Firando, where they quickly repaired it.

There remains to be told the fate of another ship, called the "Sol
Viejo" ["Old Sun"], that fled from the battle of last year and was
confidently believed to have foundered in the sea. In it, however, the
Dutch general, Juan Rodriguez Lam, [12] escaped. With only eighty men,
who remained with him, he crossed to the coast of Camboja, and went
to the port of Champan [Champa _V.d.A._] in order to repair the damage
that the ship had sustained here in the Felipinas. They were not able
to go, as they wished, from there to Patam, where they had a factory,
because the vendavals, which were contrary, had now arisen. Therefore,
they were forced to put into Japon at the port of Nangasaqui,
where they entered with two other ships of theirs. One of these, the
"Leon Negro" ["Black Lion"], carried one hundred and fifty-five men,
and twenty-eight pieces of artillery, all of cast iron; the other,
the "Galeaca," carried ninety-five men and twenty-four pieces of
artillery. The Dutch general had met these two ships on their way
from Bantan, where the Hollanders had another factory. The "Leon
Negro" and the "Galeaca" had captured three Chinese vessels that were
going to Bantan to trade with the Hollanders. To save the Chinese the
trouble, the Hollanders had loaded all the goods of the Chinese upon
their own ships, thus taking from them the great wealth of silk they
were carrying, and leaving them only the hulks of the ships. [_In
the margin_: "Not the least compensation was made for such great
injustice and injury."] Sailing, then, by way of Hermosa Island, these
two ships had sighted the "Sol Viejo;" and, thinking that it was the
ship of Macan, they were much rejoiced, and prepared to seize it. When
they came a little nearer, however, they discovered that it was the
"Sol Viejo," in which was their own general, who had fled routed from
the naval battle that took place in these islands. Distressed at the
bad news [of their defeat in this battle], they together [with the
"Sol Viejo"] directed their course to Nangasaqui, where they made
port the first of July, 617. While these three ships were anchored
within the bar of this port, news arrived that the ship of Macan
was eight or ten leguas at sea. The governor of Nangasaqui prepared
and sent a message to the Portuguese to the effect that they could
enter the port without any fear whatever of the Hollanders. But,
not considering this safe, they withdrew to another port near by,
where they felt more secure. When the governor saw that, on account
of the Hollanders, the ship did not enter his port, he commanded
that notice be given to the Hollanders, in the name of the emperor,
that they should go at once to their port of Firando, which had been
assigned to them for trade with Japon. They disregarded this command
and replied that they had come to Japon with no other purpose than to
look for that ship, which they must take without fail. The governor
responded with a second notification, and so they thought it best to
leave unobstructed the entrance to Nangasaqui, and to go to Firando,
where they joined five Dutch vessels--including the "Leon Rojo,"
which had been abandoned.

As has been ascertained, these heretics plundered on the coast of
Manila eighteen Chinese ships, besides the two which on their return
to Japon they [the "Leon Rojo" and the "Fregelingas"] had carried
with them as they were, loaded, and the three which the ships coming
from Bantan [the "Leon Negro" and the "Galeaca"] had despoiled. This
robbery caused much commotion in Japon. The brother of the ruler of
Firando governed that state at this time, because of the absence of
the latter, who had gone to court. He accordingly placed guards upon
the Dutch ships as soon as they arrived, and commanded that no one
should go to them or buy anything from them until the emperor should
know of their arrival, which he reported immediately. The Hollanders,
paying no attention to these orders, began to unload their cloth
until they filled the warehouses of their factory, leaving the
surplus in the ships. Much of this cloth was wet, because, as I
said above, their vessels [the "Leon Rojo" and the "Fregelingas"]
and that of the Chinese had been shipwrecked. As this was the rainy
season, it was impossible to dry it; and thus, to their great sorrow,
much was lost. They secretly sold everything that they could before
there should come from the court any order that might be to their
disadvantage. They made a large sum of money, and then in all haste
they loaded a great number of the boxes of silk upon the "Leon Negro,"
which they put in readiness for whatever might happen. They then
despatched their messengers to Macao [_sc_. Meaco], the court of the
emperor, to whom they presented four fine pieces of bronze artillery,
which he prized very highly. They sent also thirty thousand taes
of silver, each one equal in weight to ten Spanish reals, and many
pieces of various kinds of silk, with which they gained the good
will of the emperor and of the courtiers upon whom their prosperity
and security in Japon depended. As a result of this, they were soon
very successful in their negotiations, at which they were greatly
pleased; for they were given permission to sell their spoils in the
kingdom of Japon to whom and wherever they pleased, since they said
that the Spaniards were their enemies and that the Chinese were going
to trade with them [the Spaniards]. With the matter thus arranged,
they returned to Firando, and, as they found themselves in such favor,
the first thing that they did was to take back from the poor Chinese
the hulk of the ship and some cloth of little value, which they had
given them because they had feared that they might not be successful
at court. And they did this in spite of the fact that the Chinese,
with their good industry and hard labor, had drawn from the water
the ship, which, as has been said, was stranded and submerged. The
Hollanders carried this spoliation to such an extent that they took
their very clothes from their bodies.

Having completed this very successful exploit, on the fifteenth of
October they despatched for Holanda the "Leon Negro" with sixteen
hundred boxes of changeable silk. Each box contained two picos of
silk (each pico equals five arrobas); besides this, they shipped
three hundred fardos of black and white mantas--all of which will
yield a great sum of money, if it reaches its destination. In the ship
"Fregelingas" the Dutch general returned to the strongholds of Maluco;
he carried with him a great quantity of timber to repair other ships,
and many provisions and munitions to supply their fortresses. The
other two ships, the "Sol Viejo" and the "Galeaca," warned us that
they intended to come to the coast of Manila about April, in order to
plunder at once the ships which come to this city at that season. This
has really happened, because for almost two months two Dutch ships have
been in the place [13] [where they seized the ships from China. This
has caused much apprehension in this city--_V.d.A._] which last year
furnished so powerful a fleet; for then it had galleons with which
to defend itself. Now it has none, because six galleons were sent
to other islands in order that the injuries that they had received
in the late battle might be repaired. On the eleventh of October a
furious hurricane overtook the ships and, [since they had been pierced
by balls in the battle--_marginal note in MS.; also in V.d.A_.] they
parted in the middle and sank in the sea. The twenty-four pieces of
artillery which the galleons carried--four in each galleon--were lost
with the ships. They were, however, neither very large nor of much
value. Most of the people escaped by swimming, or upon some rafts;
but as many as four hundred persons, including Spaniards, Indians,
and Chinese, were drowned. And some of those who had escaped from the
storm by means of the rafts perished from hunger out at sea, after the
storm subsided. In this event the justice of God was evident, because
it is said that that many had embarked upon these galleons with their
concubines, purposely to live with them in the holds of the ships,
without fear of either God or man; therefore our Lord permitted men and
galleons to run aground. [Not only was the city deprived of these six
ships, but] it must be added the information received from his Majesty
that the fleet of galleons formed in Cadiz to come here, by way of the
cape of Buena Esperanca, had been sent toward Saboya [_i.e._, Savoy]
to impede the expedition of Count Mauricio to that dukedom. This city,
seeing itself thus deprived of the forces that it had and of those
that it expected, resolved at once to build six galleons and some
galleys; this they are doing with all speed. But as these ships have
not yet been finished (and cannot be very soon) they were worthless
to oppose these two Dutch vessels that have been along the coast of
Ilocos, a province of the island of Manila, and have plundered at will
everything within their reach. According to some, they have despoiled
of silks and other merchandise twelve or thirteen ships. Thus only
the smallest number escaped falling into their hands, and then only
by the merest chance. However, on the night of the eighteenth of May,
the Dutch ships were in danger of shipwreck. There arose a strong wind,
a vendaval, which obliged them to take care of their own ships and to
release the Chinese vessels that they had with them. Four of these,
delighted at this good opportunity, resolved to flee, and as the
winds were favorable, they set out on the return voyage to China.

The Dutch carried on this pillaging with little risk, and without fear,
because they had learned, through some prisoners who had escaped, of
the loss of our galleons. With these spoils they returned, I think, to
Japon, where they will again be received as they were last year. And
the worst of it is that they will delight in coming [every year to
inflict as much more damage; and therefore the Chinese will not dare
to come--_V.d.A._] to this city with their ships, and commerce will
cease. Everything will then be lost, because the prosperity of these
islands depends solely upon trade with China. May God prevent this
with his powerful hand.

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