The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898

The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, V7,
1588-1591, by Emma Helen Blair This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net
Title: The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, V7, 1588-1591
Author: Emma Helen Blair
Release Date: October 11, 2004 [EBook #13701]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898
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
Volume VII, 1588-1591

Edited and annotated by Emma Helen Blair and James Alexander Robertson with historical introduction and additional notes by Edward Gaylord Bourne.

Contents of Volume VII

Preface ... 9 Documents of 1588
Relation of the Philipinas Islands. Domingo de Salazar, and others; Manila, 1586-88 ... 29 Letter to Felipe II. Santiago de Vera, and others; Manila, June 26 ... 52 Letter to Felipe II. Domingo de Salazar; Manila, June 27 ... 64
Documents of 1589
Excerpt from a letter from the viceroy of India. Manuel de Sousa Coutinho; Goa, April 3 ... 79 Letter to Felipe II. Santiago de Vera; Manila, June 13 ... 83 Conspiracy against the Spaniards. Santiago de Vera, and others; Manila, May-July ... 95 Letter to Felipe II. [Gaspar] de Ayala; Manila, July 15 ... 112 Decree regarding commerce. Felipe II; San Lorenzo, August 9 ... 137 Instructions to Gomez Perez Dasmari?as. Felipe II; San Lorenzo, August 9 ... 141 Customs of the Tagalogs (two relations). Juan de Plasencia, O.S.F.; Manila, October 21 ... 173
Documents of 1590
Letter from Portugal to Felipe II. [Lisboa?] ... 199 Decree ordering a grant to Salazar. Felipe II; Madrid, April 12 ... 205 Letter from members of the suppressed Audiencia to Felipe II. Santiago de Vera, and others; Manila, June 20 ... 208 The Chinese and the Pari��n at Manila. Domingo de Salazar; Manila, June 24 ... 212 Two letters to Felipe II. Domingo de Salazar; Manila, June 24 ... 239 Decree regulating commerce. Felipe II; San Lorenzo, July 23 ... 262
The collection of tributes in the Filipinas Islands. Domingo de Salazar, and others; Manila, 1591 ... 265 Bibliographical Data ... 319

Illustrations

Autograph signature of Doctor Santiago de Vera; photographic facsimile from MS. in Archivo general de Indias, Sevilla ... 61 Autograph signature of Juan de Plasencia, O.S.F.; photographic facsimile from MS. in Archivo general de Indias, Sevilla ... 187

Preface
Important events and changes occur during the four years included in the scope of this volume. The Audiencia is suppressed, and in its place is sent a royal governor; the instructions given to him embody many of the reforms demanded by the people through their envoy S��nchez. Extensive and dangerous conspiracies among the natives against the Spaniards are discovered, and severely punished. Trade between Nueva Espa?a and China is beginning, and seems to menace the welfare of the Philippine colony. A large immigration of Chinese to the islands has set in, and is already seriously affecting economic interests there. The city of Manila, recently destroyed by fire, is being rebuilt, this time mainly with brick and stone. As usual, there is much friction between the ecclesiastical and secular authorities, largely concerning the collection of tributes from the Indians; the most prominent figure in these contentions is the aged but fiery bishop, Salazar.
Shortly after the Jesuit S��nchez had gone to Spain as envoy of the Philippine colonists, a document was prepared (December 31, 1586), by order of the Manila cabildo, to be sent to him for use at the Spanish court. As this was lost on the "Santa Ana," and as Bishop Salazar regards the supply of missionaries in the islands as very inadequate, he applies (June 3, 1588) to the cabildo for another copy of such part of this document as relates to the religious needs of the natives. This he sends (June 25) to the royal Council of the Indias, with considerable additions regarding certain islands not mentioned in the cabildo's memorial. This document gives much interesting information, not only on religious matters, but on the social and economic conditions of both Spaniards and natives in the islands. In each island or province are enumerated the population, both native and Spanish; the number of Spanish troops, also of encomiendas and tributarios; the number of convents and their inmates; the religious and ecclesiastics, not only those resident, but those needed among the natives; the officials employed by the government; the Chinese immigrants and their occupations; the articles