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
History
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
Demarcation line of Alexander VI; Missions -- Philippines; Philippines -- Discovery and exploration; Philippines -- History -- Sources
From this great and evident wrong, follow others even greater;
for whatever of Christianity there is in Japon, and the beginning
which your Majesty has there is supported solely by the traffic of
the Portuguese of Macan with Japon. When Macan is lost, Japon is
destroyed. The other parts of India which have traffic in Chinese
goods, and in goods which are carried to España--such as porcelains,
silks, and chests--must lose very materially. The royal income of
your Majesty must be greatly diminished, because all the duties from
Chinese merchandise are collected in India. Then in conveying them to
Portogal and from thence to Castilla you must also lose, for all these
affairs are moved by but one wheel, namely, Macan. Not the slightest
doubt can be entertained of the destruction of Macan, if ships from
the Philipinas go to that port or to any other of China, unless it be
very far away from Macan. Even in the latter case, Macan must receive
serious damage. It will also be necessary for the Portuguese to fit
out ships and try to capture what vessel or vessels go there from
the Philipinas. That there will be war between us is not doubtful,
but certain.
If the Portuguese must receive these serious damages, greater injuries
must be suffered by the Philipinas and the unfortunate Castilians
who have settled them, sustained them with their blood, maintained
in them the faith of Jesus Christ, and fulfilled their duty to your
Majesty by means of the continual labors of themselves and their
descendants. If this is continued, the governor, the auditors, and
their followers will send their property to China, and have the ship
brought back full of merchandise for themselves alone; and consequently
will supply the cargoes for the ships which sail hence to Mexico. Thus
the poor vassals of your Majesty, who have nothing whereby to support
themselves or their poor children except in this traffic with Mexico,
must be left like poor Indians, only because the devilish avarice
of those persons sent by your Majesty to govern and care for this
land leads them to take for themselves all the profits thereof. At
present--with much honor to your Majesty's royal crown and to the
Spanish nation--the Chinese come with their goods to the Philipinas,
and each Spaniard may buy and export goods; although even of this
traffic, it is said commonly that there is nothing to be expected
except thunderbolts from heaven to punish what is done, if report
be true. But at last shame must check these injustices sometime,
and not permit them to be done so openly. But if vessels are sent
from here to China, the Chinese merchants will not come here, nor
will goods from China be brought here; and should such goods come,
the governor and auditors will export their own goods, depriving of
space those to whom all the exportation is granted, according to the
just and holy will of your Majesty.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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