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
This is as indispensable and needful as the matter of the pay and
means of profit, and even more so; for if this be not done, it will
be and serve for nothing else than to waste your Majesty's royal
estate, without any results for the expense--namely, the colonization,
increase, and defense of this country. Rather the very opposite in a
certain way results; and to say so is no exaggeration, but truth. For
they arrive at Cavite after a three months' voyage, and without a
_blanca_ [9] in a new land, which is much less comfortable than Mexico,
which they have left. Then in the space of nineteen months they receive
not one real of pay or remuneration, until after they have served
out the one hundred and fifteen pesos. This causes them to suffer
such want and wretchedness that I can not tell it. So many evils and
wrongs are caused that is a pity and shame to recount them. The result
is that their need abases and lowers (or rather forces) many of them
to commit thefts and other misdemeanors as bad, and worse, which I
shall not name out of the respect due your Majesty. They also marry
the Indian women, so that the latter may supply their necessities;
but the Indian women themselves do not possess those things. And
most usually there is great danger and risk of offenses against God,
and of the discrediting of the Spanish name and nation.
One other great harm follows from the above, and it is of great
moment. This is the slight credit and little esteem accorded to
the soldiers by these Sangleys, Japanese, and other peoples--and,
consequently or jointly with them, by ourselves--since they behold
them naked, ill clad, and worse conducted. The behavior of some,
as I have said, is of such a nature that out of respect I shall not
name their vices; but their actions and manners are a cause for sorrow.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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