The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 11 of 55: 1599-1602; 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 11 of 55: 1599-1602; 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
Likewise there results another very great injury to these regions,
because, the said ship of the enemy having escaped, they carry with
them an excellent knowledge of these regions and of the sailing-routes;
for day by day they record in writing their bearings, and the courses
by which they have navigated. There is a society which has been formed
in Olanda and other states, for the destruction of these regions,
according to the account which all the enemies who were captured alive
agreed in. Five great galleons for this purpose were being built here,
so that if any of those ships should come from there the Spaniards
might sally out with more force.
We are sending your Majesty a copy of an information in this matter
which was secured by your Majesty's fiscal with great secrecy, before
the licentiate Almacan, auditor of this royal Audiencia. There
is likewise a testimonial concerning the arms, military stores,
artillery, and troops taken by the said Doctor Morga, in his flagship
against that of the enemy; of the troops, not more than fifty-six
people in all came back. There is another to the effect that on the
morning of the day when the enemy were discovered the commander sent
to the admiral fourteen of the twenty-seven that he had. There are
some documents, drawn up at the petition of the said Doctor Morga,
concerning the artillery and other articles which he caused to be given
to the third ship that he was to take with him. On account of his not
waiting for this two hours, and not being willing to assign it men,
the misfortune came about by which, as he confesses in his petition,
two hundred persons escaped; whereas it is known that the dead of the
Spaniards alone amounted to more than a hundred and twenty, so that,
according to this, he took five or six men with him for every enemy.
He has drawn up a number of informations which, considering the dignity
and power of his office, may obscure this truth and give some color to
his case, as he is confident that it has done--and as he has likewise
done in other matters, as he has used such bold and excessive measures
ever since his arrival in this country. In this manner he has reached
such a point that he petitioned for justice because he, as commander,
had to divide the prize which he took in the enemy's captured ship,
and maintained that a great part of it belonged to him. Afterward,
by another petition he says that, as a vassal and servant of your
Majesty, he relinquishes the part which falls to him and gives it
to your Majesty, so that a share of what was taken may be given to
him. A copy of these petitions is being sent, which makes this evident.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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