The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 16 of 55: 1609; 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 16 of 55: 1609; 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
21. If any chiefs wrangled over their cultivated lands, they came
before the other chiefs of the village; and these tried them, and
received testimony orally from both sides, under oath, according to
their usage--which was sweating by the crocodile, the sun, the moon,
and many other things by which they swore. In conformity with the
evidence of each one, the suit between the said chiefs was decided;
and if either one of them refused to comply with the sentence, all the
chiefs together compelled him to observe it. This order was adhered
to in this matter.
22. All the aforesaid information I have endeavored to procure from
the oldest inhabitants of this province, and from all the priors of
the province. If it be not set forth in a style as good as I ought
to use, I beg your Lordship to pardon its defects, for the sake of
my good will, etc.
NOTES
[1] Following in a translation of the title-page of the other
edition of Morga's work, which shows that a second edition of the
_Sucesos_ was published in the same year as was the first. A reduced
facsimile of this title-page--from the facsimile reproduction in
the Zaragoza edition (Madrid, 1887)--forms the frontispiece to the
present volume. It reads thus: "Events in the Philipinas Islands:
addressed to Don Christoval Gomez de Sandoval y Rojas, duke de Cea,
by Doctor Antonio de Morga, alcalde of criminal causes in the royal
Audiencia of Nueva Espana, and consultor for the Holy Office of the
Inquisition. At Mexico in the Indias, in the year 1609." In the lower
left-hand corner of the engraved title appears the engraver's name:
"Samuel Estradanus, of Antwerp, made this."
[2] The month is omitted in the text.--_Stanley_.
[3] Fray Diego Bermeo, a native of Toledo, became a Franciscan
friar; and in 1580 went to Mexico, and three years later to the
Philippines. After spending many years as a missionary in Luzon and
Mindoro, he was elected provincial of his order in the islands (in
1599, and again in 1608). Going to Japan as commissary provincial--in
1603, according to Morga, but 1604 as given by Huerta (_Estado_,
p. 446)--he was obliged by severe illness to return to Manila; he
died there on December 12, 1609.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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