The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 19 of 55: 1620-1621; 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 19 of 55: 1620-1621; 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
The affairs of that kingdom are in such disorder, and move in so
irregular channels, that people ask for an inspector to reform and
adjust them and put everything in its place, redressing injuries and
punishing wrong-doing. The country is much in need of this; but that
it may not be like the frogs who asked Jupiter for a king, and were
given one that devoured them, it will be best for your Majesty to
appoint some one from that country, who, through his great experience
and knowledge, cannot be deceived, and knows what must be reformed, and
who is possessed as well of the prudence and tact which are necessary
in such a new country. And on the other hand, on account of the risks
which exist in sending anyone from here who does not understand the
affairs and conditions which must be remedied, and knows not how to
proceed, it would be wiser to send no one, on account of the danger
which exists of ruining the city.
_Item_: The governor should not consent to Japanese living in that
country, as they are a great trouble and danger to the country,
and the city is continually in danger from them.
_Item_: The Chinese should be very carefully restricted, so that no
greater number of them than your Majesty has ordered be [allowed to
remain there]; for they are permitted [to enter the country] without
any exercise of caution, and we know by experience what this costs.
_Item_: Your Majesty should command the governor finally to reduce the
island of Mindanao to obedience to your Majesty; for those islands
are so infested that they hinder the carrying of reenforcements to
Maluco. And as they are in league with the Dutch, we have a perfect
right to make war upon them and subject them to slavery. All this is
easy for the governor if your Majesty command it, and is so necessary
for the security of your Majesty's vassals, as I intend to explain
to your Majesty more at length in a separate memorial.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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