The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 25 of 55: 1635-36; 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 25 of 55: 1635-36; 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
it resulted that the said Audiencia ordered the said Portuguese who
was commander of the said ship to be arrested. That was done, and the
latter was a prisoner for many days in the houses of the city council,
until at the end of some time he was freed, without any one knowing
in what condition the said case remained.
The fourteenth is, the long experience that we have of the injuries
that have been committed on the Castilians who have gone from this city
to the said city of Macan in the Portuguese ships, with some money
which they have taken to invest and with which to pay their passage
and the freight on their investments. Having reached the said city of
Macan they are arrested, and the said money is sequestered. Some who
have escaped this harsh treatment have taken refuge in churches, and
have at last embarked, fortunate to be at liberty with their money,
in order to return to this city. Having gone through those kingdoms
and experienced the delay of the long time during which they have been
suffering this molestation, and the others who, as aforesaid, have
escaped it by availing themselves of the said churches, these have
employed their capital in buying the merchandise of the Portuguese
of that city--and always at so high prices that, from one hand to
another, the Portuguese gain twenty-five or thirty per cent with
our people. For no lesser rate was open to the latter, in order to
redeem themselves from the injury inflicted on them, of little or no
liberty; while the Portuguese have so much freedom in this said city,
as has been and is seen, as I have already stated. Consequently, what
our people have brought from that city has always been too dear, by
reason of the aforesaid profit which the said Portuguese have made of
it. They, not content with this, have (as is well known also), whenever
opportunity has arisen to send any ship of his Majesty from this city
to bring back at his royal account military supplies for the provision
of the royal magazines, refused to let these be bought by the hands of
those who have the matter in charge, but [insist that it be] by those
of inhabitants of Macan. Thus they make use of what goods they have,
and sell them at the prices which they choose. That has always resulted
in great loss to the royal treasury, which is sufficiently notorious,
because it has been said openly by all who have gone from here for that
purpose. Such comment has not been less, even though many citizens of
this city are so patiently enduring such injustice; for, these having
delivered their goods to the said Portuguese that they might take
them hence to the said city of Macan and invest them, and bring them
back or send them the proceeds, the Portuguese have kept the goods,
and have not thus far made any return to our people. For that reason
those who sent the goods have been completely ruined by such great
losses, which in their total amount to a very large sum. With that,
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