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The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898; Volume 47, 1728-1759: 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 47, 1728-1759: 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

[Title-page:] Relation in which, by order of his Catholic Majesty
(may God keep him) are set forth the towns, castles, forts, and
military posts of the provinces subject to his royal dominion in
the Philipinas islands. With sketches of their plans and detailed
accounts of the supplies, soldiers, wages, rations, and ammunition,
required to maintain them; the annual amount of these, and the product
of the incomes and amounts set aside for them from which they are
obtained. All these provinces are described, with information not
only of essential but of curious matters, with a summary of what
they yield for the royal treasury; an account of it is given, with
a general résumé of the fixed income and charges of the treasury,
drawn up by the field marshal, Don Fernando Valdés Tamón, in whose
charge is the government of these islands. In the year 1739. [4]





BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE CITY OF MANILA

The island of Luzon (it is also called Nueva Castilla) is the largest
of all those which submit to the Catholic crown in this Philippine
archipelago. Its figure is that of an arm somewhat doubled, and
the latest observations give it three hundred and fifty leguas of
circumference, and two hundred leguas of length. Its width cannot be
accurately stated, because the land is in some places broad and in
others narrow, although it is known that it is longer from the elbow
to the shoulder, and in that distance it is noticed that the greatest
width is forty-three leguas; and it is about twenty-two leguas from the
elbow to the hand of this imaginary arm. In this remotest part, then,
of the Spanish domain, in 14° 48' of northern latitude and 158° 38'
of eastern longitude, is situated Manila, [5] nearly in the middle of
its mainland, in the region of the elbow of its [imaginary] figure;
and there, as being the capital of all the Spanish possessions in
the Philipinas Islands, resides permanently the royal Audiencia
with its president the captain-general, the archiepiscopal see,
and other tribunals. The number of citizens who distinguish the city
is astonishingly small; these are the Spaniards who live within the
walls, and in the wards of Binondoc and Santa Cruz, which adjoin it;
and although in these places there is an astonishing number of people,
I have the idea that they are a contemptible rabble, excepting the
small number of the Spaniards. It was June 24, 1571, when Manila was
founded, and it recognizes as its founder the adelantado Miguel Lopez
de Legazpi--a hero in truth, worthy of the greatest praises for the
bravery, judgment, and good fortune by which he was distinguished in
these conquests.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

History

The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898; Volume 47, 1728-1759: 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

[Title-page:] Relation in which, by order of his Catholic Majesty
(may God keep him) are set forth the towns, castles, forts, and
military posts of the provinces subject to his royal dominion in
the Philipinas islands. With sketches of their plans and detailed
accounts of the supplies, soldiers, wages, rations, and ammunition,
required to maintain them; the annual amount of these, and the product
of the incomes and amounts set aside for them from which they are
obtained. All these provinces are described, with information not
only of essential but of curious matters, with a summary of what
they yield for the royal treasury; an account of it is given, with
a general résumé of the fixed income and charges of the treasury,
drawn up by the field marshal, Don Fernando Valdés Tamón, in whose
charge is the government of these islands. In the year 1739. [4]





BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE CITY OF MANILA

The island of Luzon (it is also called Nueva Castilla) is the largest
of all those which submit to the Catholic crown in this Philippine
archipelago. Its figure is that of an arm somewhat doubled, and
the latest observations give it three hundred and fifty leguas of
circumference, and two hundred leguas of length. Its width cannot be
accurately stated, because the land is in some places broad and in
others narrow, although it is known that it is longer from the elbow
to the shoulder, and in that distance it is noticed that the greatest
width is forty-three leguas; and it is about twenty-two leguas from the
elbow to the hand of this imaginary arm. In this remotest part, then,
of the Spanish domain, in 14° 48' of northern latitude and 158° 38'
of eastern longitude, is situated Manila, [5] nearly in the middle of
its mainland, in the region of the elbow of its [imaginary] figure;
and there, as being the capital of all the Spanish possessions in
the Philipinas Islands, resides permanently the royal Audiencia
with its president the captain-general, the archiepiscopal see,
and other tribunals. The number of citizens who distinguish the city
is astonishingly small; these are the Spaniards who live within the
walls, and in the wards of Binondoc and Santa Cruz, which adjoin it;
and although in these places there is an astonishing number of people,
I have the idea that they are a contemptible rabble, excepting the
small number of the Spaniards. It was June 24, 1571, when Manila was
founded, and it recognizes as its founder the adelantado Miguel Lopez
de Legazpi--a hero in truth, worthy of the greatest praises for the
bravery, judgment, and good fortune by which he was distinguished in
these conquests.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

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