The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898: Volume 48, 1751-1765: 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 48, 1751-1765: 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
10. This fraud only the traders of Manila thoroughly understand,
because they see it every year; the traders of Cadiz would be
equally aware of it if they carried on commerce in the empire of
China, as the foreigners do. They would also discover in the same
way numberless small wares of Canton make which are sold in España
as made in Londres and Paris, as is the case with the snuff-boxes
of all kinds, whether gold or silver, or of tortoise-shell or other
material; with lace-bobbins [palillos] of mother-of-pearl, ornamented
with gold, and those of finely lacquered or varnished work, painted;
and with various other curious articles of mother-of-pearl, ivory, etc.
11. All of these desirable articles, and many more, could be obtained
by our ships, if they came via the Cape of Good Hope to these islands,
which are on the route to Canton. At Cadiz they could take on cargoes
of woolen stuffs, which here are used for riding caps and coats,
[148] liveries, and in China for outer garments, as I have said;
Brussels camlets, which both here and in that country are greatly
used; wines (and thus the Swedes, who carry it from Cadiz to Canton,
and the Dutch and the English--all of whom carry away our money,
and make us pay sometimes a peso fuerte for a single bottle of red
wine, and for that of Xeres--would be deprived of this [source of]
profit); hats, which the foreigners sell to us at high prices;
silk hose and thread under-stockings; mirrors; crystal chandeliers;
branched candlesticks, and lanterns; vases, cups, and other kinds of
glassware; European paper; thread for sewing; britannia linens, fabrics
from Cambray, etc. (which are brought at much cost from Batavia);
silver and gold galloons and laces, which also the Dutch sell (and
would to Heaven that the great extravagance of Manila in this respect
might be prohibited!); and numerous other articles, which persons who
have a practical acquaintance with commerce can name better than I,
and which, if used, would be recognized as highly beneficial.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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