Letter to Felipe ii.  Francisco de Sande; July 29, 1578.

    Indulgence to those who visit Franciscan churches;
    Gregory XIII; November 15, 1578.

Sources:  These documents are obtained from MSS. in the Archivo de Indias, Sevilla, excepting the papal decrees; the first of these is from Doc. ined., Amer. y Oceania, xxxiv, pp. 72-79, the second from the Cronica de la provincia de San Gregorio of Fray Francisco de Santa Ines (Manila, 1892), i, pp. 215, 216.

Translations:  The first document is translated by Rachel King; the second, by Jose M. Ascensio; the third and fifth, by Rev. T.C.  Middleton, O.S.A.; the fourth, by G.A.  England.

Relation of the Filipinas Islands

Royal Catholic Majesty: 

I sailed from the port of Acapulco, Nueva Espana, on the sixth of April of the year seventy-five, as I had previously informed your Majesty from that port.  On account of setting sail during the calms, we were delayed, so that it took us seventy-two days to reach the Ladrones.  There we filled our water-butts, and I took on board a large anchor that I found there that had belonged formerly to the flagship lost there by Ffelipe de Sauzedo; in the other ship we placed four small boat-loads of ballast.  All this detained us only a day and a half.  On nearing the cape of Spiritu Santo in Tandaya, one of the Philipinas, our progress was impeded by the vendaval, and our pilots also gave us considerable trouble, so that I arrived at Manilla on the twenty-fifth of August of the year seventy-five.  On that day I took possession of the office of governor and captain-general.

2.  Although your Majesty may know better than I the matters I am about to relate, still, like a country-man, I wish to speak, and to tell what I myself have experienced.  I am informed here that throughout the entire sea in these latitudes there are two general seasons.  During one, the dry season, the brisas, as they are called, blow from the southeast to the north, finally blowing directly from the north; while in the other, or wet season, the vendavales blow from northwest to south-southeast.  Thus, during these two seasons, the winds blow from every point of the compass.  For this reason it will be seen that coming from Nueva Espana, from the east toward this western region, the brisas would help; while the vendavales, especially the usual one, which is a south-westerly wind in the channels of these islands, would impede the progress of the ship.  These two general seasons begin in some years somewhat earlier than in others, and in some places before they do in others.  However, it is quite clear and evident that by the end of May and the middle of June, the vendaval begins here from the west (and I believe that this is true of all the southern sea), and blows strongly night and day.  Now if for any reason it should cease for a moment it would only