Your Majesty’s loyal servant, who kisses your royal hands,

Don Martin Enriquez

[Superscription:  “To His Royal Catholic Majesty, King Philipe our sovereign, in his Royal Council of the Indies.”]

Documents of 1574

Letter to Felipe II.  Andres de Mirandaola; January 8 [74]Las nuevas quescriven de las yslas del Poniente Hernando Riquel y otros; January 11 Decrees regarding Manila and Luzon.  Felipe II; June 21 Opinion regarding tribute from the Indians.  Martin de Rada; June 21 Reply to Fray Rada’s “Opinion.”  Guido de Lavezaris, and others; [June?] Two letters to Felipe II.  Guido de Lavezaris; July 17 and 30 Slavery among the natives.  Guido de Lavezaris; [July?]

Sources:  The second of these documents is from a MS. in the archives at Simancas; the third, from Doc. ined.  Amer. y Oceania; the remainder, from the Archivo general de Indias at Sevilla.

Translations:  The second document is translated by Jose M. Asensio; the third, by Frederic W. Morrison; the sixth, by Alfonso de Salvio; the remainder, by Arthur B. Myrick.

Letter from Andres de Mirandaola to Felipe II

11.  The [75] mines of which we have been informed, and which have been seen thus far are those of Masbad, which are good, from the rivers of which it is said to be taken.  Much gold is found in the island of Vindanao, in the districts of Butuan, Curigao, and Parasao.  It is said that much gold is mined there and that it is the loftiest of all these islands.  In the island of Luzon, where we are at present, are the following mines and rivers:  In Patro there are mines, as well as in Bondo and Pacorago, and in Malabago, in the district of Galvan.  There are mines likewise in the province of Ylocos, in the neighborhoods of Balatao, Turrey, Alingay, and Dinglas.  These are very rich mines from which, it is said, much gold is extracted, and that there are many metals and rivers which have not been examined.  On the other coast there are also mines, which are called those of Paracali, and a river is near by; from there much fine gold is taken out.  In other parts there are more mines, which will yield a great deal of gold throughout, if Spaniards operate and work them. [76]

12.  The kinds of gold that are found among the natives of the city and vicinity of Manila are:  Bizlin, which is worth two pesos a tael.  The weight of a tael is one and one-eighth ounces.  The second kind is Malubay, and the third is Linguinguin.  These are the kinds of gold with which the natives trade and barter.  The Malubay gold is worth the same as the Bizlin.  The Linguinguin gold is worth four pesos.  There is another kind of gold which the Spaniards call orejera [earring], which is worth five pesos.  The Indians call it panica.  There is another finer sort of gold which they call ylapo and another which they call guinuguran.  From what I have heard this last is the standard, because in assay it is equal to the wrought gold of Spanish jewelry.  All these fine golds in the possession of the natives are never used by them except for some marriage or other important affair.  For goods for which they trade and barter, they use Malubay and Bizlin and Linguinguin.