For the stone fort to be provided with artillery according to its plan and embrasures, it is necessary to have twenty-five pieces, three of them heavy, and twelve sacres and half-sacres.

The cavalier of the beach needs five pieces, two of them heavy, and three sacres.

That at the point of the sea and the river needs six pieces—­some sacres, and two swivel-guns.

For the service of the ships and galleys there are needed four cannon, six swivel-guns, six sacres, six half-sacres, and some small culverins.  Thus sixty pieces in all are necessary to provide the city well with artillery for defense, as well as for the galleys and ships of the fleet, and for the succor and pacification of all these islands.  There are only twenty-four needed, for there are now thirty-six.  In the shipyard there are now four sacres of twenty-two quintals’ weight, two of which have been cast, and the other two are about to be cast.  This class of arms is the best and most important for this land these and the swivel-guns.  This artillery could be provided, and much more be made, for other of your Majesty’s strongholds in these islands and the Yndias, should your Majesty be pleased to have six or eight thousand pesos sent annually from Mexico so that the metal could be bought at Macao in China, as it is very plentiful and cheap there.

According to the commission of your Majesty, I have proceeded against the royal officials in regard to their traffic and trade in merchandise.  By the convictions of guilt which have resulted from the investigations and process of law, I have condemned the guilty to pay fines to the exchequer.  There seems to have been no traffic with funds in the royal exchequer; or, if there were any, no damage or injury to it has resulted.  I am sending the testimony of the sentences and proceedings to your Majesty’s royal Council, where your Majesty will order their examination, if such is your pleasure.  May God guard the Catholic person of your Majesty.  Manila, June twenty-sixth, of the year 1588.

The licentiate Santiago de Vera

[Endorsed:  “Examined, with the other letter.”]

Letter from Domingo de Salazar to Felipe II

Sire: 

In a letter which your Majesty had written to me from Madrid, on the eleventh of January of the year 87, I see the reprimand which your Majesty gives me, on account of information that you had received that, on certain occasions which had arisen, I had had controversies with the royal Audiencia here; also that this has finally resulted in scandal and comment in the town, and that there was fault on both sides.  I receive this reprimand as from my king and lord, but, although it comes from him, it is very serious and is sufficient to cause much pain; nevertheless, I have not allowed myself to feel hurt, since your Majesty judges according to the information that you have received.  He