Excerpt from a letter from the viceroy of India. [Manuel de Sousa Coutinho]; April 3.  Letter to Felipe II.  Santiago de Vera; July 13.  Conspiracy against the Spaniards.  Santiago de Vera, and others; May-July.  Letter to Felipe II. [Gaspar] de Ayala; July 15.  Decree regarding commerce.  Felipe II; August 9.  Instructions to Dasmarinas.  Felipe II; August 9.  Customs of the Tagalogs (two relations).  Juan de Plasencia, O.S.F.:  October 21.

Sources:  All but the fifth and the last of these documents are obtained from MSS. in the Archivo general de Indias.  The decree of August 9 is taken from the “Cedulario Indico” in the Archivo Historico Nacional, Madrid; and Plasencia’s accounts of the Tagalogs, from Santa Ines’s Cronica, ii, pp. 592-603.

Translations:  The first of these documents is translated by Arthur B. Myrick, of Harvard University; the second and fourth are by Jose M. and Clara M. Asensio; the third and fifth, by Alfonso de Salvio, of Harvard University; the sixth, by James A. Robertson; the seventh, by Frederic W. Morrison, of Harvard University.

Excerpt of a Letter from the Viceroy of India

One of the things that have seemed most surprising in Don Juan de Gama is the following.  When decrees were published by order of the viceroy; Don Duarte, [12] in your Majesty’s name, prohibiting navigation to China and Lucoens [Luzon], which he [Juan de Gama] as captain-general should have executed, he did the contrary.  Jheronimo Pereira, captain of the expedition to Japon, had already done likewise; thus those in authority, who were under obligation to execute your Majesty’s laws and commands, were the first to break them, to the great scandal of all.  Therefore, as soon as possible, I ordered a remedy for such disorders.  For this purpose I appointed certain chief magistrates, who excused themselves, either through fear of Don Juan or dread of the sea.  Things came to such a pass that, it was necessary to send by schooner, outside the monsoon season, the licentiate Ruy Machado who came from the kingdom this year, and who had been appointed to that auditorship; his adjutant was Ynacio Nunez de Mancelos, the captain of the said vessel.  The latter had a few soldiers, and is also to remain as captain of the city, since an order for the voyage will not have arrived from India.  I think that these two vessels will suffice in every respect for this matter, both to extend the voyage for Don Juan, and to quiet various disturbances arising in the country, on account of the navigation from Nueva Espana.  I also hope that everything will turn out well, and that your Majesty will bestow upon him great favor and honor for this service alone.  Among the despatches brought by the auditor is a decree ordering, the embarcation for India and Lucoens of all Castilians, both religious and secular, so that only the original Portuguese citizens shall remain in Machao.  That will do