There were also ghosts, which they called vibit; and phantoms, which they called Tigbalaang.  They had another deception—­namely, that if any woman died in childbirth, she and the child suffered punishment; and that, at night, she could be heard lamenting.  This was called patianac.  May the honor and glory be God our Lord’s, that among all the Tagalos not a trace of this is left; and that those who are now marrying do not even know what it is, thanks to the preaching of the holy gospel, which has banished it.

Documents of 1590

        Letter from Portugal to Felipe II. [Unsigned and undated.]
        Decree ordering a grant to Salazar.  Felipe II; April 12. 
        Letter from members of the suppressed Audiencia to Felipe
        II.  Santiago de Vera, and others; June 20. 
        The Chinese and the Parian at Manila.  Domingo de Salazar;
        June 24. 
        Two letters to Felipe II.  Domingo de Salazar; June 24. 
        Decree regarding commerce in the Philippines.  Felipe II;
        July 23.

Sources:  These documents are obtained from the original MSS. in the Archivo general de Indias, Sevilla—­except the fourth, which is taken from Retana’s Archivo del bibliofilo filipino, iii, pp. 47-80.

Translations:  The first document is translated by Arthur B. Myrick, of Harvard University; the second, third, and sixth, by James A. Robertson; the fourth, by Alfonso de Salvio, of Harvard University; the fifth, by Isaac J. Cox, of the University of Pennsylvania, and by Jose M. and Clara M. Asensio.

Letter from Portugal to Felipe II

After the king, our lord, succeeded to the crown of Portugal, there began to open a new commerce between the Philipinas Islands and the western Yndias belonging to the domain of Castilla and China, Maluco, Amboino, Banda, and other parts of the Portuguese conquest.  As soon as this was known in the eastern Yndias, the viceroys and governors thereof were continually writing to his Majesty, that from this new commerce many heavy injuries were sustained by his Majesty’s service, in regard to the preservation and support of that state of eastern Yndia, and the quiet of its inhabitants.

His Majesty after reading their letters and going over truthful reports of the great injury that the continuation of this new trade might cause, both to the crown of Castilla and to that of Portugal, resolved to prohibit anyone from going from the western Yndias to China, Maluco, Amboino, and Banda, and other places belonging to the crown of Portugal; or from the Eastern to the Western Yndias.  Decrees for this prohibition, signed by his Majesty and by the Portuguese ministers, were passed and sent to Yndia, where they were published and ordered to be observed under heavy penalties.  The same was to be done by the ministers of the crown of Castilla and certain memoranda of it were to be given.  We do not know whether this has been done yet.