poultry.  Provision is made for the aid of certain slaves in Pampanga.  Another act makes regulations for the supply of provisions in the city of Manila.  Buffalo meat shall be provided by contract with Indian hunters.  The natives and Sangleys shall be obliged to raise fowls and swine.  The Indians must carry their provisions to the city for sale; and for meat, fowls, and some other articles the prices are fixed by the authorities.  The natives about Manila protest against being compelled to furnish supplies to the city; and the Audiencia therefore enacts that this responsibility shall be divided among the various districts, each being assigned a period of two or three months therefor.  Residencias of regidors shall be taken every two months.  Various reports are to be sent to the king and his Council.

The remainder of the ordinances contained in this document will be presented in Vol.  XI.

The Editors December, 1903.

Documents of 1597

    Letter to Felipe ii.  Antonio de Morga; June 30. 
    Administration of the hospital at Manila.  L.P.  Dasmarinas; July 20. 
    Letters to Felipe ii.  Francisco Tello; April 29-August 12.

Source:  All these documents are obtained from original MSS. in the Archivo general de Indias, Sevilla.

Translations:  The first two documents are translated by Henry B. Lathrop, of the University of Wisconsin; the third, by Arthur B. Myrick, of Harvard University, except the second letter, which is by Consuelo A. Davidson.

Letter from Antonio de Morga to Felipe II

Sire: 

At the end of April of the current year I sent your Majesty an account of the state of affairs in these islands, a duplicate whereof is enclosed.  I have only to add that some days after I returned to this city, the ship “San Felipe” which left this city in July, 96, was carried by several storms to the coast of Japan, entered the port of Hurando, and was lost there; and the emperor of that country, Taycosama, covetous of the treasure with which it was laden, took it all.  The men of the ship and the passengers have come in other vessels.  At the same time the said tyrant caused to be crucified in Nangasaqui six barefoot friars of the Order of St. Francis, of the number of those who were there from these islands [1].  He has also crucified eighteen native Japanese Christians of their following.  Fuller accounts of the matter will be sent your Majesty by the reports thereon to be written by the governor.  So far as I can learn, the said king of Japan is a proud and covetous barbarian, who does not keep his word or observe the peace that he promises.  As for the Portuguese present in those islands, they desire to see us ousted from there, and have done us no kindness in the affair of the said ship.  The religious had as little assistance in what was