a hundred and fifty thousand pesos has come of the citizens’ money, for all the islands, out of all the amount graciously allowed by your Majesty for this country, which amounts to five hundred thousand pesos; and that all the rest belongs to Peruvians or Mexicans.  The calamity is so great that for some of the residents of these islands their agents in Mexico bought licenses at a high price, so that they might send them their own money.  It is very certain that the viceroy of Mexico is not to blame for these things, as he is well known to be an excellent Christian; but some one or other is deceiving him, to the ruin of this community.

To all these troubles of ours is added another, which causes anxiety enough.  One of the Chinese who came here, a chair-maker and carpenter, returned to China.  He must be a man of courage and ambitious designs; for he went to the court of the king of China and, with others like himself, proposed to trouble our peace.  They found a man of note, who by birth inherits from his ancestors, in the succession due the eldest son, the right to be captain of the guard of the king of China.  His lineage is called Liang, and his office Pacu, while his own name is Yameng.  He must be something of a spendthrift (for he is very poor), and restless in temperament.  He gave ear to the said chair-maker, named Tienguen, and to his companions.  The opportunity seemed to them favorable:  and they decided to petition for the conquest of this country under the cloak and pretext which the situation afforded them, saying that there was a mountain here called Keit and that this mountain is entirely of gold, and other things—­which your Majesty may examine, if you so wish, in the petition and memorial in this matter which was presented to the king of China, and a copy of which, translated into Castilian, de verbo ad verbum, I am sending your Majesty.  This Keit is the port of this city, which we call Cabite, the Chinese calling it Keit.  They imagined and told a thousand lies to one word of truth, all with the intention and desire of having the king of China give them permission to get together troops and go out to sea, and once there, either to come to conquer this country, or to become pirates and rob, in China itself or wherever they could.  The king of China demanded pledges that what they were seeking was real, and not a deception by which they were to become robbers and pirates; and as this Liang Paou is a man of such standing, he furnished three hundred or more men as surety.  All the viceroys of the realms and provinces of China and their councils (who reside with the viceroys)—­to the number of thirteen great realms and provinces, which they call Pouchenti, beside the two powerful provinces and courts [or “circuits “] which they call Kin, one called Lam Kin, which means “the court of the southern region,” and the other Pac Kin, [19] which means “the court of the northern region”—­all the said viceroys and councils wrote to the king, trying with many arguments