On July 25, 1609, a petition is sent to the king by Miguel Banal (a descendant of the Moro ruler dispossessed by Legaspi at Manila), praying for redress against the Jesuits for depriving him and other Indians at Quiapo of their lands; he asks the king to investigate this matter anew, and to protect him from further spoliation.  The Dominican missionary Aduarte makes a declaration (in a document undated, but of 1608) of the reasons why some of his religious belonging to the mission of 1606 had remained in Nueva Espana, instead of completing the voyage to the Philippines.  Some died on the way, some failed to reach the port of embarcation, and the ship assigned to the missionaries was too small to carry all of them.  Aduarte remonstrates against the embarrassments and restrictions with which he and other missionaries have had to contend; and complains, as before, of the scanty allowance made for their traveling expenses—­illustrating this from his own and others’ experiences.  This is followed by a request from the discalced Augustinians (1609?) for extension of previous permission to send more of their friars to the Philippines.

The Editors April, 1904.

DOCUMENTS OF 1605

Complaints against the archbishop.  Pedro de Acuna, and others; July 1-4.  Relations with the Chinese.  Pedro de Acuna, and others; July 4 and 5.  Letters to Felipe iii.  Pedro de Acuna; July 1-15.

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

Translations:  The first letter in the second document, and the first two in the third, are translated by Henry B. Lathrop, of the University of Wisconsin; the remainder, by Robert W. Haight and Emma Helen Blair.

Complaints Against the Archbishop

Sire: 

Ever since I began to have dealings with the archbishop Don Fray Miguel de Benavides, and have recognized his temper, I have perceived the difficulties that he would cause me; accordingly, I have always acted with great moderation and care.  But the occasions which he gives for such caution are so many that great patience is necessary to bear them; for he persuades himself that everything, both spiritual and temporal, pertains to him, and that there is not a king, or patronage, or Audiencia that can change his will as to what he will do.  It therefore results that he very often has quarrels with the Audiencia, with me, with the orders, and with all those of his church; and nothing occurs in connection with the patronage which he does not desire to adjudicate, so it is on that subject that he has had controversies with me.  His scruples are insufferable, and they are continually increasing; accordingly, we dread the lengths to which they may carry him.  Notwithstanding that he is a religious who is greatly respected, and one of learning