A group of documents relating to the Dominican mission which reached the islands in 1606 depict the difficulties, besides the long and toilsome voyages, which the missionaries encountered on their journey to the other side of the world.  Diego Aduarte, one of the most noted of the Dominican missionaries in the Far East, is in charge of a reenforcement to go to the Philippines, and applies (at some time in 1604) to the officials of the treasury in Spain for the money necessary for their expenses in this journey; a grant for this is made.  He furnishes a list of the friars who are to go with him, with the names of the convents that send them.  In a document written by Aduarte (January 20, 1605) he relates at length “the difficulties of conducting religious to the Philippine Islands.”  The hardships and perils of the long voyage daunt many at the start, and he who is in charge of them must use great discretion in managing them.  At the court, he cannot get his documents without much importunity, locomotion, and red tape, and long and tedious delays.  The sum of money allowed for the traveling expenses of the missionaries to Sevilla is far too small; and, arriving there, they encounter more red tape and delays.  Besides, the amount granted for provisions on the voyage is utterly insufficient, as is also the allowance for the friars’ support while waiting for the departure of the fleet.  The royal council requires that the list of missionaries be submitted to it for approval which cannot well be done in the short time which they spend at Sevilla; besides, they are unnecessarily annoyed by the examination to which the council subjects them.  Those who finally reach the port of departure are confronted by extortionate demands for fees, which are renewed in mid-ocean, and again on landing in Nueva Espana, at Mexico, and at Acapulco; and at all these places, the missionaries encounter afresh the annoyances and hindrances which had beset them in Spain.  Aduarte makes vigorous complaint about these difficulties, and requests the government to make less rigorous rules and more liberal allowances for the missionaries; this petition is partially granted by the authorities.

While the Spanish expedition to the Moluccas is at Tidore, one of the Dutch prisoners is interrogated (March 16, 1606), and his deposition gives various interesting particulars as to the plans and actions of the Dutch in the Spice Islands.  He explains the treaty made by them with the ruler of Tidore, the goods brought by the Dutch for this trade, and their intention of establishing a colony in those islands.  Another account of the Chinese insurrection of 1603 is here presented (at this point, because printed in 1606), written by a soldier in the Philippines, but edited by one Maldonado.  He describes, in a plain and simple narrative, the circumstances of that revolt; and many of these are not found in the official reports (see Vol.  XII).  For instance, he relates that a great many religious