rebuke the Portuguese.  Continuing, a short description is given of Macao, which has about five hundred Portuguese inhabitants; its duties and other gains, however, belong to the Chinese monarch.  The principal occupation of the inhabitants is the raw-silk trade with Japan.  For the benefit of trade and religion, Los Rios thinks it advisable to depopulate Macao and suppress it.  Indeed the hate of the Portuguese goes so far that they attack the remnants of Luis Perez’s expedition as it is about to return home.  All their hostility they clinch with “a royal decree given more than thirty years ago, in which your Majesty [38] orders Castilians not to go to that port to trade.  It is very important for your Majesty to order the Portuguese not to use that decree for the evil that they do us—­not only those of us who go there to trade (which was the reason of its being granted), but also to those of us who make port and arrive there wrecked.”

Events of Pedro Acuna’s government occupy the sixth chapter.  “Don Pedro was a restrained and absolutely uncovetous gentleman, and lived temperately.  He was affable and open to all; but signal disasters occurred during his term.  The Indians of Mindanao ruined those islands, carrying away many captives and quantities of wealth, burning churches, and injuring images, to the great loss of our prestige.  Also more than twenty thousand Chinese revolted in the city; and because the warnings of the archbishop and many other persons were not believed, the remedy was not applied in time, which would have been easy.  However, although we prevailed against them (with evident miracles), the kingdom was ruined.”  This neglect of Acuna results in the massacre of Luis Perez Dasmarinas and more than one hundred and fifty men, only one of the company escaping.  To neglect Los Rios charges “the greatest ills” that have happened in the Indias.  The expedition made to Maluco by royal command succeeds well.  The victory reacts on the Spaniards, however, because of the ill-treatment inflicted by the latter on the king of Ternate, whom they take captive to Manila; and the Moluccans ally themselves with the Dutch.  Los Rios begs that good treatment be given to the captive king, who is still in Manila, who, although well treated during Acuna’s life, is afterward neglected and uncared for. [39] Los Rios asks that good treatment be accorded to the king “for the sake of your Majesty’s reputation with those nations; for they will think that you order your ministers to inflict that ill-treatment....  Don Pedro de Acuna died when he was beginning to open his eyes, and to govern very acceptably to all.  It is rumored that he was poisoned, although I cannot persuade myself of that fact.”  As governor ad interim the viceroy of Nueva Espana sends Rodrigo de Vivero, who governs until the arrival of Juan de Silva, when he sets sail in the ship “San Francisco,” but is wrecked at Japan, because it sailed late.]

Chapter VII.  Of the government of Don Juan de Silva, and events with the Dutch.