ordering that he and other fiscals who shall succeed him in that my Audiencia be protectors of the said Sangleys and natives, as they have been, notwithstanding the ruling of the said decree of September 10, 627.  Having examined the matter in my royal Council of the Indias, together with what Licentiate Juan Pardo, my fiscal therein, stated and alleged—­for I wish to know whether the Sangleys have need of that protector and whether they ask for him—­I order you to inform me of what you find out concerning this; and in case that it appears necessary that they have one, I order you and that Audiencia to appoint six persons who may be suitable for such protector.  You shall cause such nominations to be sent to the said my Council, so that it may indicate that one of the six appointees who is most suitable.  He must not have trade or business relations with the said Sangleys; and the one named by the said Council shall be, for the time being, the one who shall seem most suitable to the Council.  Madrid, March 27, 1629.

I The King

By order of his Majesty: 
Andres de Rozas

RELATIONS OF 1628-29

I

Relation of affairs in the Filipinas and in other regions, for the year of 1628 and 629, sent by the fathers [of the Society]; and of a victory gained by our men.

An excellent and large fleet has left this great island of Mindanao during these last few days to punish the insolence of the Dutch and of the Joloans, the neighbors of Mindanao, who are robbing the country from us and capturing the Indians of these Filipinas.  The fleet is there, and I was to embark with it, but in order not to leave this district alone Father Fabricio Sersali, a Sicilian, went.  The fleet consisted of thirty ships and more, and in them sailed two hundred Spaniards and innumerable Indian soldiers and rowers.  May our Lord give us the success that we hope. [56]

A fleet of two galleons with high freeboard has also left, and in them four companies of soldiers, in pursuit of the Dutch enemy who were in Macan and along the coast of Great China.  Advices were received of a Dutch ship which was carrying one million pesos’ worth of wealth.  The result has not been ascertained as yet.

[Word in MS. illegible] On March 13, fire fell from heaven upon the Parian or fair of the Chinese (according to what they themselves swear, namely, that they saw it fall), and burned it all, without a single one of the more than eight hundred houses that it contained being left; and the only thing that was left standing was a church which was in the Parian. [57] The Parian of Manila and almost all the city of Zebu were burned, with great loss.