[25] In a letter dated Manila, July 20, 1581, and signed by Amador de Arriaran, Andres Cabchela, Salvador de Aldave, Luis de Vivanco, Joan Manuel Pimentel, Juan Maldonado, Gabriel de Ribera, and Juan Pacheco Amado, it is stated that Ribera is sent as procurador [attorney]-general to the king to give account of the “affairs and condition of this land.”  He is recommended to the king’s consideration as “one of the first who came to this exploration and pacification” with Legazpi, and “has been able to give a good account of himself in everything.”  The pressmark of this document, which exists in Archivo General de Indias at Sevilla, is:  “Simancas—­Filipinas:  Descubrimientos, etc., anos 1566 a 1586; Est. 1, caj. 1, leg. 2|24.”  Morga says that Ribera was created Mariscal of Bonbon while in Spain.  The effect of his mission was the establishment of the Audiencia of Manila, whose president was to fill the offices of governor and captain-general of the islands.  This was attained after the death of Ronquillo, although that event was unknown in court at the time.

[26] Gonzalo Ronquillo was governor from 1580 until his death in 1583.  Morga says that trade with the Chinese was increased during his governorship.  He attempted to discover a return route to New Spain through the southern seas, but was unsuccessful.  He opened trade with Peru.  A duty of two per cent on merchandise sent to New Spain was imposed by him, and one of three per cent on goods imported by the Chinese.

[27] Taking the words “twenty years” literally would make the date of this letter in 1584, but it must have been prior to that date.  Ribera was sent to Spain in 1581, and Ronquillo died in 1583.  The date of this letter therefore is conjectured to have been the latter year.

[28] Retana’s text here reads thus:  “El precio que tenian las cosas, despues que los Espanoles introduxera la moneda de plata, que por la mayor parte son tostones, que asi llaman a los reales de a cuatro cientas gantas de arroz, y por otro [real], ciento de vino, y por otro, doce y catorce y a un diez y seis gallinas.”  The bracketed word real was supplied by Retana.  A more satisfactory emendation would be toston, the equivalent of real de a cuatro.  The passage should read thus:  “reales de a cuatro [por un toston cuatro] cientas gantas de arroz, y por otro [toston] ciento,” etc.  This supposition is borne out by a later passage where Salazar states that in former times four hundred gantas of rice cost one toston.—­H.E.  Bolton.

[29] Ronquillo was governor of the entire archipelago.—­Retana.

[30] He alludes, as will be seen below, to the encomenderos, against whom, chiefly, this accusation by the famous bishop Salazar is directed—­Retana.

[31] A mistake for “Gonzalo;” Father Salazar commits the error again, as will be seen farther on.—­Retana.

[32] The word “taels” is Retana’s conjecture; but it is possible that the doubtful word was joyas ("ornaments").  From the context, it is more probably quintos ("fifths"), indicating that the royal officials attempted to exact from the Indians the “king’s fifth” on all their possessions of gold, as well as on that newly dug from the ground.