and agricultural products.  Furthermore, they oblige the Indians to act as their oarsmen, whenever they wish.  If they return from an expedition which has lasted a month, they are told straightway to prepare for another, being paid nothing whatsoever; nevertheless in every village assessments are levied upon the natives, for the payment of those who go on such service.  If at any time they are paid, it is very little, and that very seldom.  Because of the many acts of oppression which they have suffered, many Indians have now abandoned Tondo, Capaymisilo, and other villages near this city of Manila.  They have gone to live in other provinces, which has occasioned much damage and loss to the chiefs.  Out of the three hundred Indians who were there, one hundred have gone away, and the said chiefs are obliged to pay the tribute for those who flee and die, and for their slaves and little boys.  If they do not pay these, they are placed in the stocks and flogged.  Others are tied to posts and kept there until they pay.  Moreover, they dig no gold, for the officials oblige them to pay the fifth.  If they do not make a statement of their gold it is seized as forfeited, even when it is old gold; and the gold is not returned to them until after payment of a heavy fine.  They do not wish to let the alcaldes-mayor buy rice, because they all hoard it.  If the natives come to complain of their grievances to the alcaldes-mayor alone, they are imprisoned and thrown into the stocks, and are charged with prison-fees.  Their afflictions and troubles are so many that they cannot be endured; and they wish to leave this island, or at least to go to some encomienda of a private individual.  In the said villages of the king they cannot endure the alcaldes-mayor.

Fray Domingo, Bishop of the Filipinas Andres de Cervantes Francisco Morante

Before me: 
Salvador de Argon, secretary

LETTER FROM JUAN BAPTISTA ROMAN TO THE VICEROY

Most Illustrious and Excellent Sir: 

I do not know whether the letters with new information which the governor is writing today will arrive in time to go on this ship, which has been despatched to this port of Acabite; so I wish to give your Excellency notice of what is going on.  Yesterday—­St. John’s Day—­in the afternoon, there arrived six soldiers who had gone with Captain Juan Pablo de Carrion [19] against the Japanese, who are settled on the river Cagayan.  They say that Juan Pablo sailed with his fleet—­which comprised the ship “Sant Jusepe,” the admiral’s galley, and five fragatas—­from the port of Bigan, situated in Ylocos, about thirty-five days’ journey from Cagayan.  As he sailed out, he encountered a Chinese pirate, who very soon surrendered.  He put seventeen soldiers aboard of her and continued his course.  While rounding Cape Borgador near Cagayan one fair morning at dawn, they found themselves near a Japanese ship, which Juan Pablo engaged with