Volume 10 — Letters from Francisco Tello to Felipe II
Reading edition
Sire:
Last year I wrote your Majesty an account of the state of military affairs. What has happened since then is as follows.
It is now eight months since the rising in the province of Cagayan. The country is in rebellion, but it is true that the encomenderos gave cause for the disturbance by oppressing the natives with tributes, and in other ways. The one who caused most harm in this respect was Don Rodriguez Ronquillo, who died while in prison for this cause. The addition of four reals to the tribute, which was collected last year, also helped to rouse the rebellion. When I considered the serious harm which might result from the uprising in the land, I sent the master-of-camp, Pedro de Chaves, with competent troops, in order that, by means of kind methods, he might reduce them completely to the service of your Majesty. I ordered also that the increase in the tribute be suspended; and this has been done and will be continued until your Majesty is pleased to order otherwise. I think that, until the affairs of this land are better established, say for six years, these four reals should not Page 159be collected; but your Majesty will provide according to the royal pleasure.
In compliance with your Majesty's orders, and after investigating the embarrassments of the royal treasury, I have cashiered two companies commanded by two of my relatives, thereby saving expenses to the treasury of more than two thousand pesos a year; but if you consider it best for your Majesty's service to extend the reduction somewhat, it shall be done.
I beseech your Majesty to order that, for the use of the troops of this camp, eight hundred arquebuses, four hundred muskets, and three hundred coats of mail be brought from Spain; for the troops are unarmed and your Majesty is put to much useless expense. I should wish never to have been born if, on any occasion, this kingdom could not be defended for your Majesty, for lack of arms.
I have found here an invention of the Sangleys for founding artillery. It is easy of accomplishment, and as there is much metal in the royal warehouses I am having fifty pieces of artillery made, which will take a ball of one to three libras' weight, the size most needed here. After these are finished, I shall not fail to go to China to attack the Sangleys. May our Lord preserve the royal Catholic person of your Majesty as is needed by these kingdoms, and as we your vassals desire. Manila, June 17, 1598.
Don Francisco Tello
Sire:
The troops of this land, old and deserving soldiers, are in great need, for the encomiendas are in rebellion, and they cannot be pacified in many years. They are very poor, and beset with afflictions; and it grieves me to be unable to assist them. Although I have supplied several with temporary positions, I have been careful not to give them to any follower or relative of mine. There are many who are unfortunate, and the thousand pesos which your Majesty was pleased to command to be granted every year, with the condition that the additional pay given from it should not exceed ten pesos annually, is not used for that purpose. This is because there is no one to take the money, for it yields but seven reals a month, which can do no more than buy food for one day. The provisions in this land are as dear as those in Castilla. If your Majesty were pleased to have these thousand pesos and another thousand—which can be obtained from charges laid upon the vacant encomiendas—divided by the governor among twenty or thirty unemployed captains and deserving soldiers, they would then be enabled to buy food; and many very great excesses committed by them in trying to obtain food among the Indians would be avoided. As these are caused by their extreme necessity, they are to a certain extent excusable, for no one is willing to be left to die of starvation. This point is worthy of much consideration. I entreat your Majesty to have the goodness to examine it and provide what is most needful. Page 165
Although by right of my office I can proceed to punish the captains and soldiers of the land, and do so, there are, mingled with the good men, so many who are vile and vicious that the majority of the men are constantly informing on one another. This vice, as well as that of writing defamatory libels and letters, is very prevalent. This is a state of affairs very unfortunate for this land, and one by which our lord is very ill served; and great and serious misfortunes follow. If your Majesty were pleased to charge each of the auditors here, in turn, privately to investigate these cases and give the offenders exemplary punishment, a great part of the present difficulty might be remedied. I assure your Majesty, that one of the things which make me most dissatisfied and anxious to leave the country, is the matter above stated. Therefore I have petitioned your Majesty to grant me favor and license for it, as I hope for it from your royal clemency. Many times I have considered and been brought face to face with the great evil that is done in this land by the marriage of elderly widows with whomsoever they may choose. They are old and but ordinary women, as they were those who first came here. Their husbands pacified the best encomiendas, and died; and these widows are left with five or six thousand pesos of income. They marry and have married despicably and irregularly, and old soldiers, honorable gentlemen, and noblemen have been defrauded, who by their descent would have inherited and succeeded to these encomiendas. I have thought of a plan suitable to correct this evil, about which I have conferred with grave religious persons—namely, that the childless widow who shall marry after the age of forty years shall hold Page 166but a life-interest in the encomienda. Will your Majesty have this considered and provide accordingly, considering the extreme importance of it.
Your Majesty's treasury is greatly embarrassed, as I have noted in the letter pertaining to the royal finances. It occurs to me to declare here what may be done in this regard, should it appear best to your Majesty. The Chinese who come here to trade every year bring eight hundred thousand pesos and sometimes more than a million. During the ten days they spend here they gain more than a hundred per cent; and this year, according to the universal opinion, fully two hundred per cent. They find plenty of money and sell as they would in their own land. Each outgoing ship pays as anchorage five hundred pesos and the duties that are paid to your Majesty are only three per cent, as imposed by Don Juan Rronquillo. If your Majesty would increase the duties by another three per cent, it would not hurt them to pay that amount, and your Majesty's royal treasury would receive much relief thereby. The goods brought by these heathen Chinese are silks of little cost and value, the scum of what they have; and they take back in return gold and silver.
I humbly beseech your Majesty in respect to this point, as to all my other suggestions, to accept so much as may be best for the royal service, which my zeal but desires to further. May our Lord preserve your Majesty for many long years, as we your Majesty's servants and vassals need. Manila, June 19, 1598.
Don Francisco Tello
Sire:
The report which by your royal instructions your Page 167Majesty commands me to send, as to the religious orders in these islands, the number of houses and religious that they contain, and the number needed—whom may your Majesty order to be sent, so that there may be sufficient religious instruction in the islands—will accompany this letter. It is sent with the promptness commanded by your Majesty, whose Catholic and royal person may our Lord preserve, as is necessary to Christendom, and as we your vassals desire. Manila, July 9, 1598.
Don Francisco Tello
[Endorsed: “Manila. To his Majesty, 1598. Don Francisco Tello. July 9.”]
[Instructions of the council: “Have the superiors of the religious orders of España notified to send useful religious to the Philipinas. Let the viceroy of Nueva España be directed by letter that he shall assemble the superiors of those religious orders, shall confer with them in regard to the annual selection and despatch of religious who are fitted to engage in this conversion, and shall direct them in the matter. Let a letter be sent to the archbishop of Manila asking for definite information as to the houses there, how they are distributed, how many religious are in each one, and how many would be needed in order to provide the necessary instruction; and let him be directed to see that there is no lack, but that the conversion shall continue to increase.”]
Report of the religious orders in these Philippinas Islands, of their provinces and houses, and of the religious whom they have and those whom they Page 168need from España,in order that there may be sufficient religious instruction in the islands.
St. Augustine.—The Order of St. Augustine, the first order to be founded in these islands, has occupied the provinces of Tagalos, Pampanga, Ylocos, and Pintados. It has in them sixty houses, with one hundred and eight priests and preachers, and fifty-three lay-brethren. They must establish more houses, both for the entries into new regions, and the new explorations which are to be made; and for the provision of sufficient instruction. To this end it will be necessary to send annually twenty religious to the order. These should come from Nueva España, where there are many religious. It would be at very much less cost to the royal exchequer to do this, and most sufficient for this country, because they have already made a beginning with the Indians.
St. Francis.—The Order of St. Francis has occupied the province of Camarines, where it has forty houses, with one hundred and twenty religious, twenty-three of whom are lay-brethren, and the rest priests, preachers, and confessors. They need fifty religious, both that they may have sufficient instruction, and for the houses that they are to establish.
St. Dominic.—The Order of St. Dominic occupies the province of Cagayan, where it has twelve houses, with seventy-one religious. For the houses which they are to establish in that province, and that the province may have sufficient instruction, they must have twenty priests sent to them annually; for they receive as many lay-brethren in the islands as they need.
The Society of Jesus.—The Society of Jesus, which is the last established, has twelve houses, which lie in Page 169the provinces of Pintados, and in the islands of Camar, Leite, and Babao. They have in them forty-three religious, of whom twenty-three are priests, preachers, and confessors, and the rest lay-brethren. For the houses that they are to establish, and in Mindanao, where these religious will have charge of the pacification, they will need fifty priests at one time, and annual help henceforth; for they are reaping a great harvest in this country. They have two colleges here, one in Manila, and the other in the city of Santissimo Nombre de Jesus, where Latin is taught to the Spaniards, and the Christian faith to the natives, who manifest a deep interest.
The superiors of these orders are religious of much ability, and among the other members of the orders are many excellent linguists, who are accomplishing much in the conversion of the natives, which continues to increase daily. Page 170