Note 76 — Chapter XIX

In the next year, 1581, several religious of his order went to the islands with Bishop Fray Domingo de Salazar, of the order of our father St. Dominic, and first bishop of these islands. They established themselves in Manila with so great observance and vigor, that, in the opinion of all, this province is the most holy and austere known, and is considered as such. Those who come from España do not recognize it—not because there is a lack of observance there, but because the habit here is most severe; and since the country is so unsuitable for austerity, necessarily that is a cause for keen regret, and those who wear the habit are wont to wear a hair-shirt perpetually. These most religious fathers have charge of the Sangleys, for whom they have had finished linguists, and they do not lack such now. They have built so fine a wooden church in the Parián of Manila—that is, the alcaicería, where the Sangleys have their shops—that it might be sightly even in España, and in it the Sangleys have generously assisted.76 For they had a common fund for current expenses, and they amass in it yearly about twenty thousand pesos. [231] Each Sangley, pagan or Christian, pays, if he wear a cue, three reals of four to the peso, in two payments. For this fund there are Spanish collectors with a sufficient salary. What I regret is that, in all these cunning devices to obtain their money, and the exaction of these contributions, the money is taken from the Spaniards, as the Sangleys are their creditors. And the Sangley himself says when they collect it, “I do not pay this, but the Castilian.” For since we get our food, clothing and shoes through them, and it is necessary that everything come from the hand of the Sangleys, therefore they avenge themselves very well, by putting up prices on everything, and shortening measures, so that the loss is greater than is realized. Watchful Spaniards do not fail to take note of this, and they grieve over it; but they endure it, for the communal fund, or the tribute, or the other things are not demanded of them—as if in what they buy, or order to be made, they did not pay double. When I came to the islands in the year 1610, when not so much was exacted from the Sangleys, there was a large bale of paper of eighty large sheets, from each one of which six small sheets were made, so that there were four hundred and eighty sheets. This could be bought for three or four reals. But after the contributions were levied on them, I saw and bought these large bales of paper, of but fifty large sheets, and from each one could be cut no more than four small sheets; and they cost three pesos. They could not have so high a price in España. I bought a small piece of linen of fourteen or fifteen varas for four reals. Now they measure by varas, and it is very cheap at one real per vara. And thus in everything else, this appears now, whether the Sangley, the Spaniard [232] or the Chinese pays the trickery. But it is a singular thing, how poorly the Spaniard governs himself. Wherever he halts, immediately all prices go up; and even when he is able to get food gratis, he clothes himself and obtains his food at excessive rates, because of his lack of consideration or his heedlessness. And when he happens to bethink himself, it is too late.