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The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898
Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and
their peoples, their history and records of the catholic missions,
as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the
political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those
islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the
close of the nineteenth century,
Edited and annotated by Emma Helen Blair and James Alexander Robertson
with historical introduction and additional notes by Edward Gaylord
Bourne.
Preface 9
Documents of 1601-1602
Expedition to the Malucas Islands. Arias de Saldanha,
and others; 1601-02 29
Principal points in regard to the trade of the
Filipinas. Alonso Fernandez de Castro; [undated;
1602?] 46
Various documents relating to commerce. Fray Martin
Ignacio de Loyola, and others; [ca. 1602] 57
Letter to Felipe III. Antonio de Morga; Manila,
December 1 76
Documents of 1603
Three Chinese Mandarins at Manila. Geronimo de Salazar
y Salcedo; Manila, May 27 83
Resignation of his office by the bishop of Nueva
Segovia. Miguel de Benavides; Manila, June 4 98
Letters to Felipe III. Miguel de Benavides; Manila,
July 5 and 6 101
Letters to Felipe III. Pedro de Acuña, and others;
Manila, July-December 127
The Sangley insurrection. Pedro de Acuña, and others;
Manila, December 12-23 142
Relacion de las Islas Filipinas (to be concluded). Pedro
Chirino, S.J.; Roma, 1604 169
Bibliographical Data 323
Map of China and East Indies (original in colors), in Voyage ofte Schipvaert, by Jan Huygen van Linschoten (Amstelredam, M. D. XCVI), p. 22; photographic facsimile, from copy in Boston Public Library. 90, 91 Title-page of Relacion de las Islas Filipinas, by Pedro Chirino, S.J. (Roma, M. DC. IV); photographic facsimile, from copy in library of Harvard University. 171
The general documents contained in this volume cover the years 1601-03;they are followed by Chirino's Relacion, which was published in 1604,but the events related therein end in 1602. The two notable occurrencesin this period are the great fire, and the Chinese revolt in Manilain the year 1603—the latter ending in the slaughter or expulsionof almost all the Chinese in the islands. Pirates are still raidingthe shores of the northern islands; but the available forces of thecolonial government are diverted to the assistance of an expeditionfrom India which attempts (but unsuccessfully) to drive the Dutchfrom the Spice Islands. Commercial difficulties still affect theprosperity of the islands, caused mainly by the unauthorized share ofMexican speculators in the profitable trade between the Philippines