The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 by - (read any book TXT) 📕

have gone thither, and if they are still there; and other things which may seem proper to you.

You are already aware that I left as commander in Borney the panguilan Maraxa de Raxa, and that I gave him a letter of assurance and friendship, and another to the panguilan Salalila; you must observe all friendship toward them.

As soon as you have arrived, you must confer with the panguinals [sc. panguilans]; you shall ascertain from some Indians whether the king of Borney has returned, and his condition, and that of the settlement. If these panguilans tell your Grace that you should not go to [the port of] Borney, but should remain where you are, and that they are going to talk to the king—or whatever other reasons they may adduce, your Grace will tell them that you are ordered to anchor at the island of Mohala, where the battle occurred, and that your Grace will await them there for conference; and your Grace will tell them that they should read my letters to the king. And, if it seems advisable to your Grace, you shall write to the king, briefly, telling him of the firm friendship that he will receive from me, and the great advantage that will undoubtedly accrue to him in becoming a vassal of his Majesty, the king, our sovereign.

If the said panguilans do not appear, then your Grace will continue your voyage and anchor at the above-named place. You shall send my letters to Borney, with the following order. If either one of the panguilans is dead or absent, the letters shall be given to the other. If neither is found there, the letters shall be given to the king; if he is not there, then to the most influential man; and your Grace shall write him that he advise you speedily, and assign him a certain limit of time for the answer. Should you be informed that Raxayro, king of Xolo, is there, you shall write him also, observing the same order as the above.

You shall request from the king of Borney that he render obedience to his Majesty, King Don Ffelipe, our sovereign, king of Castilla and Leon; that he promise to observe it faithfully, as his vassal, and that he serve him in peace and in war in this land wherever his Majesty commands. If he does this, then I shall pardon him for his want of respect and his crime of last year, when he killed my ambassador, and commenced to wage war upon us, although we offered him good terms of peace.

Item: In acknowledgment of this subjection, he shall pay tribute to his Majesty, to consist of camphor, galleys, or other products of that land, and in the quantity not agreed upon with him, but to his pleasure—until his Majesty and I, in his royal name, order the contrary.

He shall promise not to receive pirates in that land, and that he will not despatch plundering expeditions anywhere, nor permit any slaves to be taken from among the natives to China, or to the Portuguese, or to any other place, telling him that that island is depopulated thereby.

Item: That each year the king of Borney and his successors send one or two vessels to this city to bring the tribute and to trade.

Item: That when I agree to settle in that island, he shall go to the place selected, with his people, or send there, and build houses and whatever else is necessary for the settlement, those who work at this to receive pay. In exchange for this, you will tell him the great advantages that will accrue to him from our alliance: that his Majesty will show him favor; and that, if he has any enemy who undertakes to war upon him, I shall defend him, and shall send thither the fleet of his Majesty, if he advise me of such need.

Item. If the said king declares that he will flee to the mountains, and refuses to come to confer with you, and shall not render obedience, then you shall try to remove his fear. If he shall persist in this, then you shall leave him without doing him any harm, telling him to send to me here, with letters, a Moro chief for conference with me.

If the king do not appear, and the city is inhabited, you shall treat concerning these matters with the most influential person there, in accordance with the above.

In order to send this message, you are taking Bornean Moros, to despatch them two by two. Everything that passes must be in writing and attested by a notary. You likewise have a letter from the daughter of the panguilan Salalila, telling the Borneans what good treatment I have accorded to the captives here, and how happy she is.

After having despatched what pertains to the above, you shall investigate the river of Tamaran. Without doing them any hurt, you shall summon that people, and examine the location of their land, and ascertain whether we can settle there; also the depth of the river, and the number of inhabitants. You shall decide with them about the tribute they are to pay; and, even if they do not pay any, or pay but little, you shall do them no harm. After examining the river of Baran, you shall return to this city as soon as possible.

If there are any Portuguese in Borney, or any should come while your Grace is there, your Grace shall give them a hospitable reception. You shall ascertain from them both the condition of their affairs and as much else as you are able. If they commence to show any disrespect or hostility, then your Grace will try with the utmost diligence to secure the victory. In no other circumstances shall you wage war with them. And should you come to hostilities with them, your Grace shall bring what they have to this city.

Even if the king of Borney should be fortified and have repaired his forts in Polocharami and Panigaran, your Grace will take no notice of that, but transact your business in accordance with your orders. Therefore your Grace shall in no wise fight, unless he commences it, as upon the other occasion. Then your Grace shall take what steps are necessary, since the thing is forced on you.

Your Grace shall see to it that your fleet of vessels remain together; and if any of them become separated in crossing the wide expanses of water in your course, you shall give orders where it shall meet you, so that all may be kept in order. In case you have to fight, you shall put the ship from Castilla in the front, and the others shall aid it, and, being lighter, can be used better for pursuit.

You shall exercise great care in regard to the musketeers, and put them in charge of an experienced man, and let opportunity be given them to advance.

Item: You shall exercise care, so that, if the Bornean galleys take the lead, they shall not separate from the Castilian galley and the Neapolitan fragata; likewise that the latter does not separate from the Castilian galley.

Item: You shall see to it that the Spaniards do not kill or steal any cow (for there are but few), so that the king of Borney make no complaint.

There are cows in Borney and in Mohala, in the island of Bencoraco. Notice shall be given among your people, so that these beasts may be preserved; in the river of Tabaron, where I have said that you must go, the men may kill swine and deer, if necessity arise, for there are many of these animals there.

Item: You shall not allow any slave, male or female, to be taken. You shall exercise great care in this, imposing the penalty of death on whomsoever shall steal them; and even should the natives wish to sell slaves [30] the Spaniards shall not buy them, if they are natives of the same island. Given at Manila, February twenty-eight, one thousand five hundred and seventy-nine.

Doctor Francisco de Sande

By order of his Lordship:

Alonso Beltran, his Majesty's notary

In the flagship "Espíritu Santo," on the fourth day of the month of March, one thousand five hundred and seventy-nine, the illustrious Captain Don Juan Arce de Sadornil said that, inasmuch as he is not taking a notary of his Majesty or a notary-public for the negotiations and legal proceedings that may arise in this voyage in the said galley and the other vessels of the said fleet despatched this year to the kingdom of Borney, before whom the said proceedings and negotiations may be executed, in order that they may attest what happens; and inasmuch as it is necessary for his Majesty's service to appoint a skilful person to the said office: therefore, with entire confidence in the character and capability of Manuel de Caceres, and feeling certain that he will therefore fill the said office faithfully, in that manner and form most suitable to the requirements of the law, he appointed, and he did appoint, as notary of this said fleet the said Manuel de Caceres before whom shall pass the legal proceedings, suits, and other negotiations that shall occur, and he shall attest them as notary. I, the said Manuel de Caceres, being present, accept it, and swear before God, our Lord, and on the sign of the cross—which I do with my right hand—to exercise precisely, faithfully, and legally, the said office of notary in the negotiations and proceedings which shall take place before me, and to keep secret whatever is necessary, under penalty of falling into the lowest infamy and perjury, and of being punished according to law. Witnesses are Andres de la Tubilla, Juan de Yepes, Sergeant Cristoval de Arqueta, and Don Juan Arce. Before me:

Manuel Caceres, notary-elect

In the galley "Espiritu Santo," belonging to his Majesty, while it was anchored at the port of Mohala, in the island and kingdom of Borney, on the twentieth of March, one thousand five hundred and seventy-nine, in the presence of me, the notary, and the undersigned witnesses, the illustrious captain Juan de Arce Sadornil declared that, inasmuch as his Grace came by order of the very illustrious Doctor Francisco de Sande, governor and captain-general for his Majesty in these Western Islands, to this said river, to see whether the said natives of the said river and city of Borney were settled, as they were when subdued by force of arms by the said governor, and when he left them for the city of Manila; and to see whether Soltan Lixar, king of Borneo, had returned to his former village, and what was become of him, and what persons might be present in his stead; and that by all good methods he [Sadornil] should calm and pacify them, and give them the governor's letters; and do other things set down clearly and ordered by the instructions given by his Lordship; and, inasmuch as the said captain had come to this said port of Mohala, but has been unable to have any intercourse in regard to the above matters, as the said governor orders, although he has tried and done his utmost, and in the manner which his Lordship orders by his instruction; and inasmuch as, having arrived at this said port on this said day, and having seen many vessels leave the said port of Borney—which, although he awaited them and cast anchor for this purpose, never came to him so that he could hold communication with them, in order that the said Bornean Moros might become quiet and learn his Majesty's purpose, and that of his Lordship and of his captain in his royal name—to wit, that I am not to do them harm or annoy them, but on the contrary to protect and defend them; and that they might know the true God and the true pathway of salvation: therefore the said captain summoned to his presence Sipopat and Esin, Bornean Moros, whom his Lordship took to Manila last year. The said captain has brought them for this purpose, and given them to understand the above through the said Francisco Magat; and he delivered to them two letters from the said governor, written in our language and translated into the Bornean language, and signed with his name—one for the panguilan Marraxa de Raxa, and the other for the panguilan Salalila. He also gave them two other letters in the Bornean tongue for the said Salalila, which were written by his daughter and son-in-law in the city of Manila. The said Sipopat and Esin went to the said captain to take the said letters and to hear the message imparted to them by the said captain. They were to return with the answer that would be given them in