For that purpose it is
very needful that the said governor appoint an alcalde-mayor for that
district, who shall be a lieutenant-governor, and who shall keep his
office for three-years; for [the usual] appointments as alcalde are
for but one year, and one can learn to know the country but little in
so short a time. It is necessary that the judge that shall go there
(and so that an influential and satisfactory man might be able to
go there) be given a good salary; and that that province and that of
Ylocos, which lies next to Nueva Segovia, be subject to him. That is
very necessary for the welfare of those two provinces, which are very
far from Manila.
_Item_: Will your Highness be pleased to give me a good master
shipbuilder, or authority to look for one, and another intelligent
person as shore-master, to assist in the despatch and repairs of
ships. He should be a Spaniard and not a foreigner, like the one
there now; for in former times, when Doctor Antonio de Morga, your
auditor, sailed out against a Dutchman who went to those islands,
while two ships were being prepared to attack the Dutch, two holes
were bored in one of them one night, and it began to sink, and the
sails were taken out and hid in the woods. It was not discovered
who did it, nor was any investigation even made. But one may readily
presume that some enemy to us did it; and indeed we can not settle
our suspicions on anyone. In order to investigate these and many other
actions worthy of punishment or correction which have occurred there
in these matters, and in others--for instance, that in other parts of
those islands they gave that same Dutchman food, and there was some
person who communicated with him; while it is even said that they
showed him how to get out of a harbor that he had entered, and from
which we considered it impossible for him to sail--and finally there
are many things to correct and reform, and burdens to be removed
from the Indian natives: for all these it is necessary for your
Highness to appoint a person there to make official visits through
the country.
Pages:
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319