The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803; 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, commericial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the beginning of the nineteenth century; [Vol. 1, no. 36]

LETTER FROM GOVERNOR SALCEDO TO
FRANCISCO YZQUIERDO
Summary of this letter, written from Manila, dated
July I6, I664, giving information regarding the
condition of the islands at his arrival, and the
measures that he had taken.
He states therein that he set sail from the port of
Acapulco on March 25, 1663; and after a prosperous
voyage they sighted the cape of Espiritusanto. There
a vendaval storm came against them, so violent that
it carried them to Cape Engafio; and on July 8 he
landed, made the ship secure, unladed all the money
sent for the situado, and made arrangements for its
transportation to Manila. The governor was gladly
received there, and took possession of the government and the authority of captain-general, on September 8, I663.
He found the islands in most wretched condition -
the Spaniards as yet hardly reassured after the insurrections of the years 6I and 62, and the natives
irritated by cruel punishments. The royal treasury
was so exhausted that it contained no more than
35,000 pesos; the magazines were destitute of provisions, ammunition, and other supplies for the relief
of the fortified posts and the soldiers. A few months
before, the soldiers had received part of their pay