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. 2]

I52I-I569] RECORD OF NEGOTIATIONS

329

so far as this witness knows, those of the parties
aforesaid; and he says this without the slightest
doubt, for, as already said, he has seen them write
and sign their names, and he has written papers and
signatures of theirs in his possession similar to those
of the said narration, without the slightest variation.
The said Hernando Riquel was held and considered
as an upright man, and a lawyer of much veracity;
and as such this witness held and still holds him.
And he declares on the oath taken by him that his
entire deposition is true, and he has affixed his signature to the same.
SANCHO LOPEZ DE AGURTO
Before me, JOHAN AUGUSTIN, notary of his
Majesty.)
[The sworn depositions of Juan Augustin de Contreras and of Alonso de Segura, made before Sancho
Lopez de Agurto, follow. They are substantially
the same as the above. The document continues:]
(I, the said Sancho Lopez de Agurto, notary of
the chamber of the said royal Audiencia of Nueva
Espafia, who was present at the said inquiry made
therein, affixed my seal in testimony of the truth."5
SANCHO LOPEZ DE AGURTO)
115 This is followed by the certification of the copyist who transcribed this document for the South American boundary negotiations between Spain and Portugal in 1776, at Paris. It reads thus:
"I, Don Juan Ignacio Cascos, revisor and expert in handwriting
and old documents, and one of those appointed by the Royal and
Supreme Council of Castilla, made the foregoing copy, and collated it with the original, which-was written on twenty-four
sheets of ordinary paper, and signed, each in his own hand, by
Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and Fernando Riquel. Madrid, the
twenty-sixth day of August in the year one thousand seven hundred and seventy-six.
JUAN IGNACIO PASCOS."