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. 13]

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THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS

[VoLi.S

ing so at present. Your Majesty will command according to your pleasure.
It has likewise seemed best to give your Majesty
an account of the inexpediency of appointing as inspector of the auditors any of their companions,
especially those who have exercised that office at
the same time with them, and given judgment in the
same affairs; for if one of them has acted unjustly, the
other one may have done so as well, and might not
perform his duty in reprimanding or inspecting those
whom he should. Your Majesty will order as is most
expedient.
In the despatches which I have sent from here since
I arrived via Nueva Hespafia, I have advised your
Majesty of the great difficulty which lies in the appointment by the viceroy of Mexico of persons there,
as the commanders, admirals, and other officials who
come and go on the ships; and how important it was
that they should be appointed here from those who
have here served your Majesty, for the reasons/which
I there gave, as your Majesty will command to be examined. The same matter confronts me now, and
every day I am coming more to see the great injury
which this commonwealth suffers, without finding
any means for its redress. I promise your Majesty
that I am not moved to this step by the greater importance which this office will then have, but only
for the service of your Majesty, and by seeing that
this is as I have said in my other letter; and that there
is great need of reform, in order to ward off disaster
at all points, for it is very near. May our Lord protect the Catholic person of your Majesty, in the prosperity which is necessary for Christendom. Manila,
July 5, i604. DON PEDRO DE ACURA