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]

1604-I605]

ACURA TO FELIPE III

235

injury to the commonwealth, for they take up the
whole cargo. They desire to be preferred therein,
and in buying the cloth, and in every other way, try
to take advantage. If the president wishes to remedy
this they do not cease to offer him little annoyances;
for the auditors know how to magnify themselves,
in such a manner that they give one to understand
that any one of them is greater than he; and they attain this by saying that what the president and governor does they can cancel, and that what the auditors
'decree has no appeal, recourse, or redress.
This country is not at peace but at war; and it is
therefore more fitting for the time being to attend
particularly to military affairs and to the government, for our defense, than to keep courts of high
justice. For in countries so new the rigor of the law
should not be applied in all cases; and, when some
punishment must be applied, they say that it shall not
be done, and are of no use except to undo what the
governor and captain-general orders (as well in matters of war as of government), although these things
may be quite just.
All the resources of this land are scanty, but if
there is anything good the auditors also say that they
want it for themselves; and when there is a Chinese
embroiderer, tailor, carver, or other workman, they
proceed to take him into their houses and have him
do much work - in such a way that the Sangley himself has no freedom. Such benefits do not extend to
the citizens; but rather, if any of these things are
available, the said auditors demand them and by
entreaty or intimidation get possession of them. It
is the same thing in regard to jewels, slave men and
women, articles of dress, and other things - in such