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. 24]

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THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS

[Vol. 24

had died in prison, and [only] forty were left alive.
These he sent to me by the same ships that brought
the reinforcements. At present their trial is proceeding, in the first instance, under Don Juan
Lorenzo Olaso, master-of-camp of the army of
Philipinas. Inasmuch as the charges against them
are insufficiently substantiated, there are opinions
expressed that we should overlook their acts. But,
considering that if those forty soldiers are guilty,
they may infect the presidios where they may be
stationed; and since the matter is so public, and open
to the gaze of so many barbarians - especially of the
Sangleys, who are more liable [to this sin] than any
other nation, this wretched affair ought to be punished with great severity and vigor. [In the margin:
" His Majesty has ordered, by a decree of the past
year 635, that convict soldiers be not sent to Terrenate; and that those who are there be removed every
three years, so that they may serve with greater comfort and good will."]
The volunteer soldiers remained in Terrenate, and
more than one hundred and forty were changed. To
these was given one installment of pay that was sent
them; and it had been many years since they had
received any pay. The rest were provided with
materials for clothing, and with food; and, since they
know that the same thing is to be done every year,
that presidio remained happy and safe.
But the said governor, Pedro de Heredia, lately
writes me that the natives of the island of Terrenate,
who have until now recognized Cachil Varo as king
of Tidore, have refused to obey him; and they have
crowned another Moro in his place, a chief named
Cachil Borotalo, as they say that the latter is the