resents of considerable price and
value. That friendship lasted until the year 1634, when the Japanese
were found lacking in it because of the Dutch--who, always following
in our footsteps, introduced their commerce into that empire.

Friendship and commerce have been maintained from the beginning of
the conquest with Great China, and are still preserved. The emperor
of China ordered a port to be assigned so that the people of Luzon
could establish a city and factory under the same conditions as
the Portuguese in Macao. His Majesty also ordered, by a decree of
April 9, 1586, Doctor Francisco de Sande to sustain the friendship,
and prohibited him from making war; for, as some authors say, Sande
had the intention of conquering that empire. [98] That does not seem
to me so certain, for that empire had so many millions of men, with
innumerable cities, forts, and walls, and fleets that guard the ports
with great vigilance. Moreover at that time the soldiers in these
islands did not number five hundred, and were scarcely sufficient to
guard them; and it was very difficult to transport them from Nueva
Espana and other kingdoms. Although it might be that that idea was
simply speculative, the council prohibited it, and ordered them
thenceforth to observe what was prescribed.

The king of Siam captured two ships of these islands in his ports
in 1629. Don Juan Nino de Tabora, who was governor at that time,
immediately despatched two warships to punish so great violence,
and they made many prizes and inflicted many injuries along those
coasts. After that he sent ambassadors to the king to ask satisfaction
for what the latter had done, and the restoration of the Spanish
ships. Although the king who had had the ships seized was dead, his
son was forced to return them, and did so. The Mindanaos and Joloans,
chastised because of the fleets that they were sending to plunder these
islands, have been subdued and have made peace several times. But,
whenever it appears good to them, they break the peace, make war on us,
and sack and burn the towns of the Christians, capturing many thousands
of them; this is done not only by the Mindanaos, but by their vassals,
the Camucones and Tirones. Consequently, one can and ought to make war
on them very justifiably, until they are destroyed and annihilated,
if necessary--as was done before, and is being done in this year of
1751. [99] During this and previous years the king of Jolo lived in
Manila,