ity, and very prejudicial to the development
of this land. Taking up the principal point to be answered in the
"Opinion"--namely, that his Majesty was ill informed of the affairs
of this land, as thus appears by his letter which Captain Juan de
la Ysla brought, we affirm that it is very erroneous. For what his
Majesty says in his letter is the same of which report was made before
he wrote it, and the same which was occurring when the report was
made of the affairs of this land, and so to say, more clear, public,
and notorious--namely, that the governor (who is now in glory), when
he entered this land, entered it in peace, inviting to his friendship
all the natives. Thus in the island of Ybabao which was the first of
these Filipinas islands of which possession was taken, Indians came
to the ships from the shore, who made friends and rendered obedience
to his Majesty. These came of their own will, to make friends, and at
the first, before any bartering of food and other small articles was
made, and without anything of their possessions being asked. The same
was done on the river Calayan, where were Captain Andres de Ybarra
and father Fray Diego de Herrera. Peace was made, and nothing was
asked or taken from them; and they remained friends. And although
in the island of Ybabao certain Indians treacherously killed there
Francisco Gomez and another Spaniard, no war was made upon them for
that reason. Rather the governor was always calling for peace from
all the natives of the islands where he went, without making war
on anyone. So in Bohol the chiefs gave their obedience, and came to
the ships of their own will. From that place a contingent was sent
to Butuan to make friends with the chief. Captain Juan de la Ysla
and that same father provincial went there and made friends with
Limanpao, lord of Butuan. From there they went to Cubu, where they
summoned and from the small boats invited the natives to make peace,
proclaiming for two or three days the summons, until those natives
shot arrows from the shore at those in the boats, who were continuing
to summon them peaceably to make peace. Therefore father Fray Andres
de Urdaneta, he who was calling upon them for peace, made a harangue
to the people, saying that they were apostates, and that war could be
made against them legitimately. The governor disembarked there, with
the opposition of the natives. After having planted a colony there,
many Indians of the neighborhood, and eve