ne person,
but I prefer to pass them over. It is especially so as we are five
thousand leagues from your Majesty, and those of us who are imprudent
proceed under the impression that what we do here will not be known
there. It is evident that the presidency would be better filled by
the archbishop than by the governor; for when the latter is president
he has means, if he so desire, to keep the auditor from judging and
even the fiscal from petitioning, if they be lacking in courage. Your
Majesty will order this to be examined, and provide in regard to it
as may be most expedient. May God protect your Majesty according to
His power and the needs of Christendom. Manila, July 4, 1603.

The licentiate _Hieronimo de Salazar y Salcedo_

[_Endorsed_: "Manila, to his Majesty; the fiscal, Hieronimo de Salazar,
July 4, 1603. No answer to be given to this letter; June 30, 1604."]

LETTERS FROM VARIOUS OFFICIALS AND ECCLESIASTICS

Sire:

On the fourth of the present month there left this port the ship
"Nuestra Senora de la Antigua," one of the two from Peru that I
brought in the convoy last year, with the reenforcements of troops,
arms, and military supplies which came to these islands. On the
morning of the next day the other ship, called the "San Alifonso,"
left; and in the afternoon arrived the advices and despatches from
General Andres Hurtado de Mendoca, who has in charge the armed fleet
which your Majesty ordered to be sent to Maluco, and from Captain
Juan Xuares Gallinato, who conducted the reenforcements sent by
me. By these I was advised of the result of the encounter there,
as your Majesty will be particularly informed by the copies which
accompany this, to which I refer you for the whole matter, merely
adding that it has caused me much grief and anxiety, owing to the
dangerous and embarrassed condition of affairs there--not only from
the Dutch, whose trade is so well established there, and who are
so prosperous; but from the encouragement which it will give to the
people of Terrenate and Mindanao, and to others, their confederates
and allies, to do all the mischief that they can in those islands. If,
while the said armada was at the Maluco Islands the Mindanaos have
dared to commit the hostilities of which I have written to your
Majesty in other letters, we may fear worse things now that their
friends the Terrenatans are victorious, and more skilful and expert
through what their experience and the Dutch have ta