their crops and the care of their
vineyards, [4] and to the pressing of wine; others planting cotton,
or raising poultry and swine, so that all were at work; moreover,
the chiefs were obeyed and respected, and the entire country well
provided for. But all this has disappeared since the coming of
the Spaniards. For since their coming all the Indians have given
themselves over to vice and vagabondage, wandering from village to
village to avoid work, and to indulge their vices--and this because,
seeing that the Spaniards have plenty of money, they are eager to serve
them. Finding that they have money, and food and clothing being given
to them, or procured by a day's labor, there is nothing to induce them
to return to their villages to cultivate the soil, and raise animals,
and work, as they formerly did. This state of affairs is already so
general in these islands that, when the attempt is made to compel a
native to work, he immediately takes to flight, and wanders about,
halting only at a place where he is allowed to remain idle. From this
have resulted the offenses mentioned in the question, a condition
which requires a remedy. Such was his reply to this question.

To the fifth question he said that all the evils and difficulties and
offenses against God, our Lord, mentioned in these questions will
disappear if the said ordinance is properly executed; for all the
natives would work, and the country be well supplied with crops and
provisions, and a surplus sufficient for the maintenance of all the
natives and Spaniards, as before the coming of the Sangleys, and the
money which the Chinese now carry from this country to their own would
remain here. Indeed, if these traders stopped coming altogether, the
islands would not lack supplies; as for clothing, the natives could
dress in their own stuffs, which are three times better than those
brought from China; and, besides what they make for their own garments,
they could make a large quantity for trade with the Spaniards; thus
would be kept in this country a very large sum of money, and thus
all this country would be wealthy and prosperous. This has not been
accomplished hitherto because the natives, for the reasons before
mentioned, will not weave their stuffs as they used to. And, besides
all this, there would be an end of the very great injury caused by the
Sangley's buying the raw cotton and taking it to his own country, to
be there worked into cloth, which again is broug