ll
promptly inform your Reverence of everything; for to you I always
look for advice, light, and strong support in the Father. Madrid,
January 14, 1620.

+

_Francisco de Otaco_

Decree Ordering Reforms in the Friars' Treatment of the Indians

The King: To the president and auditors of my royal Audiencia which
resides in the city of Manila of the Philipinas Islands. I have been
informed of great transgressions committed by certain religious in
making repartimientos for their works on the Indians; and that the
religious take, for their support, from the natives their fowls and
other food at less [than the just] price, and practice on them injuries
and annoyances for their own gains. And inasmuch as it is advisable to
correct this, by ordering that the religious shall not use the Indians,
unless they pay them their just wage; and that, except by license of
you my governor, they shall not make repartimientos on the Indians
or oblige them to render service: therefore, my royal Council of the
Indias having examined the matter, I have considered it fitting to
have the present issued, by which I order you to attend to the above
matter in the assembly of the Audiencia there. And in what concerns my
royal patronage, my royal fiscal of my Audiencia shall prosecute as he
may deem best, so that those impositions and injuries may cease. The
visitors and corregidors of the districts shall take especial care to
prohibit them, and shall reform those who shall be guilty. By virtue
of the contents of this my decree, you shall despatch an order to
the said religious, so that they shall, under no circumstances,
inflict such injuries upon their parishioners. This likewise do I
charge upon the archbishop and bishops of those islands, and on the
provincials of the orders therein. Issued in Madrid, May twenty-nine,
one thousand six hundred and twenty.

_I The King_

Countersigned by Pedro de Ledesma, and signed by the Council.

[_Note at beginning of MS_.: "Procurator for the Indians of
Philipinas. To the Audiencia of Philipinas, in respect to redress
for the wrongs committed by the religious on the Indians."]

Relation of Events in the Philipinas Islands and Neighboring Provinces
and Kingdoms, from July, 1619, to July, 1620

In the same style and order in which I last year reported the various
events in the Philipinas Islands, and in neighboring kingdoms and
provinces upon which the welfare of the Philipinas