sand
head, while all of them have more than a thousand. These cattle,
on account of their number, spread and wander out of bounds, and do
much damage. Finding this wrong in existence when I assumed office,
I began some suits to cause the cattle-farms to be abandoned. On one of
the farms, which belonged to Captain Pedro de Brito, near the villages
of Capa, Namayan, and Santana, the Audiencia on appeal decided that he
must keep his cattle within bounds; and that such cattle as might be
found straying might be killed by the Indians who found them in their
fields. Being a wretched race, they dare not do this, and suffer much
from this and other causes. There are some persons who charge Indians
with having wronged them, and who take the Indians into service that
they may work off the damage done. So far is this custom carried that
the service is converted into slavery. There is now a great abundance
of cattle outside of this district, and so many cattle-farms are not
needed. It would be well for your Majesty to command that all of them
within three leguas of towns and cultivated areas should be abandoned,
in order that this molestation may cease.

The province of Panpanga is twelve leguas hence. It is the most
fertile in all the islands, and the inhabitants have done more in
your service than have any others. It lies low and is bounded by
some mountains which slope down to it. The natives of the mountains
are called Zambales. They are a race that live like beasts, without
settled habitations; and they are so murderous that their delight is
cutting off heads. For this purpose they come down upon this province,
and, as its inhabitants are a race entirely devoted to agriculture,
they take them unawares, and have wrought and do work great outrages
upon them. The effort was made to put a garrison in their country,
and some Spanish troops were stationed there. Since the country is
rough and mountainous, it is impossible to march in it; and as there
is no certain day on which the attacks of the mountaineers can be
anticipated, it is impossible to prevent them. The Panpangans have
often asked for permission to destroy these others, by killing or
enslaving them; but no decision has been given them in all the years
during which the matter has been discussed. The remedy for the evil
is easy, for if they be given for a time as slaves to any man who can
capture them, this will encourage the making of inroads upon them. This
has not been