with such hardships and in a climate so hot and oppressive as this
is--especially as they have parents, children, wives, and relatives in
that country who are continually beseeching the Chinese magistrates and
people. And he seeks the liberty of those who are here in our power,
captive and condemned, and begs and entreats from your Highness what
he has sought in the other petition. And more particularly he asks
in this other if your Highness will order that especial attention be
given to this; that even if it be true that the king of China will not
make war upon us, as he threatens, yet I am warned by those Chinese
who are our best friends that they know, from their own histories,
that it is quite probable that the king of China will at least cut
off the trade with these countries, under the heaviest penalties,
which would be the total ruin of this commonwealth. The king of China
did this to the Japanese, who formerly had trade and commerce with
the Chinese between the two countries, the Chinese going to Japon
and the Japanese going to China. The king of China, seeing that the
Japanese did not maintain their trade with the care and honesty that
they should, did not make war upon them, but took away their trade
and commerce under a singularly vigorous penalty--which is, that if
any Chinaman trades with the Japanese not only he but his father,
mother, and relatives shall be put to death. This has remained the law
up to the present, inviolably; and no Chinaman has transgressed it,
unless it be some villainous and desperate man. This is one of the
most important considerations to be judged in the present case. He
begs and entreats your Highness to command that this be considered,
and commands me to give an attestation of this petition and procedure.

_Fray Miguel_, archbishop of Manila.

In the city of Manila, on the thirteenth day of June of the year
1605, the lords president and auditors of the royal Audiencia and
Chancilleria of these Filipinas Islands being in session, this
petition was read; and, having considered it, they decreed that the
depositaries should be commanded to render an account as soon as
possible, of the property which they have held on deposit, so that it
may be surrendered; and that, when the ships shall have arrived from
Castilla, what is owing shall be paid into the royal treasury. As
concerns the Chinese who are in the galleys, the matter is being
examined, so that suitable measures may be taken