at for this reason they had been handcuffed. Were
I not sure that this was so, I would not dare to affirm it to your
Majesty, for these are serious matters which do not speak well for the
Portuguese. Although it is not to be believed that all of them say
these things of us, still it needs only a few of them to speak such
words in order to persuade the Chinese; and those few have caused
no little harm, for, had not God provided a remedy, they would have
greatly hindered the gospel from ever entering that kingdom. However,
since the Chinese have experienced the contrary of what had been told
them, and the Chinese or Sangleys (which mean the same thing) who go
there from here tell them of the fairness with which we treat them
here, and of the freedom that they enjoy among us, they have regained
confidence, and are not offended at seeing us there, as is proved by
those two ships which were driven on their shores. Doctor Sanctiago
de Vera told me last year that he intended to make arrangements with
the mandarins of Chincheo by which they might give us an island not
far from that coast where the Castilians might settle and establish
their commerce; he added that this plan met with no great opposition
on the part of the Sangleys. But this was not carried out, and I do
not know who was the cause of the failure. To corroborate the fact
that the mandarins do not keep the gates of that kingdom so tightly
closed as the Portuguese affirmed, something else has occurred quite
recently which shows it clearly. When the Portuguese expelled all the
Castilian religious from Macan and ordered them to go to Yndia, and
not to return here, two friars fled secretly to the city of Canton,
and thence they went to Chincheo by land, covering a distance of
about one hundred leagues, without receiving any harm whatever; on
the contrary, they were well treated, and the mardarin of Chincheo
sent them back to this city in one of his own ships. The captain
who brought them has visited me several times, and I have thanked
him. At present these religious are in this city, and have spoken to
me of what occurred to them on the journey from Macan to Chincheo,
and of the presents which the captain who brought them here from
Chincheo gave them. From all the aforesaid we infer that what has been
reported of the refusal of the Chinese kingdom, and of its rulers,
to permit entrance to foreigners has been invention and slander by the
Portuguese, who did this for the