. The manager does not dare to wage war against them or to denounce
their thefts, although he knows them. One night when I was there at
twelve o'clock, appeared a cavalry troop sent from the neighboring
province of Pampanga by Alcalde Urbina and commanded by Lieutenant
Lao. With them they brought several persons who had been robbed, and
took them before the official. He had a list of many whom he was to
arrest. It had already been given to the justice of the village. We
amounted to four or five Spaniards in that place. One of those who
live there came within a few minutes to tell us secretly that those
who were to do the arresting had already advised those who were to be
arrested so that they might get out of the way, and so that no one
could be caught. That person and the manager were silent in order
not to compromise themselves, and I did the same, because the evil
was already done, and in order not to abuse the confidence which
they had in me. In fact, the officer and his men, and the guides,
went away without having arrested a single one. A fortnight after
another official, named Dayot, who knows the language of the country
well, returned. Warned by what had happened the first time, he went
directly to the houses where his guides took him; and, consequently,
he seized some of them. Later he came to the estate and asked us for
a very notorious fellow who was said to be absent. We assured him that
we had seen that man less than an hour before. I advised Dayot to have
the soldiers put aside their arms and uniforms, and send them dressed
like the natives together with the guides, and if they surprised anyone
to take him to the barracks; since, to imagine that the justice would
aid him to arrest the criminals was to imagine something that could
not be. In fact, he did that, and within three days he marched away
taking five or six prisoners with him. A great state of consternation
reigned throughout that district, which was good evidence of the moral
condition of the inhabitants. In a few months I asked and learned that
they were back already and in quiet possession of their homes. One day
I was talking in Manila to the regent of the Audiencia, Don Matias
de Mier, about that system of impunity which I had observed in the
islands. That gentleman remarked to me: "It is not possible to take
severe measures here, Senor Mas, for it is necessary to govern here
with mildness." I praise and esteem most sincerely the benevolent
ide