thed
race, and of higher morals. This is worthy of some belief, on account
of the Chinese who come to these islands to trade, and whom we see
walking about, well and decently clothed. Leaving this subject for
its proper time and place, I shall continue to relate the governor's
actions after disembarking in Manilla, on the sixteenth of May of
the year one thousand five hundred and seventy-one. At the end of a
week he published an edict that, in accordance with the command of his
Majesty, he would give lands and _repartimientos_ to those who desired
to settle in the city of Manilla, which he was founding in the name
of his Majesty. Accordingly, all those who came with him, captains,
soldiers, and gentlemen, settled as citizens in this city; but up to
the present, and it is now about a year since the city was founded,
there are very few who have _repartimientos_ or even homesteads. This
is, as I have said, a very unsatisfactory manner in which this city
was founded and settled. I shall now return to relate briefly the
war with the natives, which the Spaniards have carried on even to
the present day.

All that I have above related having taken place, it was decided to
make peace with the nearest villages, some of whom had come to beg
it from the governor, and others would not. Among those who would
not come was a village called Butas, situated on an inlet on the
other side of the river flowing past Manilla, and about a league
and a half away. This village, uniting with the others near by, sent
word that they did not wish peace or friendship with the governor;
and had the boldness to come as far as the village of Alcandora,
quite close to Manilla, whence they sent defiance to the governor and
the captains. Having endured this a number of times and having made
offers of peace, it finally became impossible to endure such insolence;
and the governor had to send the master-of-camp, with seventy soldiers
and several native leaders, by sea to fight with those Indians at their
village, where they were waiting with twenty or thirty of their boats,
with one or two culverins in each boat. He set out (after having heard
mass) on the day of the Feast of the Holy Ghost, which was the third
of the month of June in the year above mentioned. The master-of-camp,
having embarked with the soldiers, arrived at the place where the
enemy were assembled at twelve o'clock on that day. When they saw that
he was entering the port, they sailed out to