used there before, began to increase their ships, bringing each year
a greater number than before. In these they brought to the islands
very large quantities of provisions (although there was no need of
these in the country), together with many pieces of satin, damask,
and taffeta, and other pieces of fine silk, and a large quantity of
cotton cloths, white and colored. And so far has this gone that this
witness has known as many as twenty ships to come in a single year,
and he has known a time when at least eight entered the river of Manila
alone. For, besides these, many go to the provinces of Pintados, which
they call Pan, Cubu, Pangansinan, Ylocos, and Cagayan. And when the
natives of all this Panpanga and of the rest of these islands--the
Bisayan as well as the Tagalan--saw these large quantities of cloth
brought by the Sangleys, and that these were so cheap, they were
unwilling to weave cloth, as they were wont to do before the Spaniards
had come and before the Sangleys brought cloth to them. To avoid
this labor, little as it was, all the natives have taken to buying
their stuffs for clothing, and have entirely abandoned their own,
which they formerly wore. The result is that in all this province,
as this witness knows, no cloths are made; for whenever a garment is
needed by a chief, timagua or slave, he straightway goes to Manila,
where the Chinese have their market, and buys it from them. Another
result of this practice is this: As all the natives--chiefs, timaguas,
and slaves alike--dress in these Sangley garments, the slave as well as
the chief, no one can decide whether they are not all chiefs. A large
quantity of the cloth is consumed, and it seems to this witness that
the number is even larger than stated in the question, rather than
smaller. And if this evil is not resisted and remedied very soon,
this number will greatly increase. For as the natives are compelled
to buy them from the Chinese, every one of the said pieces of cloth,
however worthless it may be, costs a peso or a peso and a half. If