In May, 1603, three Chinese mandarins visit Manila. Salazar y Salcedo,
the fiscal, informs the king of this, and sends him a translation
of the letter presented by the mandarins to the governor (in which
they explain that they have come in search of a mountain of gold,
of which report had reached them); also a copy of the complaint made
by the fiscal to the Audiencia regarding the manner in which these
mandarins have administered justice, according to their own usages,
to the Chinese residing in Manila. The governor forbids them to
continue such procedure, and takes measures to fortify the city
against possible Chinese invasion.

Fray Miguel de Benavides resigns his bishopric (July 4), to become
archbishop of Manila. On the next day he reports to the king his
arrival at Manila, and the present condition of affairs in the
islands, which is very disheartening. The Mindanao pirates have
ravaged the coasts, and carried away many captives. The richest part
of the city, including the merchandise stored in the warehouses,
has been destroyed by fire; and the ships from Mexico arrived too
late for the merchants to ship goods thither this year. The people
are full of anxiety over a possible war with the Chinese; and the
archbishop deprecates the laxity of the royal officials in allowing
so many Chinese to live in the islands. They are so numerous that
their presence is a menace to the Spaniards, and they are corrupting
the natives with their own vicious practices. He urges that most of
the Chinese be expelled from the islands, and that the conduct of
the civil officials be investigated and punished. On the next day,
he writes another letter to ask that certain matters in the islands
be set right. The trade upon which the people depend for support
is being taken from them by unscrupulous Spaniards from Mexico and
Peru. The archbishop has been urged to excommunicate those citizens