material of this document; it is bound with the Artieda relation.  In the Real Academia de la Historia, Madrid, is another MS. (a copy by Munoz) which is similar to the document of our text, in part; the MS. from which we translate may be a compilation from these other documents and from other letters written by Riquel which are alluded to therein.  The document of our text was written partly on shipboard (in a vessel which left Manila July 1, 1573), and completed at Mexico, from which city it was despatched to Spain in January, 1574.  The royal decrees of 1574 are taken from Doc. ined.  Amer. y Oceania, xxxiv, pp. 68-71; the originals are probably in Sevilla.  The decree forbidding encomiendas to royal officials is at Sevilla, its pressmark being, “Simancas—­Secular; Audiencia de Filipinas; Cartas y expedientes de los oficiales reales de Filipinas vistos en el Consejo; anos 1564 a 1622; est. 67, caj. 6, leg. 29.”  Sande’s relation of 1576 has been published in Retana’s Archivo, ii, no. 1.

It may be well to explain here the method of, arranging and locating documents which is employed in the Sevilla archives.  The first division is that of patronatos (sections), designated by names which show the character and source of the documents therein—­as “Simancas—­Bulas,” that is, papal bulls, which had been brought to Sevilla from Simancas.  Each patronato is divided into estantes (shelves), these into cajons (cases), And these again into legajos (packets); the legajo is sometimes further divided into ramos (parts) and numeros (numbers).  Any document may thus be easily and accurately located.

NOTES

[1] This document is printed in both Spanish text and English translation.

[2] Evidently meaning that the ship was proceeding to Spain, since it carried a cargo of spices for the king.

[3] The words in brackets are conjectural readings, the MS. being illegible in these places.

[4] Referring to Legazpi’s official despatches, evidently sent to Spain by the same vessel which carried these letters by Mirandaola and Lavezaris.  This document appears at the end of Vol.  II, under the title, “Negotiations between Legazpi and Perdra.”

[5] A relation purporting to have been written by this officer will appear later in this series.

[6] The escudo was a Spanish silver coin worth about 50.1 cents of United States money; it was equivalent to ten reals.

[7] These cities of China may be thus identified:  Chincheo (also written Chinchew) is the modern Chwan-Chow-Foo (variously written Shen-tsheou, Tsiuen-Tchou, and Tsiuan-tchau), in the province of Fo-Kien.  Cantun (Canton; Chin. Kwang-Chow-Foo) is the metropolis of the province of Kwang-Tung.  Huechiu is Hu-Chau (Hou-Tchou), Nimpou is Ning-Po, and Onchiu is Wan-Chau—­all in the province of Che-Kiang.  Hinan may refer to one of the towns on the island of Hainan, which