THREE CHINESE MANDARINS AT MANILA

The licentiate Geronimo de Salazar y Salcedo, fiscal for your Majesty
in the royal Chancillería of the Philipinas Islands. In the month of
February or March of each year there usually come from the kingdom
of China to this city of Manila thirty ships, and sometimes more,
with merchandise from that kingdom. This year they were detained
until the middle of May, and only fourteen ships came. In one of
them were three mandarins, who are the same as those whom we call
"governors." Three or four days before they arrived at this city,
the chief of them sent a letter to Don Pedro de Acuña, governor and
captain-general of these islands and president of the royal Audiencia
thereof. A copy of the translation of this letter will be sent with
this. In this they gave us to understand that Oyten, a Chinaman who
had been in these islands, told their king that in the port of Cavite
there was a great hill of gold which had no owner, and that the people
of that vicinity availed themselves of it to obtain a great quantity
of gold. Their king had sent him to learn the truth, for there had
been those who contradicted this; and therefore the governor should
have no apprehension, and might rest secure.

On the twenty-third of May the three mandarins landed in this city,
with many insignia of justice which they are accustomed to wear in
China, attended by alguacils, executioners, and other officers, with
wands and cords, and receiving much reverence. They had a small box
in which were carried the patents of their offices. While I was on
that day in the company of the governor, all three mandarins came
in to visit him, and we saw them coming from a window. I told the
governor that those mandarins could not be allowed to carry their