The China Trade

A lot of merchandise from China, Japon, Maluco, Malaca, Sian, Camboja, Borneo, and other districts go, through merchants and businessmen, from Manila to:

• Nueva España
• sometimes to Japon, where great profits are made from raw silk.

The great increase of this trade was harmful to:

• the Spanish merchants who shipped goods to Peru and Nueva España
• the royal duties collected on the shipments from España

The businessmen of Mexico and Peru became greedy of trade and commerce with the Filipinas.

They:

• reduced the trade with España
• invested great consignments of silver to the Filipinas from his Majesty’s kingdoms

Thus, all persons of Nueva España and Peru were prohibited from:

• trading and engaging in commerce in the Filipinas
• taking the Chinese merchandise to those regions. [402]

Permission was given to the inhabitants of the Filipinas that they alone might trade in the said merchandise, and export it.

They are to take these goods themselves, or send them with persons who belong to the islands, so that they may sell them.

From the proceeds of the said merchandise, they may not carry to the Filipinas more than 500,000 pesos each year. [403]

A considerable number of somas and junks generally come from Great China to Manila, laden with merchandise.

Every year, 30-40 ships are wont to come with the monsoon and settled weather generally in March from:

• Canton, Chincheo, and Ucheo [Fo-Kien]

They go to Manila in 15-20 days, sell their merchandise, and return in good season, before the vendavals set in—the end of May and a few days of June.

These vessels come laden with merchandise, and bring wealthy merchants who own the ships, and servants and factors of other merchants who remain in China.

They leave China with the permission and license of the Chinese viceroys and mandarins.

The merchandise that they generally bring and sell to the Spaniards consists of:

• raw silk in bundles, of the fineness of two strands [dos cabeças]
• other silk of poorer quality
• fine untwisted silk, white and of all colors, wound in small skeins
• quantities of velvets, some plain, and some embroidered in all sorts of figures, colors, and fashions—others with body of gold, and embroidered with gold
• woven stuffs and brocades, of gold and silver upon silk of various colors and patterns
• quantities of gold and silver thread in skeins over thread and silk—but the glitter of all the gold and silver is false, and only on paper
• damasks, satins, taffetans, gorvaranes, picotes, [404] and other cloths of all colors, some finer and better than others
• a quantity of linen made from grass, called lençesuelo [handkerchief]; [405]
• white cotton cloth of different kinds and qualities, for all uses.

They also bring:

• musk, benzoin, and ivory
• many bed ornaments, hangings, coverlets, and tapestries of embroidered velvet
• damask and gorvaran of different shades
• tablecloths, cushions, and carpets
• horse-trappings of the same stuff, and embroidered with glass beads and seed-pearls
• some pearls and rubies, sapphires and crystal-stones
• metal basins, copper kettles, and other copper and cast-iron pots
• all sorts of nails, sheet-iron, tin and lead
• saltpetre and gunpowder.

They supply the Spaniards with:

• wheat flour
• preserves made of orange, peach, scorzonera, [406] pear, nutmeg, and ginger, and other fruits of China
• salt pork and other salt meats
• live fowls of good breed
• very fine capons
• quantities of green fruit, oranges of all kinds
• excellent chestnuts, walnuts, pears, and chicueyes [407] (both green and dried, a delicious fruit)
• quantities of fine thread of all kinds, needles, and knick-knacks
• little boxes and writing-cases
• beds, tables, chairs, and gilded benches, painted in many figures and patterns.

They bring:

• domestic buffaloes
• geese that resemble swans
• horses
• some mules and asses
• caged birds, some of which talk, while others sing, and they make them play innumerable tricks.

The Chinese furnish:

• other gewgaws and ornaments of little value and worth, which are esteemed among the Spaniards
• fine crockery of all kinds
• canganes, [408] sines, and black and blue robes
• tacley, which are beads of all kinds
• strings of cornelians, and other beads and precious stones of all colors
• pepper and other spices
• rarities which would not fit into this work

As soon as the ship reaches the mouth of the bay of Manila, the watchman stationed at the island of Miraveles goes out to it in a light vessel. Having examined the ship, he puts a guard of two or three soldiers on it, so that it may anchor upon the bar, near the city, and to see that no one shall disembark from the vessel, or anyone enter it from outside, until the vessel has been inspected. By the signal made with fire by the watchman from the said island, and the advice that he sends in all haste to the city—of what ship it is, whence it has come, what merchandise and people it brings—before the vessel has finished anchoring, the governor and the city generally know all about it. [409]

When the vessel has arrived and anchored, the royal officials go to inspect it and the register of the merchandise aboard it. At the same time the valuation of the cargo is made according to law, of what it is worth in Manila; for the vessel immediately pays three per cent on everything to his Majesty. [410] After the register has been inspected and the valuation made, then the merchandise is immediately unloaded by another official into champans, and taken to the Parián, or to other houses and magazines, outside of the city. There the goods are freely sold.

No Spaniard, Sangley, or other person is allowed to go to the ship to buy or trade merchandise, food, or anything else. Neither is it allowed, when the merchandise is ashore, to take it from them or buy it with force and violence; but the trade must be free, and the Sangleys can do what they like with their property.

The ordinary price of the silks (both raw and woven) and the cloths—which form the bulk of the cargo—is settled leisurely, and by persons who understand it, both on the part of the Spaniards and that of the Sangleys.

The purchase price is paid in silver and reals, for the Sangleys do not want gold, or any other articles, and will not take other things to China. All the trading must be completed by the end of the month of May, or thereabout, in order that the Sangleys may return and the Spaniards have the goods ready to lade upon the vessels that go to Nueva España by the end of June.

However, the larger dealers and those who have most money usually do their trading after that time, at lower rates, and keep the merchandise until the following year. Certain Sangleys remain in Manila with a portion of their merchandise for the same purpose, when they have not had a good sale for it, in order to go on selling it more leisurely.

The Sangleys are very skilful and intelligent traders, and of great coolness and moderation, in order to carry on their business better. They are ready to trust and accommodate freely whoever they know treats them fairly, and does not fail in his payments to them when these are due. On the other hand, as they are a people without religion or conscience, and so greedy, they commit innumerable frauds and deceits in their merchandise. The purchaser must watch them very closely, and know them, in order not to be cheated by them. The purchasers, however, acquit themselves by their poor payments and the debts that they incur; and both sides generally keep the judges and Audiencia quite busy.

Some Japanese and Portuguese merchantmen also come every year from the port of Nangasaque in Japon, at the end of October with the north winds, and at the end of March. They enter and anchor at Manila in the same way. The bulk of their cargo is excellent wheat-flour for the provisioning of Manila, and highly prized salt meats.

They also bring some fine woven silk goods of mixed colors; beautiful and finely-decorated screens done in oil and gilt; all kinds of cutlery; many suits of armor, spears, catans, and other weapons, all finely wrought; writing-cases, boxes and small cases of wood, japanned and curiously marked; other pretty gewgaws; excellent fresh pears; barrels and casks of good salt tunny; cages of sweet-voiced larks, called fimbaros; and other trifles. In this trading, some purchases are also made, without royal duties being collected from those vessels. The bulk of the merchandise is used in the country, but some goods are exported to Nueva España.

The price is generally paid in reals, although they are not so greedy for them as the Chinese, for there is silver in Japon. They generally bring a quantity of it as merchandise in plates, and it is sold at moderate rates.

These vessels return to Japon at the season of the vendavals, during the months of June and July. They carry from Manila their purchases, which are composed of raw Chinese silk, gold, deerskin, and brazil-wood for their dyes. They take honey, manufactured wax, palm and Castilian wine, civet-cats, large tibors in which to store their tea, glass, cloth, and other curiosities from España.

Some Portuguese vessels sail to Manila annually during the monsoon of the vendavals, from Maluco, Malaca, and India.

They take merchandise consisting of spices—cloves, cinnamon, and pepper; slaves, both blacks and Cafres; cotton cloth of all sorts, fine muslins [caniquies], linens, gauzes, rambuties, and other delicate and precious cloths; amber, and ivory; cloths edged with pita, [411] for use as bed-covers; hangings, and rich counterpanes from Vengala [Bengal], Cochin, and other countries; many gilt articles and curiosities; jewels of diamonds, rubies, sapphires, topazes, balas-rubies, and other precious stones, both set and loose; many trinkets and ornaments from India; wine, raisins, and almonds; delicious preserves, and other fruits brought from Portugal and prepared in Goa; carpets and tapestries from Persia and Turquia, made of fine silks and wools; beds, writing-cases, parlor-chairs, and other finely-gilded furniture, made in Macao; needle-work in colors and in white, of chain-lace and royal point lace, and other fancy-work of great beauty and perfection.

Purchases of all the above are made in Manila, and paid in reals and gold. The vessels return in January with the brisas, which is their favorable monsoon. They carry to Maluco provisions of rice and wine, crockery-ware, and other wares needed there; while to Malaca they take only the gold or money, besides a few special trinkets and curiosities from España, and emeralds. The royal duties are not collected from these vessels.

A few smaller vessels also sail from Borneo, during the vendavals. They belong to the natives of that island, and return during the first part of the brisas. They enter the river of Manila and sell their cargoes in their vessels.

These consist of fine and well-made palm-mats, a few slaves for the natives, sago—a certain food of theirs prepared from the pith of palms—and tibors; large and small jars, glazed black and very fine, which are of great service and use; and excellent camphor, which is produced on that island.

Although beautiful diamonds are found on the opposite coast, they are not taken to Manila by those vessels, for the Portuguese of Malaca trade for them on that coast. These articles from Borneo are bought more largely by the natives than by the Spaniards. The articles taken back by the Borneans are provisions of wine and rice, cotton cloth, and other wares of the islands, which are wanting in Borneo.

Very seldom a few vessels sail to Manila from Sian and Camboja. They carry some benzoin, pepper, ivory, and cotton cloth; rubies and sapphires, badly cut and set; a few slaves; rhinoceros horns, and the hides, hoofs, and teeth of this animal; and other goods. In return they take the wares found in Manila. Their coming and return is between the brisas and the vendavals, during the months of April, May, and June.

In these classes of merchandise, and in the products of the islands—namely, gold, cotton cloth, mendriñaque, and cakes of white and yellow wax—do the Spaniards effect their purchases, investments, and exports for Nueva España.

They make these as is most suitable for each person, and lade them on the vessels that are to make the voyage.

They value and register these goods, for they pay into the royal treasury of Manila, before the voyage, the two per cent royal duties on exports, besides the freight charges of the vessel, which amount to 40 Castilian ducados [412] per tonelada.

This latter is paid at the port of Acapulco in Nueva España, into the royal treasury of the said port, in addition to the ten per cent duties for entrance and first sale in Nueva España. [413]

Inasmuch as the ships which are despatched with the said merchandise are at his Majesty’s account, and other ships cannot be sent, there is generally too small a place in the cargo for all the purchases. For that reason the governor divides the cargo-room among all the shippers, according to their wealth and merits, after they have been examined by intelligent men, appointed for that purpose.

Consequently every man knows from his share how much he can export, and only that amount is received in the vessel; and careful and exact account is taken of it. Trustworthy persons are appointed who are present at the lading; and space is left for the provisions and passengers that are to go in the vessels.

When the ships are laden and ready to sail, they are delivered to the general and the officials who have them in charge. Then they start on their voyage at the end of the month of June, with the first vendavals.

This trade and commerce is so great and profitable, and easy to control—for it only lasts three months in the year, from the time of the arrival of the ships with their merchandise, until those vessels that go to Nueva España take that merchandise—that the Spaniards do not apply themselves to, or engage in, any other industry.

Consequently, there is no husbandry or field-labor worthy of consideration. Neither do the Spaniards work the gold mines or placers, which are numerous.

They do not engage in many other industries that they could turn to with great profit, if the Chinese trade should fail them.

That trade has been very hurtful and prejudicial in this respect, as well as for the occupations and farm industries in which the natives used to engage. Now the latter are abandoning and forgetting those labors.

Besides, there is the great harm and loss resulting from the immense amount of silver that passes annually by this way [of the trade], into the possession of infidels, which can never, by any way, return into the possession of the Spaniards.