This document represents the sixteenth volume in a seminal series that compiled and translated rare, contemporaneous historical sources detailing the political, economic, commercial, and religious conditions of the Philippine Islands from 1493 to 1898. The volume contains the conclusion of Antonio de Morga's 1609 work, Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, and a heavily synopsized translation of Bartolomé Leonardo de Argensola's 1609 Conqvista de las Islas Malvcas. The collection offers a primary source perspective on the administration of the Spanish colony during the first decade of the seventeenth century. Key historical events documented here include the Spanish Governor Pedro de Acuña's successful 1606 campaign to capture Ternate from the Dutch in the Moluccas, a major operation to secure the vital spice trade for the Spanish Crown. The text also provides a detailed, ethnographic account of the Philippine archipelago's geography and inhabitants, including the Visayans, Negritos, and Moros, describing their customs, social organization (such as the barangay structure and slavery practices), and religious beliefs before and during the Spanish arrival. Through Morga’s concluding chapter, the document sketches a portrait of Manila as the metropolis of the Spanish East Indies, highlighting the importance of the Chinese trade, the problems of colonial finance, and the perilous navigation routes of the galleons between the Philippines and Acapulco, New Spain. The series as a whole was compiled and published in the early 20th century to make these irreplaceable records of Philippine history, which were often locked away in foreign archives, accessible to researchers and students.
The Philippine Islands, 1493–1898 (Vol. 16, 1609)