This text comprises Volume XXIII of a significant multi-volume collection that translates and annotates primary source documents detailing the history of the Philippine Islands from the late 15th to the late 19th century. This specific volume focuses on the years 1629 and 1630, a critical juncture in the Spanish colonial period. The documents reveal the administrative challenges faced by Governor Juan Niño de Tavora, including severe financial strain due to diminished trade and lack of sufficient support from Mexico. The volume covers Tavora's reports on external threats, such as skirmishes with the Joloan Moros and diplomatic tensions with Japan following a controversial ship burning. A major portion of the book is dedicated to Fray Juan de Medina’s comprehensive history of the Augustinian order in the Philippines up to 1630, providing invaluable insight into the establishment and expansion of Catholic missions, early Spanish interactions with indigenous groups like the Visayans and Tagalogs, and detailed descriptions of the islands' social and economic conditions during the foundational years of the Spanish presence. It captures the intertwining of secular, commercial, and religious life in the burgeoning colony.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 (Vol. 23, 1629-1630)