De Sande was the third governor of the Philippines who ruled from August 25, 1575 to April 1580.

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The actual order from De Sande to Esteban Rodriguez de Figueroa.



I certify thereto: 
Alonso Beltran, his Majesty's notary


That which you, Captain Estevan Rodriguez de Figueroa shall observe
on the expedition which you are about to make, God our Lord helping,
is as follows:


From this city and island of Borney, God willing, you shall go to the
islands of Xolo (Sulu), where you shall endeavor to reduce that chief and
his people to the obedience of his Majesty. You shall bargain with
them as to what tribute they shall pay, which shall be in pearls, as
they are wont to give to the king of Borney. You shall exercise great
care and, if possible, much mildness; for it is of importance that
those islands should not become depopulated; therefore, in case they
receive you peaceably, you shall treat them well. And, in addition to
the above, you must order that, besides the tribute that they are to
pay in pearls, they shall obtain as many of them as possible, so that
we, the Spaniards or Castilians, may buy them; that they must trade
with us from now on; that every year Castilians will go to their lands
with cloths and merchandise from China, of whatever they shall declare
that they may need. You shall inform yourself of their needs; and if
they wish to come to our settlements you shall give them permission
to go freely to Manila and to come to Borney, although not to steal.


Item: You shall find out from them the whereabouts of the artillery
and anchors of a ship lost there some three years ago; and you shall
seek it and see that it be brought you with all haste. You shall
keep close watch over the artillery, ammunition, vessels, sails,
and other like things pertaining to the armed fleet; and you shall
deprive them of those supplies, for it is notorious that those people
are common marauders.


And because of my information that the chief who calls himself lord
of Xolo is a Bornean, and owns houses in this city of Borney; that
he fought against us in the naval battle, and that he fled to Xolo,
where he is now; and since I am told that he took two galleys and
three small vessels, artillery, and ammunition--you shall exercise
the utmost despatch to obtain the said galleys, vessels, artillery,
and ammunition. If he acquiesce, you shall give him a passport. You
shall see whether he has any children; and, if so, you shall take one,
and tell him that he must come to see me in Borney in February.


And, as I have said, this must be done if possible gently, in order
that no people may be killed. You shall tell them that it will be
to their advantage to be vassals of his Majesty, and our allies. If
they do not act respectfully, and it shall be necessary to punish
them in another manner, you shall do so. And inasmuch as the Joloans,
as is well known, are open pirates, whose only ambition is to steal,
and to assault men in order to sell them elsewhere--especially as
they go annually for plunder among all the Pintados Islands, which
are under his Majesty's dominion--you shall try to ascertain the
Pintados slaves among them, in order to return such to their homes,
especially those who are Christians. And, as I have said, you shall
deprive them of such vessels as seem to be used for raids, leaving
them their fishing-vessels, so that if the said lord of Jolo so desire,
he can come to confer reasonably with me. Thus you shall ascertain who
has vessels, and who can inflict injuries; and you shall command them
expressly to settle down in their land, to cultivate, sow, and harvest,
develop the pearl industry, and cease to be pirates. You shall order
them to raise fowls and cattle. You shall try to ascertain their
number, and bring it to me in writing, in order that I may see it,
together with the distance from these islands to the Jolo Islands,
information regarding the food, water, and healthfulness of that land,
and other things that may occur to you. And you shall tell the people,
in my name, that they shall tame for me a couple of elephants; and
that I shall send for those animals and pay for them.


After having finished affairs in Xolo, if time permits you shall,
God willing, go to the island of Mindanao. There you shall try,
by the most convenient methods and with friendliness, to reduce the
chief of the river of Bindinao, and the other chiefs of that island,
and of those near by, to the obedience of his Majesty--giving him to
understand what they will gain in becoming his Majesty's vassals and
our allies, and in having trade with us.


And, in order that the tribute may not prevent them from making
peace with us, you shall not ask them for any tribute; but you shall
take what they give freely, and nothing more, and in such form as
they are willing to give. Thus you shall suit their convenience
in everything pertaining to them, and cause them to understand the
great expenses of his Majesty in this land. You shall also tell them
that the gain therefrom affects them chiefly, since we come to teach
them our civilization, and most of all the service of God, our Lord,
who created and redeemed them, and of whom they are ignorant; and how
to live in accord with natural law, as is their obligation. For this
purpose you shall tell them that you are going to their land for two
principal reasons.


The first is that they should cease to be pirates, who rob and harry
the weak, and enslave wherever and whomsoever they can--selling
their captives outside of their own island, and separating them from
their wives and children; and that they must cease to commit other
like cruelties and thefts, and must become good and virtuous men,
who shall grow to merit the second and principal reason for going to
their lands. You shall give them to understand that they are ignorant
of God, our Lord, who created and redeemed them, so that when they know
him they may serve him and become good. It is quite evident that they
will gain very much in these things, and therefore it is right that
they aid us and give us something. This shall be at their own will,
as above said.


Item: You shall order them not to admit any more preachers of
the doctrine of Mahoma (Mohammed), since it is evil and false, and that of the
Christians alone is good. And because we have been in these regions so
short a time, the lord of Bindanao has been deceived by the preachers
of Borney, and the people have become Moros. You shall tell him that
our object is that he be converted to Christianity; and that he must
allow us freely to preach the law of the Christians, and the natives
must be allowed to go to hear the preaching and to be converted,
without receiving any harm from the chiefs.


And you shall try to ascertain who are the preachers of the sect of
Mahoma, and shall seize and bring them before me. And you shall burn
or destroy the house where that accursed doctrine has been preached,
and you shall order that it be not rebuilt.


Item: You shall order that the Indians shall not go outside of
their island to trade; and you shall seize those vessels used for
plundering excursions, leaving them those which, in your judgment,
are used for trade and fishing. You shall take also what artillery
and ammunition they have.


You shall ascertain the harvest, seasons, and products of the land;
the gold mines, and the places where they wash gold; the number
of inhabitants, and their settlements; and their customs. You
must especially secure information regarding cinnamon, in order to
ascertain if it is found along the river, or if one must go to Cabite
for it, and why it is not as good as that which the Portuguese take to
Castilla. You shall ascertain how they cut and strip it from the tree,
and if it be of importance that it dry on the tree, or in what other
manner it should be treated; for I have been told that that obtained
from these districts in the past has not been good, and has not a
good sale in España.

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May 23, 1578: Governor Francisco de Sande sent off an officer to subdue the Sulu Islands