FOREIGN TRADE UP TO OPENING OF COUNTRY. 517 



inconsiderable remnants. Several attempts that were made from 

 Macao to regain the commercial ground lost in Japan met only 

 with the greatest misfortune. Their former paradise remained 

 closed to them. 



After the union of Portugal with Spain, through Philip II., in 

 1580 A.D., an occurrence from which the Portuguese date the decline 

 and eventual loss of their commanding position and of their con- 

 siderable Asiatic commerce, Manila was also included in this de- 

 privation. The commerce of this city with Macao and Japan, 

 in regard to which the work of A. de Morga cited above gives 

 interesting information, was very active. 



Towards the end of October and during March the ships used to 

 sail with northerly winds from Nagasaki to Manila. They brought 

 to the Philippines chiefly flour of very good quality, and also much 

 valued salt meat, salt tunny-fish, very good Q) fresh pears, iron 

 tools and weapons, am.ong them fine swords, besides beautiful 

 screens, artistically lacquered jewel cases of rare woods, and other 

 trifles attractive and handsome, — cages, a little silver, patterned 

 silks. There were also horses from Japan, of which de Morga 

 gives an excellent description. The ships returned to Nagasaki in 

 June or July, under the influence of the southern monsoon winds ; 

 their freight from Manila consisted of raw silk (from China), hart- 

 shorn-shavings {}) and brazil-wood for dyeing, honey, wax, wine 

 (from Spain), Thibetian cats, great jars (Tibor) for keeping tea, and 

 also glass and clothing material. 



The first disturbance of these amicable relations was made by 

 "Taiko-sama, the Lord of all Japan," in a letter to the Governor,^ 

 wherein he arrogantly ordered him to recognise his superior rank 

 and to send tribute in recognition of it, or he would come with 

 a fleet and destroy the land. The tone of this letter corresponds 

 exactly to that in which Hideyoshi addressed the king of Corea 

 when he desired him to enter into an alliance against China (see 

 vol. i. p. 282). The correspondence lasted several years according 

 to de Morga, and then Taiko-sama died. P'rom this it is seen that 

 this insolent letter must have been written about the year 1595.^ 

 It occasioned great anxiety in Manila. Through fear of an in- 

 vasion all the Japanese, who were there in considerable number, 

 were sent back to their country. 



In the year 1596 Don Francisco Tello, the new governor of the 

 Philippines, came into office. One year later the ship San Felipe, 



^ Gomez Perez Dasmarinas, who had arrived at his post in 1590, by the route 

 then common — via Acapulco. 



" According to Dutch sources (" Memorables Embassies," etc.), Taiko-sama 

 had stated in this document that the civil wars in Japan were over, and that he 

 himself was a pledge of internal peace. He now wished to make war upon 

 China, and desired to this end the good-will of the governors, as signs of this 

 demanding subjection and tribute. From this we might conclude that the state 

 paper dates from the year 1591, as the expedition to Corea, for the above- 

 mentioned purpose, took place in 1592. 



