446 SPANISH HISTORY the latter.-— Absurd arguments of the Spaniards for the expulsion of the Chinese refuted, — Chinese return to the Philippines. — A royal edict for their absolute expulsion not carried into effect by the local administration. — Royal edict carried into effect^ and its consequences. — Chinese return by slow degrees^ and are as numerous as ever Character of the Japanese, and their intercourse with the Spaniards of the Philippines. — Emperor of Japan sends a mission claim- ing vassalage from the Philippines. — He meditates their con- quest about the period oj' his persecution of the Christians in the empire* — Emperor of Japan sends a friendly mission to Manila. — A first and second revolt of the Japanese in the Philippines. -—The intercourse ivith Japan finally terminated by the fainous edict qj the Japanese empire, excluding itself from the intercourse of the tvorld. — Political intercourse be- ttoeen the Spaniards and the independent nations of the Ar- chipelago. — General reflections on the intercourse of Euro- peans with the more 'powerful nations of the Archipelago. — Futile attempts of the Spaniards to conquer Sooloo and Mindanao. — Retributive measures of the inhabitants of those islufids. — Wars of the Spaniards with European na- tions in the Archipelago. — Conquest of the Moluccas five times attempted. — Conquest of Manila by the English. — Plunder the object of those who planned the expedition. — Extravagant opinion of the wealth of Manila. — Narrative of the Conquest. — Animadversion on the conduct of the captors. — British conquest never extended beyond the neighbourhood of the city. — Population of the country dc' fend it ajter the destruction of the regular military force. — Important and interesting conclusions to be drawn from this vmis2ial circumstance. The influence of the Spanish nation in the Mo- luccas was of short duration, and limited extent ;
