Spanish Filipino territories, together with the Spanish West Indies, were administered through the Viceroyalty of New Spain based in Mexico City. The Captaincy General of the Philippines (; ) was an administrative district of the Spanish Empire. The Captaincy General encompassed the Spanish East Indies which included the modern country of the Philippines and various Pacific Island possessions, such as the Caroline Islands and Guam. It was founded in 1565 with the first permanent Spanish settlements. For centuries all the political and economic aspects of the Captaincy were administered in Mexico by the Viceroyalty of New Spain, while the administrative issues had
East Indies theatre of the French Revolutionary Wars to Macau. After seeing his charges into harbour in December, Captain Edward Cooke investigated Manila himself in "Sybille", accompanied by "Fox". There he discovered the weak state of the Spanish squadron. Other British ships were operating in the East Indies: in July 1797, "Resistance" and a force of EIC troops captured Kupang on Timor but were subsequently driven off by an armed uprising by the Malay citizens of the town. In the street fighting 13 British troops and 300 Malays were killed. "Resistance" was subsequently lost on 24 July 1798, accidentally destroyed with more than 300 of its crew in