ist; and, according to the statements
of the Chinese, the name means in their language "City of Heaven,"
as says Marco Polo. This city of Quincay, as nearly as we can learn,
seems to be somewhat less than five hundred leagues from Manila,
which is to those living here as Cales and the mainland of Espana,
and if more of our people could go in one virey, everything would be
changed. These people do not extol Quincay less than Marco Polo does.

66. Marco Polo says that there are in that city Nestorian
Christians. The people here cannot pronounce the name, but claim that
there are people in it from all over the world in great numbers. The
people there are very vicious, as are those in these islands, which
are really an archipelago of China, and their inhabitants are one
people with the Chinese--as are those of Candia and of Constantinople,
who are all Greeks.

67. There are walls in the city formed of smooth, dry stone, well
placed on the outside. The food consists mainly of fish, for which they
go out into the sea to a distance of twenty leagues. Whoever should
prove master of the sea might do with them as he wished--especially
along their coast, which extends north and south for more than five
hundred leagues, where one may work daily havoc. Their garrisons of
soldiers along the coast are worthless, for they are treated only
as the servants of the commanders, and are overburdened; the result
is that the lowest and most abused people among the Chinese are
the soldiers.

68. The people generally have no weapons, nor do they use any. A
corsair with two hundred men could rob a large town of thirty thousand
inhabitants. They are very poor marksmen, and their arquebuses are
worthless.

69. The trade with China is very disadvantageous to the Spaniards,
as well as to the inhabitants of these islands; for the only useful
thing that they bring is iron, and nothing else. Their silks are of
poor quality; and they take away our gold and silver. Just so long
as their intercourse with us endures without war, just so much the
more skilful will they become; and all the less fear will they have
of those with whom they have traded.

70. Some Indians, Japanese, and Chinese told me here that the
Portuguese have taken weapons to China, especially arquebuses such as
we use; and a Chinese sold me a Portuguese broadsword. The Portuguese
could teach them the use of large artillery, how to manage the horse,
and other things equally injurious