refore this country is not growing, but rather falling into
appalling decay and weakness.

What with the hopes they all have of returning to Espana, they will
not do otherwise than send their wealth back thither; and they have no
mind for spending it in the country where they earned it, in building
churches, monasteries, and chapels, and performing other pious works
whereby this city would be improved--which they would do if they knew
that permission could not be given them to go back to Espana.

It would seem best for the present that your Majesty should not make
exchanges or transfers of Indians with the encomenderos; for, if this
is done, your Majesty must pay for it in other parts of the royal
estate. At the least he will lose a soldier, an important thing in this
land, when it has cost your Majesty so much to bring him here. On the
other hand, they will always settle down, in order to have some one to
succeed them in their encomiendas, and will marry; and their children
will do the same, and become more and more naturalized in this land,
which is so important for its welfare.

Likewise it seems expedient, for the same object, that your Catholic
Majesty should found in this city a seminary and place of shelter for
girls, where they may be supplied with all necessaries while they
remain there, until they are married. If this were done, many poor
girls from Mexico and the whole of Nueva Espana would enter the said
seminary, knowing that there they would find support until they were
settled. In order that they may be more eager to come, it would be
of great advantage for your Majesty to direct that in Mexico should
be given them everything necessary for traveling expenses and those
of the voyage.

It would be of no little benefit to your Majesty's royal estate,
if there were sent from your royal treasury of Mexico to this one,
each year, twenty thousand pesos in coin; and if there were sent from
here to Mexico all the gold that is collected in tributes from the
Indians assigned to the royal crown, and what is paid for the tithes
and the assay fee--as it is in this country an article of trade,
which rises or falls according to the abundance of tostons. If this
gold were taken to Mexico, it would, in a few years, amount to double
the money given for it here; and if the attempt were made to issue
it from this treasury for its value, no one would take it, except at
a considerable loss, for the reason given.

If your