nd leads them to take for themselves all the profits thereof. At
present--with much honor to your Majesty's royal crown and to the
Spanish nation--the Chinese come with their goods to the Philipinas,
and each Spaniard may buy and export goods; although even of this
traffic, it is said commonly that there is nothing to be expected
except thunderbolts from heaven to punish what is done, if report
be true. But at last shame must check these injustices sometime,
and not permit them to be done so openly. But if vessels are sent
from here to China, the Chinese merchants will not come here, nor
will goods from China be brought here; and should such goods come,
the governor and auditors will export their own goods, depriving of
space those to whom all the exportation is granted, according to the
just and holy will of your Majesty.

Even were it only for the sake of not seeing the Spanish nation so
defamed as it must be in China, and hated and scorned in these regions
even by the school-children, the governor and auditors should not be
willing to enter into a traffic so costly to the honor and reputation
of our nation. Here we have no large armies to sustain us, nothing
but reputation alone, and if they treat us as avaricious persons,
there will not be an Indian who will not be insolent to the Spaniards
on account of this, and more in proportion as we are always blinded
by avarice. What must be lost by the holy gospel and the Christian
law is evident; for sailors and soldiers will go hence in the ship--an
ungodly people, guilty of sins of the flesh as well as other offenses,
who know naught except to commit offenses against those with whom
they deal. Moreover, the heathen cannot receive a very good example
from the wars and enmity which will exist between the Castilians and
the Portuguese. The Chinese who come here to Manila have some poor
examples; but they also receive very good lessons from the religious,
and in the churches, the holy ceremonies of the church, and in the
life of several very good Spaniards, and even of some Indians. But
when the ship of the governor and auditors, or any others, is sent
there, the Chinese can have but the examples of soldiers, sailors,
and impious people.

God knows what the import and export duties and incomes of your
Majesty would profit and gain by the bringing of goods from China and
exporting them to Nueva Espana, because everything has to pass through
the hands of avarice, and of minis