nced,
it is necessary for me to receive the payment for the said religious
in order that they may make their voyage in the fleet which is about
to be despatched to the province of Nueva Spana, and that his Majesty's
commands may be fulfilled. This cannot take effect unless your Lordship
provide me with the money necessary to buy clothing and ship supplies,
and what else is needed.

Therefore I beg and pray your Lordship to give commands that, in
addition to the seven hundred and seventy thousand seven hundred and
fifty-two maravedis which the treasurer Don Melchor Maldonado has been
commanded to deliver to me, in conformity with the said royal decree
issued from the royal council of the treasury, for the despatch of
the said religious, there may be delivered and paid to me the amount
which, in conformity with the said report sent by your Lordship to
the said royal council, shall be necessary and sufficient for the
despatch and maintenance of the said ten religious whom, as I have
said, his Majesty by his said royal decree commands me to conduct to
the said islands in addition to the said thirty religious--for whom
only your Lordship has given commands that allowance shall be made to
me. Thus your Lordship will do service to our Lord, and will fulfil
his Majesty's directions. For this, etc.

_Fray Diego Duarte_

The aforesaid members of the Council, having considered this petition,
give as their decision that a warrant has been delivered for the
amount for which he possesses the necessary papers; and that as for
the rest for which the said Fray Diego Duarte offers his prayer, he
shall receive the papers needed; and they, accordingly direct that
a warrant shall issue in conformity with the ordinance of the treasury.

Before me. _Adriano de Siguenca_, notary.

Your Lordship: Fray Diego Duarte of the Order of St. Dominic declares
that in accordance with the commands received from your Highness
directing him to seek religious of his order in order to conduct
them to his province in the Philippinas Islands, he has exerted
himself to do so, and will take the number of forty. He offers his
petition to your Highness that you will be pleased to command that he
shall accordingly be given what is necessary in order that they may
go aboard and also what they need to convey them to Sevilla, since
[his Majesty] by Don Francisco de Tejada, of his council, gave his
royal word to provide him with it. [Without date or signature