able to make
any innovation upon that which has hitherto been done, as that would
be of little advantage, and cause much expense. When the ships return
to these islands they are of much use in defense if they come well
supplied with arms and ammunition, with a hundred soldiers in each as
reenforcements for the troops in these islands. As for the regulation
that the officials who are to go on these ships are to be appointed
here, and that they shall be chosen from among the most influential
and most honored citizens of these islands and those best qualified
for such posts, and that they shall give bonds and that residencia
shall be exacted from them, your Majesty's decrees shall be fulfilled.

As for the fourth section, it provides that the commanders and seconds
in command, and the officers of the said ships, shall have in the
voyage no trade or commerce, either small or large. As regards the
commanders and seconds in command, your Majesty's decrees shall be
executed; as for the other officers, we refer to the following section.

The fifth section deals with the salary paid to the commander, being
four thousand ducados, while the second in command receives three
thousand for each voyage, including the going and the coming. It
seems that this might be reduced, and that it would be sufficient to
allow the commander three thousand pesos and the second in command two
thousand. As for allowing salaries and regular pay to the captains,
soldiers, seamen, and gunners who sail in the said ships with the
regulation that they shall have no trade or commerce, it seems,
with reference to the pay of the captains and soldiers, that for
the reasons referred to in the third section these expenses might
be avoided. It would be sufficient to give wages to the gunners and
seamen, without prohibiting them to trade; for the amount of their
trade is very small, and with the permission to take two bales of
cargo granted to each of the seamen and gunners the whole of their
small capital would be expended. Under these circumstances, if the
ship were to be in any peril from storm they would obey commands with
greater zeal and willingness because of their share in the treasure of
the ship. Without such bait as this, which induces many seamen to come
to these islands, without doing any harm to the residents, it would be
difficult to find anyone willing to come here. If this permission were
taken away, the wages alone would not be sufficient to sup