d difficult to procure; and also because it would be
necessary to make that voyage at hazard, mainly, and there would be
great danger of not finding the islands and of losing the results of
the voyage and the expenses incurred. For they are in a high latitude,
and far distant from your country of Nueva Espana; and, besides,
as all those who should go on this expedition would necessarily
take a large amount of money to invest in the Philipinas (for, as
the ships are to go back empty, they would take the opportunity to
lade them with merchandise), they might, in order not to lose their
goods by going on the exploration, draw up an information on the ship
(as has been done at other times), saying that on account of storms,
or for some other reason, they were unable to make the islands. But
if the said discovery were made from the Philipinas, all these
difficulties would be avoided; for it is evident that the cost and
danger would be much less, as the two islands to be discovered are
so near at hand that they can almost go and take them with their
merchant ships. All the rest may be arranged merely by ordering that,
having made the discovery, they shall come back to the Philipinas
without going to Nueva Espana; for in this way there will be no
reason for them to lade their vessels with merchandise. Furthermore,
there are in the Philipinas trustworthy persons for this affair, to
whom it may be entrusted; and the sailors there are more competent,
since they have more experience. Having again considered this in our
Council for the Yndias, it has seemed best to command you, and you
are so commanded and ordered, that if you have not begun to carry out
the preparations for this exploration, as I have ordered you to do,
and if you have not so advanced them as to make it inconvenient or
very expensive to abandon it, you shall examine and consider with
especial attention whether, for the suitable execution and less cost
of the exploration, it would be expedient to place it in the hands
of my governor and captain-general of the said Philipinas Islands,
so that he may proceed to undertake it from those islands. And if it
appear to you that this plan is expedient, you shall send at the first
opportunity to my said governor the letter which will accompany this,
for him, in which he is so ordered; and at the same time you will
remit to him the money that in your opinion may be necessary, which
is not to exceed the twenty thousand ducats,