years, and sometimes oftener, when the only still useful parts
are the futtock-timbers. But all the above can be found and made so
much better in Portuguese Yndia that, considering the avoidance of
the above wrongs and the bettering and more satisfactory price of
the work, I shall try my utmost to avoid building ships here--sending
to Cochin to have them built, or to buy them ready built; or sending
wherever they may be found better and cheaper in those regions. If,
when this should be negotiated, there should be some cloves to send
on your Majesty's account, the purchase of vessels, as well as that
of slaves for the galleys, would be made very comfortably.

In the construction of ships that private persons are trying to
build in these islands, about which the Audiencia is writing to
your Majesty, I do not find so great an obstacle; for they take no
Indian forcibly from his house and land for this task, and no Indian
works at it unless he consents of his own accord to do so. That is
done without oppression, and the Indian is wholly paid for his work,
without the others having to contribute for it. For the smaller-sized
ships some better woods are found, which, because they are small,
cannot answer for the necessary uses to which they are put in the
larger ships. Since I do not find any noticeable difficulty in this,
I would consider it as very advantageous that leave be granted for
the building of those ships, and for navigation among the islands
and coasts of this archipelago, so long as they do not extend their
voyages to Nueva Espana and Piru. From that it will result that the
inhabitants will get some profit, and it will not be necessary to hold
all the trade with Nueva Espana. It will not be unprofitable for your
Majesty's service to keep some ships here, so that, if need should
arise, they might be employed and made useful with the seamen by
whom they shall have been manned. Since it is necessary that whoever
should have a vessel have paid and well-treated sailors, your Majesty
would come to have all that at no more expense than that of the time
while you would employ them; and these your vassals, the natives of
this country, would have more relief from the burden; and surely it
is pitiful to see the burdens that they carry, and what they endure.

The city has requested me to petition your Majesty to concede that
the encomiendas be for three lives in direct descent, that is,
to the grandchildren; and if not, that