Canton,
the Portuguese alleging that the Chinese would charge them excessive
rates. But they, as we have experienced, buy the articles needed,
and afterward oblige our agents to take them at excessive rates,
reselling them to your Majesty to the great prejudice of your royal
treasury. That happened in my presence when Don Juan de Silva sent
Captain Francisco Lopez de Toledo for that purpose. He brought
back the supplies at prices more than thrice their value. While I
was acting as the said procurator in China, I bought nails for less
than sixteen reals per pico, or five arrobas, and Toledo brought them
hither at fifty-six; and other things after this manner, because the
Portuguese compelled him to buy through them.

He petitions your Majesty to issue a royal decree, so that the persons
sent on a similar commission by your governor may buy freely; and,
where they cannot buy freely, they may make another port, where they
can trade with the Chinese; and that the governor send an experienced
and practiced person on this errand.

7. _Item_: Inasmuch as the ships built in the Filipinas cause your
Majesty great expense, and have ruined and exhausted the natives;
and inasmuch as your Majesty owes them a great sum of money from the
time of Don Juan de Silva, for their personal services and things
that he took by force from them: it is very advisable, not only for
your royal service, but also for your royal conscience, to relieve
them from so great oppression.

He petitions your Majesty to order your governors that they be
prohibited from doing this, and that they send to Yndia to have the
said ships built; for besides their incomparably greater cheapness
there, one built there lasts as long as ten built in Filipinas, because
the woods in Yndia are incorruptible. In this your Majesty will save
a great sum of ducados, and the natives will be relieved of so much
hardship. For that a decree from your royal Council of Portugal is
needed, and it should be charged upon the governor of Filipinas to do
this with the mildness and prudence advisable. If it is desired it can
be easily effected, and it is of great importance. Of all this he has
more minutely treated in clause 7 (which corresponds to this clause)
in the memorial which he brings approved from Filipinas.

8. _Item_: He petitions your Majesty to do him the favor to order the
viceroy of Nueva Espana [91] not to allow a vessel to go thither from
Japon (which is a most serious