ure the silks and carry them to
Japon and Holland, as they are now doing, and take them away from this
country, in this way ruining it, for there is nothing of importance
except this commerce. This loss is clearly shown, for in fifty ships
which have arrived at these islands, there were not forty picos of
silk brought, while the enemy had nine hundred, excluding the woven
goods; and, if it were not for what has come from Macan, the ships
[for Nueva Espana] would have nothing to carry.

This trade of the Portuguese is most injurious, not only on account
of their unfriendly attitude, but because they have raised the prices
of goods, securing the profit thereon, and draining the wealth of
the citizens here. Considering this, then, and what your Majesty has
ordered regarding the pacification of the Hermosa Islands (which my
predecessor so desired), after I had used all possible diligence,
as in a matter of so great importance, and found that the security
and rehabilitation of these islands depended upon having a port
to windward from that of the enemy--as this city besought me to do,
since that was its only refuge--I made ready in all secrecy, and at so
little expense that, although I found the treasury embarrassed with a
debt of three thousand pesos, it remained with less than twenty-five
thousand of debt, which was borrowed from citizens. I despatched
from here Sargento-mayor Antonio Carreno de Valdes, with all the
necessary supplies and two galleys. He is a person remarkably fit
for this purpose, and an excellent servant of your Majesty. He left
Cagaian on the fifth of May and arrived on the eleventh at the place
where his instructions directed, which is at the head of the island,
at twenty-five degrees north. He explored the bottom and anchored
with all his fleet in the best port imaginable, a remarkable favor
from heaven, if those of Japon are closed to him [_MS. holed_]. It is
distant from the mainland of China eighteen leguas, and has a depth
at the entrance of eighteen brazas, and a capacity of five hundred
ships. The site if the fortification is naturally very strong, all of
which appears by his plan which accompanies this. He found a village
of fifteen hundred houses built of fragrant woods, with a people like
[_MS. defective_] somewhat lighter in color and differing in language
[19] [_MS. holed_] thanks be to God. The fortification was under
way and in the despatch[-boat] which he sent me with the information
th