ur royal magazines which are brought
from the above-named cities, such as saltpetre, iron, anchors, slaves
for the galleys, arms, biscuits, _cayro_, white cloth, and wearing
apparel for convicts. Those articles are bought every year in Manila
from merchants of Yndia, at excessive rates. The thirty-five thousand
pesos resulting from the cloves having been invested, then, in those
articles at Goa or Cochin, and having been brought to Manila on your
Majesty's account and investment, will be worth at the figures now
paid for the said articles, ninety or one hundred thousand pesos. And
even if all this did not rise to so high prices, I am sure that fifty
thousand pesos (which is one-half less than one might consider them
to be worth) will be the return in products to these magazines from
the fifty bars, which will cost four thousand pesos in money at first
cost, as I have said--and if they be bought for the peculiar cloth
of Yndia, two thousand pesos. That would be a very considerable gain
and relief to the royal treasury. [1] [_In the margin_: "Consult with
his Majesty as to what the governor proposes; and say that it has
been judged best, before advising what we think of it, to refer the
matter to his Majesty, so that he may order the council of Portugal
to state their opinion regarding the matter. Having examined it from
all points of view, an opinion will be given."] [2]

The expenses of that voyage will not amount to much, considering
the profit and gain. The expenses for this gain are as follows:
One ship or patache of one hundred and fifty Castilian toneladas,
which, if built in these islands, will cost, when ready to sail,
ten or twelve thousand pesos; eight pieces of bronze artillery,
using balls of twelve and eight libras, which will be worth five
thousand pesos; twenty-five sailors and a like number of musketeers,
with six artillery-men, taken from those who receive the usual pay of
this camp and beach--all married men and under such obligations that
they cannot remain in Yndia, and who when embarked will only receive
an increase in their rations of biscuit, meat, and fish, and some
native wine, all of which amounts to but little; one captain for the
management of the vessel, and master, pilots, boatswains, keeper of
the arms [_guardian_], and steward--who are the officers to whom pay
is assigned. The above, with all the other purchase expenses which I
have given above for this ship, will not amount for the first