judges who go to get rice and the other things belonging to his Majesty send it by the quantity of five hundred baskets at cheaper rates.  They get another equal amount for themselves, for which repartimiento is made among the Indians at the same prices [as for the king].  Many deaths among the Indians in the shipbuilding would also be avoided; for, supposing that ships are to be built in the islands (which must be avoided as much as possible), they can he built by the Chinese for pay.  Consequently the Indian will live comfortably, and will feel more love toward the Spaniard and his king, and will attend better to his soul and the service of God.  He will become a man of worship and devotion; while in temporal affairs he will become more prosperous, and will have something with which he can be of use to his Majesty in case of any necessity.

Prostrate at your Majesty’s feet, I desire to beg one thing, in which lies the wealth and prosperity of this land, or its destruction.  Your royal Majesty can remedy it—­although it be at the loss of his office to the governor of these islands; for in no other way is there any relief, either with royal decrees or orders from your Majesty—­or in any other way—­by your Majesty ordering the said governor that the ships sail from this port for Nueva Espana by St. John’s or St. Peter’s day; [18] for they can do it, as they used to do.  In this way no shipwrecks will occur, just as there were none before.  The losses and shipwrecks caused by not observing this cannot be told, I will mention as an example only the case of the present year.  Inasmuch as they sailed late, two hundred and eighty persons died in the flagship, and all the rest arrived in a dying condition.  They were over seven months just now on the return trip, after their escape from the Dutch enemy then assembled where they fought.  Because they were not able to enter the channel to go to their usual port, as they were late, and because the winds contrary to them had begun, they were driven ashore and there the two hulls of the ships were wrecked.  There was the one noteworthy thing, namely, that with only six pieces they fought the enemy, who had three ships.  The loss was immense; besides the hulls, a great amount of property was lost—­more than four hundred thousand pesos—­and it was a miracle that everything was not lost.  Written in this convent of Nuestra Senora de la Candelaria, at Dilao, outside the walls [of Manila], August 7, 1620.

The most unworthy servant of your royal Majesty,

Fray Pedro de San Pablo, provincial minister.

Letter from the Audiencia of Manila to Felipe III

Sire: