be illustrated in this way.  Should a Spaniard buy food or anything else from a native, the Moro immediately takes out the touchstone which he carries with him; and, even if the value be not over two reals, he takes great pains to see if the gold be conformable to the aforesaid standard.  Although it may be stamped and assayed, the Indian will trust to no reckoning but his own.  Neither is there any rule by which to pay, beyond the weight and value of the gold; this applies likewise to the orejeras or panica, for all the gold which is used in trade is mixed with other substances, to make the other grades of base gold.  Although I have intended and tried to remedy this, it is impossible, as the majority of them are silversmiths for this very purpose; and if any restrictions were made, they would think that they were about to be ruined.  It has seemed to me that the country is very new for establishing any other currency than gold, which here is like the king’s fifth of silver in Nueva Espana.  I have written to this effect to the viceroy, a copy of which letter accompanies this, and a report concerning this matter; also an account of the gold paid to the royal treasury, and the trade effected by all the Spaniards.  The Chinese will not take the panica at more than four pesos of texuela to the tae[l] which, they say, is of that value in their country and they lose one llealla by so doing.  This is the weight called tae, and comes from China.  It weighs more than one onza, two adarmes; so that three taes and thirteen maes are worth two Castilian marcos, or one livra. [13] When I came here the viceroy of Mexico sent an assayer, saying that one had been requested from here.  After his arrival no one brought him anything to assay, as he was young and inexperienced in treating gold.  Losses suffered at the beginning by those who tried to have gold assayed caused us to abandon the attempt.  The Moros understand the laws of gold better than we do.  I have given notice of [original illegible].  It may be of service to the royal estate.  I have given information thereof which will accompany this, and I think that it is impossible to exercise more diligence.  I have ordered that, when the gold enters into possession of the officials of the royal estate, they shall value it before a notary, so that it shall be issued in the same way that it entered.  This is done because there seems to be no other remedy, as the Moros, with their standards, buy up all the money of current gold, and necessarily at the prices which they themselves give to it in their debts and traffic.

As provisions were wont to be sent from Nueva Espana every year, there were also sent reals until I came.  Since then, none have been sent; nor has any money been given to me.  On the other hand, I have announced to the public that it is outrageous that we do not serve your Majesty by sending some gold from here; and that even to think of their sending money from there would be to argue that we do not know how to