At present cinnamon is the only article in the land from which we can derive profit; for, as I have said above, the gold supply will always be small until the mines are worked.  I believe that if the land is settled and peopled by Spaniards, we shall be able to get plenty of gold, pearls, and other valuable articles.  We shall also gain the commerce with China, whence come silks, porcelains, benzoin, musk, and other articles.  Thus partly through commerce and partly through the articles of commerce, the settlers will increase the wealth of the land in a short time.  In order to attain this, the first and foremost thing to be attempted is colonization and settlement.  Through war and conquest, carried on by soldiers, who have no intention to settle or remain in this country, little or no profit will result; for the soldiers will rather impoverish the land than derive profit from it.

If your Majesty looks forward to this land for greater and richer things, it is necessary to people it, and to have a port here; for this land has many neighbors and is almost surrounded by the Japanese islands, China, Xava [Java], Borney, the Malucos and Nueva Guinea.  Any one of these lands can be reached in a short time.  This country is salubrious and has a good climate.  It is well-provisioned, and has good ports, where can be found abundance of timber, [16] planking, and other articles necessary for the building of ships.  By sending here workmen, sails, and certain articles which are not to be found here, ships could be built at little cost.  Moreover, there is great need of a good port here, for it is very dangerous for large ships to sail very far in among these islands, on account of the shoals and tides hereabout.  For this reason, it would be better to build galleys and light boats with oars, to go to the lands above-named, whence they would bring the cargoes for the heavy vessels.  Thus the latter would not leave any port of these islands which might be founded for this purpose; and by this method the voyages and trading would be effected with great rapidity in every direction.  The large ships would simply come to such ports as I have said, load their cargoes, and return.

I believe that these natives could be easily subdued by good treatment and the display of kindness; for they have no leaders, and are so divided among themselves and have so little dealing with one another—­never assembling to gain strength, or rendering obedience one to another.  If some of them refuse at first to make peace with us, afterward, on seeing how well we treat those who have already accepted our friendship, they are induced to do the same.  But if we undertake to subdue them by force of arms, and make war on them, they will perish, and we shall lose both friends and foes; for they readily abandon their houses and towns for other places, or precipitately disperse among the mountains and uplands, and neglect to plant their fields.  Consequently, they die from hunger and other misfortunes.