or suspicion which may threaten us.  For, by the entry to Manila which the Chinese and Japanese enjoy for the purposes of trade, and their understandings with the natives, it may be justly suspected that, allied with the natives of the land, with whom they are very friendly, they may attempt some great enterprise.  The best defense against that lies in a large force of Spanish troops.  Although your Majesty takes such particular care to send assistance every year, this camp not only does not continue to increase, but even is not maintained:  first, because the number of men who come is not in proportion to those who die during the year, since the land is [in]salubrious [26] and unhealthy, without reckoning the men wasted in the ... on punitive expeditions, pacifications, and ne[w dis]coveries w[hich o]ffer [themselves]; and further there is a lack of ... since, almost at the same time, occurred the expedition and pacification of Mindanao, the punishment and pacification of the presidio of Cagaian, the reverse for the troops in Cebu, the punishment of and raids among the Cambales, the presidio of La Caldera, and the expedition to Camboxa.  Also the voyage from Nueva Espana wastes many men; because leave must necessarily be given to those who are married in Espana or to Peruvians—­who are men very harmful to the commonwealth—­besides others who did not come with the intention of living in it, or the desire of becoming citizens, but only to return with their property.  In giving them leave, we take into consideration that there is ... of those who leave here rich ... few set their minds upon ... many to come ... voluntarily without any expense to your royal treasury, so that we are always in need of men.  Those who remain here are exceedingly poor, so I beg your Majesty to order the viceroy of Nueva Espana to attend to this matter with the greatest punctuality.  This year only seventy men came here; they were not serviceable men and among them all there were only three arquebuses.  One thousand arquebuses, five hundred muskets with powder-horns and small flasks, and five hundred coats-of-mail and as many morions, should be sent to me from Espana, at prime cost, to be distributed among the unarmed men; and those left over would be stored in your Majesty’s armory for future necessity, for at present the soldiers are unprovided with arms.

[In the margin:  “Have a letter written to the viceroy of Nueva Espana, and this relation sent him ... much that he provide with care these ... useful, and endeavor to send settlers ...; and that for this object he perform and execute what is order[ed] in regard to the matter, with exactness and rigor, and aid in every way.  Send directions to Don Pedro de Acuna to communicate with the viceroy in regard to the despatch there of all that pertains to the service of this matter; and that they prepare what will be advisable, in order to settle that country, taking care that the needful moderation be exercised in incurring expenses for his Majesty’s exchequer.”]