inconvenience would cease.  The door might be shut without any harm to the said islands, if another door were to be opened to them, which would be also as remunerative as the other, and would not be with his Majesty’s countries.  In this way his money would not be taken away, for they could engage in that trade with Japon.  In this same manner as the inhabitants of Manila lade the silks that they buy in that city from the Chinese, and send them to Nueva Espana, they should lade them to send to Japon, where there is a great consumption of these goods and much excellent silver with which to buy them.  This would be a very good thing for the people of Manila; for, although the profits for any year might be less than those of Nueva Espana, still they would be more sure, because of the much greater frequency and shortness of the voyage.  Furthermore, they would enjoy the entire proceeds from the returns for their goods.  Of the returns from Nueva Spana they enjoy only to the sum of five hundred thousand pesos—­the amount that his Majesty allows to be sent annually to the Philipinas, and no more, although the value of the goods in Mexico amounts to much more.  Besides that, this relationship with Japon would prove very beneficial to the Philipinas for their security; because the Japanese are those who are more feared in the islands than all the other neighboring nations, for they are very courageous and arrogant.  Consequently they would prove excellent friends to oppose the Dutch, who are navigating those seas.  Also by means of this trade the church of that kingdom, which is now so disturbed, would be made safe.  By it would also be reestablished the trade of the Indias with Spana, from which so many profits would follow if that drain of money to the Philipinas were stopped; and it would be without hurt to those islands.

This trade between Manila and Japon has already been usual for many years, although in ships of small burden.  It has been demonstrated by experience that if all the trade to Japon were theirs, all that country [i.e., the Philippines] could be very easily sustained without needing anything further from Nueva Spana and Spana than soldiers and the products of those countries.  Consequently it would be sufficient for two small vessels to sail in that route of the South Sea.  That would cost but little and that expense might even be met from the royal treasury of Manila.

But the greatest bulk of this trade is from the Portuguese of Macan, a town on the Chinese coast, which is about the same distance from Japon as Manila.  All its inhabitants, in number about three hundred, support themselves by that trade; for, although they have other trade, it is of slight importance.

Therefore, it is advisable, in order to attain the said trade, that that town be abandoned, and that its inhabitants go to live in other cities of India.  They can do that without much injury to their goods, since they carry them all by sea; and anywhere they have trade by way of the sea.  In order to dismantle that town, it is sufficient for his Majesty to order that nothing be freighted thence to Japon, but only from Manila.  Thereupon all the inhabitants would immediately pull up stakes [59] and leave that place.