on highly profitable terms.  Tavora minimizes the possible danger to these cargoes from the Dutch enemy at Singapore, and asks that he be allowed to send cloves thus to India, at such times as he can collect a sufficient quantity for this purpose; and that in this matter the treasury officials be not allowed to interfere.  He also proposes that the rations of rice allotted by the government to its workmen be provided by letting Chinese farmers cultivate certain unused crown lands; he has even begun to plan for this undertaking.  Tavora recounts certain difficulties that he has experienced in dealing with the treasury officials at Manila, and asks for the royal decision.  In this connection, he remarks:  “The offices in the Yndias are not worth anything unless one steals.”  To this letter are appended the decisions made by the royal fiscal in Spain.  He refers to the royal councils the proposal to trade cloves in India; approves the farming of crown lands, but is uncertain whether the Mexican treasury can provide the additional contribution thus made necessary; advises thorough inspection of the accounts of the probate treasury, and strict prohibition of the use of those funds by the governors; objects to accepting pay-warrants in place of cash; and states that the removal of minor officials in the treasury, and the fees paid to them, are matters which should be investigated.  A later opinion by the fiscal is to the effect that those minor officials be removed and appointed, as hitherto, by the treasury officials, not by the governor.

Another letter from Tavora, of the same date, deals with various matters of administration, relations with other nations, etc.  He again deplores the late arrival of the ships from Nueva Espana, and urges that they he sent thence earlier in the season.  He has not waited for them in sending the vessels to Acapulco; and the latter carry but small cargoes, owing to the unusual lack of Chinese goods in Manila this year.  The citizens desire to send a committee of their number to Mexico to conduct their trade, in order to thwart the supposed unfriendly schemes of the Mexican merchants; but the governor deprecates this proceeding, as dangerous to the best interests of the islands.  It is favored by an old royal decree, which he is putting into execution; but he considers this so inexpedient that he asks the royal Council to decide the case.  He deprecates the forced loans that the governors make from the inhabitants, and urges that this be prevented by having more aid sent from Nueva Espana.  The governor is endeavoring to have ships built in India, Camboja, and Cochinchina, to relieve the islands from this burden; he has a prospect of success in these efforts.  The king of Siam who withheld the property of Spaniards is dead; and his son, in fear of Spanish arms, seeks friendly relations with Manila.  Tavora has endeavored to restore trade with Japan, and has sent an embassy thither to make amends for burning the Japanese junk off Siam.