Page:The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 (Volume 06).djvu/299



Sacred Royal Catholic Majesty:

On the twenty-fourth of January I wrote to your Majesty a letter, which I send with this, in clause 6 of which I stated how very important it is for your Majesty's service that trading in the Philipinas should be carried on through the hands of the merchants; that they should maintain ships, in order to relieve your Majesty from so great and heavy expense as you are under at the port of Acapulco; and that it was on this account that the galleon "Sant Martin Visto" had been sold at auction. To show of what importance this is—to begin with, it was sold for sixteen thousand pesos, which was the highest sum offered, and, in addition, what the repairs would cost which would be made at Acapulco after the arrival of the vessel, which came to two thousand pesos more. If no one had been willing to give so much, I myself would have done so; for I am quite certain that this is to be the first step in setting this business on the sound basis which is desired. As they continue to sell the other galleons and to build more, we must have merchants who are interested in buying them and in sending them away on voyages; thus conditions will finally come to be like those in the Northern Sea, and the great expense which your