to Nueva Espana, for the principal reason of this expedition is to ascertain the return voyage.”  The letter enclosed to Urdaneta states that the king “has been informed that when you were a secular, you were in Loaysa’s fleet, and journeyed to the Strait of Magallanes and the spice regions, where you remained eight years in our service.”  In the projected expedition of the viceroy, Urdaneta’s experience will be very valuable “because of your knowledge of the products of that region, and as you understand its navigation, and are a good cosmographer.”  Therefore the king charges him to embark upon this expedition. (Tomo ii, nos. x and xi, pp. 94-100.)

Mexico, May 28, 1560.  Yelasco writes to the king in answer to this letter, saying that he will do his utmost to fulfil his commands in regard to the voyage.  He says “it is impossible to go to the Filipinas Islands without infringing the contents of the treaty, because the latter are no less within the treaty than are the Malucos, as your majesty can see by the accompanying relation, made solely for myself by Fray Andres de Urdaneta.  This latter possesses the most knowledge and experience of all those islands, and is the best and most accurate cosmographer in Nueva Espana.”  He asks the king to show this relation to any living members of Loaysa’s expedition in order to verify it.  The king should redeem the Spaniards captured by the natives in the Philippines and other islands near the Moluccas.  To do this and to reprovision the ships would not be in violation of the treaty made with Portugal.  In case the ships should depart before the king’s answer is received, the viceroy will order them to act in accordance with the above-mentioned relation.  The vessels of the expedition will consist of two galleys of two hundred and one hundred and seventy or one hundred and eighty tons respectively, and a patache. [37] Wood, already fitted, is to be sent in the galleys, with which to make small boats for use among the islands.  “The man in charge of the work, writes me that the cables and rigging necessary for these vessels will be all ready, by the spring of sixty-one, at Nicaraugua and Realexo, ports in the province of Guatimala where I have ordered these articles made, because they can be made better there than in all the coast of the Southern Sea; and because they can be brought easily from those ports to Puerto de la Navidad, where the ships must take the sea.”  The artillery and other articles sent from Spain for the vessels have arrived.  The letters written by the king to Urdaneta and the Augustinian provincial were delivered, and both have conformed to the contents thereof.  “It is most fitting that Fray Andres go on this expedition, because of his experience and knowledge of these islands, and because no one in those kingdoms or in these understands so thoroughly the necessary course as he; moreover, he is prudent and discreet in all branches of business, and is of excellent judgment.”  He assures