or open war with the Portuguese, and not to be uncertain, and not to have them trying to harm us at a distance.  Every year we are disturbed by fears of their coming.  This year I had news from Moro merchants, who came from the island of Borney, that last year their king had collected a large fleet to descend upon us.  After having embarked, he gave up for the time the voyage because of the severe storms; but gave out that he would return this year and bring the Portuguese with him.  I exerted myself to get together the Spaniards, who were pacifying these islands and had the island of Borney reconnoitred in two parts, by oared vessels of the sort that the natives use.  I instructed them that if they could get any of the Moros from Borney, they should bring them, in order to get at the truth; and so they did.  The people whom I sent for this purpose arrived near Borney, and because they did not dare bring small boats near the island itself, they halted about eight leagues from it, and captured six Moros.  By these I was informed that the coming of the king of Borney was uncertain, and that he lives in great privacy and prudence, keeping himself informed about us.  With the people that I sent for this purpose was a pilot, who had mapped the islands and lands that he saw on the way.  He said that it was about two hundred leagues to the west from here to Borney.  With this relation I send your Majesty the map of this island, and of those near Borney and China.

Last year, seventy-two, the governor Miguel Lopez despatched two ships to Nueva Espana a few days before his death; but, as it was late when they started, and the weather bad, they could not that year make the voyage.  They came back, therefore, much disabled and disordered.  After the death of the governor, who had made liberal provision for their repair and [the MS. is torn here] rigging and pitch, which it has been no little trouble to find.  This year, therefore, God willing, three ships will go, so that they may not for lack of vessels neglect to send reenforcements.

Since the death of the governor, Miguel Lopez, I have had made from the gold that has been brought and given by the natives as tribute and service, some jewels, which I send to your royal Majesty and to the Queen our mistress, with some specimens of the articles brought by the Chinese.  These two ships now carry one hundred and thirty-six marcos [51] of gold, just as it was obtained from the natives who gave it as tribute.  I hope in our Lord, that henceforth your Majesty will be better served with the first fruits of this land.  I am also sending to Nueva Espana three hundred and seventy-two quintals of cinnamon, which I had brought from the island of Vindanao, where there is a great quantity of it.  There is no longer any necessity for the Portuguese to export hereafter any more cinnamon into your Majesty’s kingdoms and seigniories; because a greater quantity can be brought from these districts than can be sold in Europe, if