13.  And if your Majesty attempt henceforth other and more important things in this land, it will be necessary to have towns and ports here, because this land is in the near neighborhood and almost in the midst of other lands—­Japan, China, Jaba, Borney, Malucos, and Nueva Guinea, so that one can go to any of those regions in a short time.  It is a healthy land of tolerable climate, and it has sufficiently good harbors where there is abundance of wood and timber, and other things necessary for the building of ships; and it would cost but little to bring workmen, sails, and some articles which are not to be had there.  It is also necessary to make a good harbor there, in order that ships from outside may find anchorage.  It is very dangerous for large and deep vessels to pass among so many islands, with their shoals and tides.  It would therefore be necessary to build there galleys and light-draught oared vessels, in order to go to those regions that I mention above, and to carry cargoes which the heavy vessels would have to carry to this Nueva Espana; the latter would not leave any port of those islands which might be settled for this purpose.  They could thus cruise and trade in all places in a very short time; and the heavy ships would only have to go to the harbor, to take on their cargoes and return.

14.  Of the mainland I will make a report conforming to what I have heard, and what I have been able to get from the natives of it—­both those who lived in Manila, and those who have traded between the city of Manila and the mainland, whence come the ships that have visited the Spanish settlements.  From what I have heard, there are, for two hundred leagues (rather less than more), towns and fortresses ready for conquest, on the coast whence have come these ships, as far as Canton.  On one river there is a fortress, containing a certain number of soldiers as a garrison; but their number I could not ascertain from those people.  There are at the mouth of the river a few islets and shoals.  There is another fortress and town, about fourteen leagues farther up the coast, in a little bay, called Occia.  Opposite the bay are a few islets, which are apparently uninhabited.  About ten leagues farther up the coast there is another river, with a town and fortress called Sihua.  Farther up the coast about twelve leagues there is another large and very swollen river which from what I have heard makes a junction with the river of the city of Canton.  There is a town and fortress here called Cincin.  It is understood that from that port sail the ships that come to Manila, and others that go to Vindoro, Balayan, and Elen. [77] Farther up the coast is a large bay with many islets at its mouth, one of which is called Amyhu.  Within the bay there is a fort and a town called Aycum.  Farther inland there is a very broad river that leads to Canton; about two leagues up there is another fort and town called Cionciu, from which ships also come hither for our trade, because, as I learned from the