a year, in order to avoid the labor of weaving them, and so that they can spend their time in idleness, they prefer to buy them from the Sangleys, whether they are cheap or dear, paying without hesitation or heed whatever price is asked.  The result is that everything is growing much dearer; for a piece of cloth which at first usually cost, on the average, three or four reals, as already stated, now costs ten reals, and, unless this rise is checked, will very soon cost twenty—­and this for the reasons mentioned in the question.  These matters should be considered, and some corrective be found, to avoid further difficulties.  Thus did he reply to this question.

To the third question he replied that, for the reasons mentioned in the preceding question, considerable damage has been and is suffered, and, unless some check and remedy is applied, will continue to be suffered in these islands, by the Spaniards and by the inhabitants of the country, both Spaniards and natives, and especially to the injury of his Majesty’s service; this damage consisting in the fact that while the Chinese formerly took away from these islands, in exchange for their merchandise which they bring from their own country, at the most from twenty thousand to thirty thousand pesos in money, at the present day—­as all the natives are extravagant enough to buy their clothing, since they can dispense with making it—­these merchants take from the country all the money stated in the question, and even more.  This money they take out of his Majesty’s dominions to their own country, whence it never returns.  And this might be prevented if the natives were forbidden to buy the said clothing, and would dress in the stuffs which they formerly were accustomed to wear.  This was his answer to this question.

In reply to the fourth question he stated that, before the coming of the Spaniards, all the natives lived in their villages, applying themselves to the sowing of their crops and the care of their vineyards, [4] and to the pressing of wine; others planting cotton, or raising poultry and swine, so that all were at work; moreover, the chiefs were obeyed and respected, and the entire country well provided for.  But all this has disappeared since the coming of the Spaniards.  For since their coming all the Indians have given themselves over to vice and vagabondage, wandering from village to village to avoid work, and to indulge their vices—­and this because, seeing that the Spaniards have plenty of money, they are eager to serve them.  Finding that they have money, and food and clothing being given to them, or procured by a day’s labor, there is nothing to induce them to return to their villages to cultivate the soil, and raise animals, and work, as they formerly did.  This state of affairs is already so general in these islands that, when the attempt is made to compel a native to work, he immediately takes to flight, and wanders about, halting only at a place where he is allowed to remain idle.  From this have resulted the offenses mentioned in the question, a condition which requires a remedy.  Such was his reply to this question.