of the said offices, and in the enjoyment and exercise of them.  I give you power and authority to enjoy and exercise them and to carry out and execute my justice as above stated.  In case those persons, or any of them, shall not accept you as holding the said offices, I command whomsoever holds the reins of my justice in the said islands, as soon as you, the said Gomez Perez Dasmarinas, ask for them, to give and yield them up to you, and to exercise their offices no longer—­under pain of incurring the punishment incurred by those who exercise royal and public offices without any authority; for I hereby suspend and hold them suspended from the said offices.  You, your lieutenants, and other magistrates shall enforce, and cause to be enforced, all fines and punishments which you may inflict, which moneys are to be given and delivered to the officials of my exchequer.  Whenever you consider it fitting for my service and for the execution of my justice for any of those persons, who are now or may be in future in the said islands, to leave the same and not return thither, but come before me instead, you shall send them in my name, and cause them to depart in accordance with the ordinance to this effect.  You shall state to the persons whom you thus send the reasons for your doing so; but, if it seems best to give the information secretly, you shall give it enclosed and sealed, and then you shall send me a similar explanation by another messenger, in order that I may have knowledge of it.  You are warned not to send any one in this way unless urged by serious reasons.  Both parties are to do nothing contrary to this, under pain of losing my favor.  Given in San Lorenzo, August the ninth, one thousand five hundred and eighty-nine.

I, The King

I, Joan Ybarra, secretary of the king our lord, had it written by his order.

The licentiate

Hernando de Vega de Fonseca

Registered: 

Pedro de Ledesma, Chancellor.

San Joan de Sardaneta

Clause of the instruction.  The king, our lord, sent me, in such capacity, an order through royal decree and instruction, signed by his royal hand, the original of which does not accompany this on account of its being inserted in other important decrees and secret orders relating to his royal service.  The order in question reads as follows:  “Whenever you think best to allow and give permission to the inhabitants of the said islands to go to Xapon, Macan, and other kingdoms or settlements of the Portuguese or the heathens, for the sake of trade, you can do so after having first carefully investigated whether there is any obstacle or danger in the journey.”  Since, for the reason which will be stated below, his Majesty’s desire corresponds to two other royal decrees which will be shown, we have inserted here a number of original documents which successively read as follows: