In the last letter which I wrote to your Grace I gave an account of the products of this land, so far as they were known up to that time; and now I am doing the same with what has since been observed.  In the first place the country is healthful, as has been clearly shown; for if the want, hardships, and privations which the troops have suffered here in mid-winter had occurred in that city, not a man would have lived through it.  The climate is incomparably better than that of that island [Luzon]; for in the whole year there are not six days of extreme heat, and the evenings, nights, and mornings are usually cool.  Gold is found in all parts, although not in large quantities, but it must exist where there are traces of it.  Throughout the whole island there is a great deal of wax and much tortoise-shell.  Rice is sowed in all parts, and in some places in great quantities.  They raise fowl, goats, and swine in all the villages, and wax they do not save.  There is a great quantity of wild game, which is excellent, growing larger than in other places.

There are a great many nipa and other palms, although more than twenty thousand palm-trees have been destroyed.  The people of the tingues are farmers and stock-raisers, and would plant a great deal if directed to do so; accordingly, four hundred or five hundred Spaniards could be very bountifully supplied here, and even more.  They are in an excellent position for trade, for they are at a very few days’ journey from all the islands of Maluco, Xlatheo [Matheo?], Borney, and Xaba, and they lie on the route of the galleons which ply between Yndia, Malaca, and Maluco, and which anchor at La Canela.  The only thing to be feared is that the men from these galleons will enter the island, doing damage, and making a bad name for us.  It would take a miracle to lose it.  The worst thing that I see is that it should be divided into encomiendas, as otherwise the soldiers will work willingly and even without further recompense than what they may happen to get.  And accordingly it seems but just that the masters should come and give us support, or that they should leave us, who are well satisfied with it.

Two or three encomenderos only have sent their attendants; and they might as well not have sent them, because they have not provided them with provisions and supplies, but the king has had to furnish them.  If this is all that is necessary, they have done well to stay at home forgetful, and let us fools labor here for them.  And it seems to me that there has been sufficient deceit, falsehood, and cunning used with the lord governor with their false excuses.  Let them come or give up, for otherwise I believe there will be no one to continue the work.  Let them build ships and boats; since most of them hold encomiendas, from which they can pay for them.  Of one thing they may be certain, that so long as I am on the island no tributes shall be collected there unless in the meantime there shall be another order from the lord