and cattle, or obtain gold from the mines and rivers, with which articles they used to pay the said tribute.  A great part of those articles usually remained with them, because they had all the year for trading and labor, by which the country was supplied with many provisions at a low cost, and clothing of various kinds of linen, with which they were dressed.  The encomenderos sailed with these things to Nueva Espana; and it was not necessary to pay the Chinese what was brought thence in return, and have them carry it off to their country, as they now do, in exchange for the said cloths which they sell.  There was a great quantity of gold which was also taken to Nueva Espana, and from that your Majesty was paid the tenths, which amounted each year to six or eight thousand pesos—­not counting another larger quantity which was paid by the tributaries of the encomiendas which are under the royal crown.  By reason of the said Indians not paying in kind, so little gold has come to be mined, that in the past year, ninety-eight, from tributes and tenths even, the amount which was collected on your Majesty’s account was not a thousand pesos.  From this there follows another inconvenience, in that, as the natives of these islands are inclined to laziness and to the vices attendant upon that, since they can easily pay the tribute for one year with ten reals in coin, they seek and pay it, and dress themselves with two or three pieces of cloth, which cost somewhat more.  As they find these for sale by the Chinese, they themselves do not manufacture them.  It would be expedient, in order that these inconveniences may cease, as well as others which may be seen to result from this matter, that henceforth these Indians should be compelled to agricultural labors and the raising of cattle, according to the conditions of the provinces where they live, and to taking gold from the mines and rivers.  If this were put in force, a great deal would be gained by it; for there is a large quantity in the said mines, rivers, and placers.  In this way a great part of the trade with the Chinese would cease, and the returns from what was carried to and sold in Nueva Espana, from both gold and cloth, would remain in this country, and would not be taken away to China, as it now is.  The said Indians would be compelled to this, in such manner that, with the practice and profit which they would get from it, in a few years they and their descendants would do it of their own will, without compulsion.  The principal thing to be done in order to start the Indians to do this is, to have them pay the tribute in the kind which they raise and harvest.