missing these goods.  There would be enough to cover all the expenses, salaries, and other things which are necessary in these islands, and must be paid from the royal treasury—­which, with all the money that is sent from Mexico, has not enough money to cover all the very important expenses affecting the proper guard, protection, and defense of these islands.  This is all that occurs to me at present to say concerning matters relating to the royal exchequer, for its welfare.  I shall continue always to watch for what is most fitting for the royal service of your Majesty, and shall attempt to further it; and such is always my desire.  May God protect your Majesty many years, with a greater increase of kingdoms and seigniories, according to the needs of Christendom.  In the city of Manila, which is in the island of Luzon, the principal one of the Filipinas Islands.  July 21, 1599.

The licentiate Hieronimo de Salazar y Salcedo

Sire: 

Since I have given to your Majesty an account of the affairs of the administration of justice and of the royal exchequer of these Philipinas Islands by two other letters which accompany this, I will here discuss affairs of government.  The thing which seems to me most necessary to do for the good government of these islands—­and especially for correcting the great excesses which are wont to be committed by some of the religious who have Indian missions in their charge; and by the alcaldes-mayor, corregidors, deputies, and other magistrates, and the encomenderos of Indian repartimientos—­is that, at least every two years, an auditor of the royal Audiencia of these islands, commencing with the oldest of them, should make a visitation over all the country in his jurisdiction, as is provided by the ordinances thereof, and in the form which I wrote to your Majesty in July of the past year, ninety-eight.  Although the auditors oppose this, it is to avoid the great labor, expense, and danger to health, by sea and enemies, which they must undergo and pass through.  Accordingly, if your Majesty pleases, a reasonable allowance for their expenses might be made, and soldiers given them to accompany and guard them, with good vessels, at the expense of the royal exchequer, if the cost should not be covered by the penalties inflicted during the visitation.  Your Majesty will be pleased to order in this what is most expedient.

[In the margin:  “Write to the governor to have this visitation carried out in the pacified country, and where there is no obstacle, conformably to the ordinance.  And have him see to it that they do not send soldiers with the auditor, and that he does not take people who would be oppressive to the Indians; and let him take care that this visitation be effectual—­for which purpose let him command to be built, and furnished to the auditor, a vessel of suitable size, to go outside of the island of Luzon, at his Majesty’s expense.  As to the reimbursement which ought to be made beside what is conceded to them by the ordinance, and the decrees of his Majesty, let him inform us of his opinion.”  “Have sent a duplicate of the last decree despatched in regard to this visitation.”]