The second reason is, to cut off the communication of Nueva Espana with Japon and China, which results in the diversion of a great part of the silver from Nueva Espana into those kingdoms, on account of the great profit which there is in that trade, to the great prejudice of these kingdoms.

Reply is to be made, presupposing as a certain thing that discalced [i.e. Franciscan], Augustinian, and Dominican friars have at various times been readily admitted into Japon, obtaining great results in conversion; and that in the year 1594 there had come a well-known Japanese named Faranda to the city of Manila, who asked for friars.  Moreover, Gomez Perez de las Marinas, governor of the Philipinas, sent in the capacity of ambassador father Fray Pedro Baptista, a discalced Franciscan, with several religious of his order, to whom Dayfusama, universal lord of the Japanese, extended many favors, and whom he permitted to build a convent in Usaca—­a very large city near that of Miaco, where his court is—­so that he might preach the holy gospel.  Afterward, in October of the year 1597, when the Japanese undertook to destroy, in a province of Japon, the galleon “San Phelipe”—­which was going from the Philipinas lo Nueva Espana, laden with merchandise from China of great value, and having more than a hundred Spaniards and other men in the crew—­the said Taycosama, to have some excuse for appropriating to himself the contents of the said ship (as he did), gave us to understand that he was suspicious, as has been said, of those Spaniards.  It has been learned, however, that a seaman from the said galleon gave occasion for this feeling, when he was asked how the Spaniards had conquered so many countries.  Thus far we have not been able to learn with certainty in regard to this, except that it is said that some Portuguese spread this news through the kingdoms of Yndia, for the sake of their own private interests.  In confirmation of the suspicion or fear which the tyrant has shown, he has ordered the publication of an edict, in which it is provided that no one should be a Christian; and has crucified the six discalced friars (whom, as before stated, he had treated with favors) and twenty converted Japanese, in the neighborhood of Nangasaqui, to which place the galleon resorts, which ordinarily goes each year from Macao for the Japanese trade.  It was there, with one hundred and fifty Portuguese; and the bishop of Japon then officiated publicly, and there were more than twenty thousand Christian Japanese and a principal college of the Society—­whence it is supposed that the reason was greed, under color of a reason of state.  For if the intention of the tyrant was to exclude at all points Christianity and its ministers from Japon, he would not have permitted so great a number of fathers of the Society as were residing in that country, with their prelate (several of whom were known to him), and hundreds of thousands of Christian Japanese, contenting himself with the