What most discourages many servants of your Majesty, and even prevents others who are striving to forward your royal service from giving credence to great things, has been the incredulity which they display regarding the greatness of the Indias.  This has been true since the first discoverers, as is well known.  For not only are we to believe that the Holy Ghost gave them that impulse to persevere in their intention—­even if that were not (which ought not to be believed) the glory of God and the saving of souls—­but our Lord, who sought by this means to accomplish His work, gave them so great perseverance and fortitude in breaking through the midst of so many difficulties and so much opposition and so many hard rebuffs that, indeed, if one look upon and read the history of the Indias, it would seem that men would be unable to suffer so much.  But God would encourage them, for whose cause they persevered in their projects, bringing so great increase of grandeur to the kings of Espana.  Although since that time some, more desirous of wealth and honor than moved by God, have tried to imitate those discoverers, and have had ill success, they ought not all for this reason to be condemned and reproved without first examining their intentions and objects, and the real nature of the affairs which they are conducting.

I have said this briefly, for in what I wish to say I think there will be many of this sort mentioned; and, just as it is imprudent to believe all, it would be going to the other extreme to give credit to no one.

In the Filipinas Islands, in so far as I have been able to learn (and I consider it certain), your Majesty has, without going to conquer foreign kingdoms, the greatest wealth which has been found in the Indias; [47] and I base this upon these arguments, for in all those islands it is well known and established.

After the Spaniards founded the city of Manila and reduced that island to peace, they learned that in some mountainous regions which lie about forty leguas from the city, in the province of Pangasinan, there were many mines of gold, according to the information which the Indians gave them; but that they were inhabited by warlike and barbarous Indians, who never permitted those of the plains to go up there.  This was known because they came down at certain times of the year to buy a quantity of cattle, and brought a great deal of gold.  On this information, although it was somewhat indefinite, Guido de Labacares, who governed at that time, sent a number of soldiers to climb up the mountain. [48] These, being unprovided with necessities, and fewer in number than were needed, encountered much resistance from the natives.  As the country is rough, and their food soon failed them, they went back, many of them ill.  Although they brought some information, it was not sufficient to encourage the governor or to cause him again to further the enterprise.  Therefore, little by little, this knowledge was fading away among the Spaniards, notwithstanding