Sixth, the forces which your Majesty possesses in Maluco would be maintained with much less cost than at present by means of these galleys.  For as there are no supplies in those islands it is necessary to send them from the Filipinas, which entails three difficulties.  The first is that prices are thus made higher in that country, and the natives thereof are oppressed; the second, that it costs your Majesty a great deal, with the ships and men that are needed to man them; and the third, that the enemy gets a great deal of the aid which is sent.  All this would be obviated by keeping galleys there; for it must be understood that the island of Macacar is very large, rich, and abundantly supplied, and lies a two days’ journey from Maluco.  The king there is desirous of friendship with us, and has even sent to the governor of Terrenate to seek religious, as he says in the letter which is at the end of this relation.  Last year he wrote a letter to the governor of the Filipinas, offering to furnish him all the supplies that he might need for the forces in Maluco; and saying that, if he had not the money to pay for them, he might have them on trust until the money came.  Things are very cheap there, costing less than half as much as in the Filipinas, and the said galleys could transport them easily, without the danger which they now encounter of being taken by the enemy.  Rather, on the other hand, those which the enemy carry from there could be taken away with ease, and they would be caused to perish with hunger.  If an ordinary amount of care were taken in negotiating with this king, he would, as he is so well disposed to the Spaniards, be so devoted to your Majesty that he would not allow the enemy to enter his port.  Besides, his friendship with them is already greatly strained; and there is a great disposition among all that people to receive the gospel.

Seventh, as those islands have no posts where cloves may be laded, the Dutch send their ships far from the artillery of their own forts, which they cannot approach; and it will be easy to secure the vessels, or not allow them to lade anything.  Considering the calms which prevail, even if there were many ships they could not aid one another, whatever injury the galleys were inflicting upon them—­the least being to dismantle them, so that they cannot sail, for there is nothing there with which to make a mast or rudder.

Eighth, as they have a number of posts where they only keep twenty-five or thirty men with a squadron commander, and the forts have no ditches or drinking-water, they could be deprived of these at any time with ease.  Galleons would be of no use in such engagements, as they cannot vie with galleys, which can get under cover whenever they wish.  Likewise it must be understood, as their forts are in such danger, they will need so many men to keep them from being taken, and so much to maintain them, that their profit will be so small that it will be gain for them to abandon it.