The advantages are, that what infantry your Majesty pleases can come from Espana divided among the vessels of the trading fleet of Tierra Firme, that go to Puertovelo or Nombre de Dios.  Their passage and the transportation of their food would not cost much, and the owners of the vessels might even carry them free for the concession of the register or permission for the voyage.  If they left in due season, nothing would be lost, nor any soldier either, in the short passage which must be made, in order to embark at Panama from Cruces, a distance of five leguas.  One can reach that place in boats by means of a river.  In the same way, all the things shipped here from Espana can be transported, thus saving the vast sum generally incurred by the freight charges and carriage of the goods in Nueva Espana.  This expense is caused by the long and dangerous road to Acapulco, and the rather long space of time from the arrival of the trading fleet at the beginning of September until the departure of our ships at the last of March—­both in what the infantry consume and waste, and in those men of it who are lost.

There will also be another advantage if your Majesty should be pleased to locate there [i.e., at Panama] the reenforcements of money and provisions for these forts.  For if the ships from this country, by any misfortune or other occasion for delay, should not arrive, as many ships as were needed could be obtained there, ready, in which to send the ordinary and even extraordinary succor that your Majesty might despatch; while in Acapulco there would be no such facility, or even possibility, in addition to the long and most costly voyage of the ships despatched thence.  And, according as the despatch from Panama is considered and regarded, our ships, even if they should arrived there one month later, would leave the port earlier, and much earlier than from Acapulco, since the journey thence here is so safe and short, as experience has already demonstrated.

By dividing this commerce, and by one ship going to Acapulco and another to Panama, one would think that, if the vessels’ were not more nor larger, the export or sale of Spanish merchandise would not be checked; for inasmuch as Mexico would be abandoned in order to go to Panama, the former country would come to have need of Espana, and would consume as much and perhaps even more than the amount that was not used in Panama because of the departure of the ships of this country.  It is almost a certainty that no innovation would have to be experienced because of the way in which, it may be understood, the Mexican merchants have communication with those of Peru and all the Indias—­avoiding the royal duties on what is smuggled.  If each ship went publicly by permission from your Majesty to that region, as I have said, the increase of duties would be very great, and there would be no difficulty in the way, according to the understanding here—­which, I have understood, is also the opinion of this city.