The ordinary expense of these islands, if the infantry are given the full amount of their pay, is seven hundred and fifty thousand pesos per year, at appears from the reports of accounts that I am now sending.  The unavoidable expense of necessary aid, factories, salaries, and stipends, amounts to 550,000 pesos.  What these islands produce from year to year, in money which can be deposited in the treasury, as an aid to the ordinary expenses, amounts to 150,000 pesos.  That leaves 400,000 pesos, which must be sent in reals every year from Nueva Espana.  That should be by way of a gift or consignment (as your Majesty does in other places of less importance and danger than these); and it should not remain at the will of the viceroys of Nueva Espana whether they will send the money or not—­even if they have to get it by loans.  And even if this be ordered in the manner in which I request, the treasury will still remain under the obligations and shortage in which it will have been involved all these current years.  With good administration and better intelligence—­and every day I am trying to further the increase of the royal possessions—­I hope that this will be retrieved.  For if we have the means necessary to maintain the fleets in activity, we shall endeavor therewith to retrieve most of our arrears.  But if the necessary funds be not given, we must necessarily lose what is now sent, which will be of no advantage when our fleet is rendered useless for lack of what is needed. [In the margin:  “Seen.”]

I am very sure that your Majesty will have heard by different ways of my care in watching your royal treasury, and the change that has taken place in it, and the reform in the expenses since my arrival in this government.  But I feel obliged humbly to petition your Majesty to be pleased to withdraw me from it in case that there is no opportunity of succoring it, as I petition; for I am very certain of the rapidity with which it is hastening to its final destruction, and it is not proper that a possession of so great importance for the Roman church and the crown of your Majesty be lost in the hands of persons of my character and desires.  May our Lord preserve the Catholic and royal person of your Majesty, with the increase and prosperity which we your vassals desire and as we need.  Manila, August 4, 1628.

Just now has been brought to me what this royal Audiencia writes to your Majesty, all complaining that the thirds of their salaries are not paid to them with the promptness that is ordered; that sometimes two or three thirds are owing to them; and that the cause of this is the annoyance and trouble brought about by the governors ordering that they be not paid without their special order.  What has been done in this matter during my term will be seen by the testimony that I enclose with the present letter.  It would be a strong case if there were any money in the royal treasury, in view of the shortness of the succors as the ships