or to say better, to the restoration of this community.  Your Majesty has much more interest in that than in the duties on the investment and register, which are of slight consideration to this treasury and to that of Mexico; while it is of great interest to all the monarchy that so much silver be not sent to China as was going every year from these kingdoms of your Majesty.  Since your royal decrees make so much of the harm that would follow to those kingdoms and to all the monarchy from excesses in these regions, I do not doubt that the decision to set aside the [record of] investment for this year will be quite in accord with its welfare and to your Majesty’s pleasure. [In the margin:  “Take it to the fiscal.”  “The fiscal says that, in spite of the causes mentioned by the governor in this section of his letter, he has been notified from Mexico and various other places in regard to this particular; and that the ships were laden with merchandise of great value.  Hence the omission of the register only served to defraud the royal duties.  Consequently, the governor should be censured for his act and a greater demonstration [of displeasure] reserved for what should result from his inspection and residencia from Mexico, that being one of the matters referred to that city.”  “Let the decision of the fiscal be followed; and advise the inspector of this, so that he may charge those who are guilty.”]

Not less attention has been paid to the government of the Indians and natives of these provinces.  I found them greatly oppressed and harassed by the many burdens, assessments, and services that were imposed on them for the service of your Majesty and the support of the government employees and justices.  In regard to this matter, I held several conferences with the ecclesiastical prelates, the regulars, and the seculars.  At these were present your Majesty’s fiscal, the assessor of the government, and two encomenderos in the name of the others, and I conferred with them on the most important points.  Later, with general consent, I made a new set of instructions and ordinances concerning the justices and encomenderos.  By them was prohibited under heavy penalties whatever had been introduced that was harmful to the Indians.  An attested copy of certain points was given to the superiors of the orders and to the ministers who are not regulars, of which it seemed best that they should be notified at the same meeting.  They were strictly charged with the execution of those clauses; under penalty that if redress were not made by their own action, your Majesty will enforce it.  And in order that some cooperation might be supplied on the part of your royal treasury to this general relief which we are trying to effect for the Indians, it was resolved, with the consent of the tribunal of the treasury, to pay the natives who serve in the naval storehouse, the rope-factory, and in the repairs of the ships of your Majesty, a moderate sum which seemed a just recompense for their labor.  By