greater duties.  These latter should be imposed upon the Chinese silk, so that, less of it being imported for that reason, less money would be taken from Nueva Espana to Filipinas for its purchase; while more money would be brought to these kingdoms.  That would result in greater investments and cargoes, and more silk would be produced in these kingdoms.  For so little silk has been produced in the kingdom of Granada for the last two years, because of its little sale and value and its great cost, that the duties from the revenues of their silk have been worth thirty thousand ducados less each of those two years than they were worth during the years before.  Two signal losses have resulted from that, and they will become greater every day, and more irreparable.  The first is that as so little silk is produced, and the producers have left the leaves on the mulberry-trees, the trees have come to such a pass that for lack of pruning and care they will be ruined in little time and destroyed—­so that when one may try to remedy them he will be unable.  The other is that the little silk that has been produced has been of so little profit to the producers because of its diminished value during this time—­on account of the quantity of foreign silk that has been imported and its better sale, because of the lower price at which it has been sold—­that the said producers and the holders of the annuity grants have not had sufficient means to pay the said annuities; and for the last two years they have owed his Majesty two hundred thousand ducados.  It will be impossible to pay that sum and what shall be owing in the future years, as long as the importation and sale of that foreign silk is not prohibited.  But if that be done, the production will be increased, and the trade and value [of the Spanish silk] will return to its former figure.  By that benefit all the producers will be encouraged to persevere in it, and will cause greater duties, not only for the larger amount of silk that there will be, but in the excise duty for the consumption of food.  The producers will have the means to pay what they owe on the annuities that are due and will fall due.  And although the silks will be dearer than now, the greater durability of what will be made from them, because of their good quality and worth, will make them cheaper.  For if the Chinese silk is not imported, nor ours mixed with it (which is the thing that spoils, harms, and damages ours), what is woven will never break, and will not be dear at any price.  The money [now] invested in the silk of China and taken to that country will come to these kingdoms, and will be invested in our silks and merchandise and the returns from them will continue to increase both in the increase of the royal revenues, and in the universal welfare of his Majesty’s vassals.  Thus will it be seen in a very short time how well advised has been the decision that will be made in the prohibition of the said silks of China, as well as the great damage that