I specially charge the said Admiral that he is to maintain Christian, political, and military discipline among the men of his ship.
Further, I charge him to see that they do not curse nor blaspheme, nor say or do other things evil against God our Lord, nor against the most holy Mother, nor against angels, saints, or things divine or sacred; and if perchance (which may God not permit) there are some so wicked as to dare to utter such blasphemies, he is to punish them severely and rigorously as their crimes deserve.
Further, I charge him not to consent to any playings with dice or cards, either for small or great stakes; and if by chance there should be any playing cards found in his ship, or dice (except for playing at backgammon), he is to throw them overboard as a thing very prejudicial to the objects of the voyage; and if the games at tables cause disputes and trouble, they are also to be thrown overboard, so as to avoid all occasion for mischief.
He is to take great care that every day, in the afternoon, all the people go on their knees before an altar where there are images of Christ and of the Virgin Mary, and that the Litany of Our Lady of Loreto is recited, praying for her favour and for her intercession, that God our Lord may guide us and show us the lands and people we seek, and help us in all that undertaking on which we are employed, and grant us that success which will be to His honour and glory and for the good of so many of His creatures.
Further, I charge him that he forbids and by all means prevents any one from taking God’s name in vain, the person so offending forfeiting his ration for that day, and if he has already had it, for the next day; and the same punishment is to be inflicted on such persons as may give him to eat, even if they are his own mess-mates. If the blasphemer repents his fault, he may be pardoned the first time, but for the second, third, or other times he may be put in irons, or fined for the benefit of souls in purgatory; and this may not be remitted. And that this may be known to all, a copy of this chapter is to be nailed to the ship’s main mast.
Further, he is to be very vigilant in preventing free or disrespectful words being spoken of the royal person or his service: and those who so offend are to be punished promptly and with rigour, always justifying what is inflicted for this or other offences.
Further, he is to take care and use much diligence in treating kindly and lovingly all the people under his charge, and to honour and maintain each one of his officers in the posts they occupy, and to cause them to be respected and to respect each other. In short, he is to acquire those methods and habits which are necessary to keep his people contented and firm in their love, truthfulness, fidelity, and loyalty, remembering how worthy of esteem that Captain is who, without the use of knife or other rigour, governs his people in peace.
Further, he is to look after the Master of the Ship with vigilance, who is to see that the provisions do not turn bad and are not wasted; and that those respecting which there is a suspicion that they may turn bad are used first.
The ration to be served out each day to each person on board, whether receiving wages or not, is 1½ lbs. of biscuit, 1 lb. of meat, 2 oz. of bacon, 1 oz. of pulses, half a gallon of water for drinking, and sufficient for cooking. On fish days the ration is to be one fish or (if it is large) part of one, 6 oz. of pulses, a measure of oil, another of vinegar; biscuit and water as on meat days. If there is no fish, 4 oz. of cheese is to be substituted. As regards extras, what appears most convenient is to be done, always seeing that there is no pretext for complaints, and considering that there is much time and a long voyage before us.
He is to be very diligent, both by day and night, in following the Capitana ship, which will shape a W.S.W. course until the latitude of 30° is reached; and when that is reached and no land has been seen, the course will be altered to N.W. until the latitude of 10° 15′; and if no land has yet been found, a course will be followed on that parallel to the west, in search of the island of Santa Cruz. There a port will be sought in the bay of Graciosa, in 10° of latitude, and 1,850 leagues from the city of the Kings, to the south of a great and lofty volcano, standing alone in the sea, about 8 leagues from the said bay. The Captain who arrives first in this port, which is at the head of the bay, between a spring of water and a moderate-sized river, with bottom from 40 to 35 fathoms, is to anchor there, and wait there three months for the other two ships. When together, a resolution will be taken as to what further shall be done, in compliance with His Majesty’s orders. If by chance the other ships do not arrive, the Captain, before he departs, is to raise a cross, and at the foot of it, or of the nearest tree, he is to make a sign on the trunk, to be understood by him who next arrives, and to bury a jar with the mouth closed with tar, and containing a narrative of all that has happened and of his intentions. Then he will steer S.W. as far as 20°, thence N.W. to 4°, and on that parallel he is to steer west in search of New Guinea. After coasting all along that land, he is to proceed to the city of Manilla, in the island of Luzon of the Philippines, in 14° N., thence by the eastern Indies to Spain, to give an account to His Majesty of all that has been discovered.