If there were no trade with China, the citizens of these islands would be richer; for the natives, if they had not so many tostons, would pay their tributes in the articles which they produce, and which are current—that is, cloths, lampotes, cotton, and gold, all of which have great value in Nueva España. These they cease to produce because of the abundance of silver; and what is worse, and entails more loss upon your Majesty, is that they do not, as formerly, work the mines and take out gold. If they did so, it would be of great importance to your Majesty and the whole country; and if this alone formed the merchandise sent to Nueva España from these islands, the gold and silver would remain here, and in the hands of the Spaniards themselves.
Carrying on commerce as they do, all the Spaniards are absorbed in it, to such a degree that there are not even enough to aid in the expeditions and military operations. Thus they will not remember that they are soldiers, and living among so many enemies, and do not realize that they are carrying arms; nor do they work for what your Majesty claims of them, the conversion and pacification of the natives. The Spaniards have become effeminate in spirit by their trading, and on various occasions have greatly lost their repute, for they are not as they used to be—having given themselves over to vices, luxuries, fine clothes, eating, and drinking; consequently they have not had their wonted success on several of the expeditions, and have come back without accomplishing what they set out to do, and the friendly Indians are making war, and going out to fight.
If your Majesty would prohibit trading, except perhaps in the products of the islands, three hundred men would be of as much use here as a thousand are today; for they would realize that they must gain their livelihood by their arms, and not by traffic. Otherwise they only await a chance to go hence as soon as possible, and so take no heed of the affairs of this country, and do not engage in stock-raising and agriculture, or in building, for each one does as suits him best; and therefore this country is not growing, but rather falling into appalling decay and weakness.
What with the hopes they all have of returning to España, they will not do otherwise than send their wealth back thither; and they have no mind for spending it in the country where they earned it, in building churches, monasteries, and chapels, and performing other pious works whereby this city would be improved—which they would do if they knew that permission could not be given them to go back to España.
It would seem best for the present that your Majesty should not make exchanges or transfers of Indians with the encomenderos; for, if this is done, your Majesty must pay for it in other parts of the royal estate. At the least he will lose a soldier, an important thing in this land, when it has cost your Majesty so much to bring him here. On the other hand, they will always settle down, in order to have some one to succeed them in their encomiendas, and will marry; and their children will do the same, and become more and more naturalized in this land, which is so important for its welfare.
Likewise it seems expedient, for the same object, that your Catholic Majesty should found in this city a seminary and place of shelter for girls, where they may be supplied with all necessaries while they remain there, until they are married. If this were done, many poor girls from Mexico and the whole of Nueva España would enter the said seminary, knowing that there they would find support until they were settled. In order that they may be more eager to come, it would be of great advantage for your Majesty to direct that in Mexico should be given them everything necessary for traveling expenses and those of the voyage.
It would be of no little benefit to your Majesty's royal estate, if there were sent from your royal treasury of Mexico to this one, each year, twenty thousand pesos in coin; and if there were sent from here to Mexico all the gold that is collected in tributes from the Indians assigned to the royal crown, and what is paid for the tithes and the assay fee—as it is in this country an article of trade, which rises or falls according to the abundance of tostóns. If this gold were taken to Mexico, it would, in a few years, amount to double the money given for it here; and if the attempt were made to issue it from this treasury for its value, no one would take it, except at a considerable loss, for the reason given.
If your Majesty be pleased to discontinue the Audiencia, the temporal governor of these islands should be the same person who rules spiritual affairs. For the present, it seems that this would be very desirable; for with such a person the suspicion of trading and trafficking does not exist, and there is more certainty that the offices and encomiendas will be given to those who deserve them, rather than to his servants and relatives. And, above all, it would be well if this dignity were given to the bishop, who is now so zealous in the service of your Majesty, and desirous that all its affairs shall go well. He is also so thorough a Christian, and possessed of so much virtue, learning, and wisdom, that by his holy zeal he would aid in what your Majesty desires—that is, the conversion and good treatment of the natives of these islands, and the propagation of the holy faith. With that will cease the struggles for jurisdiction, which are not right during this time when spiritual affairs are getting a foothold; but, after they have become established, they can easily be put in their proper place. Furthermore, the said bishop, as he is a spiritual father, will be so in all things, and will proceed in the suits and cases rather with fatherly mediation than with judicial rigor.
If it be not the bishop, there is the licentiate Ayala, fiscal of this Audiencia, who performs his duties here as a good lawyer and a Christian, and is such a man as would give your Majesty satisfaction, whatever you may order him to do.
If the government could be given to one of the persons residing here, there would result many advantages, the greatest being that he would be acquainted with insular affairs, by the experience that he would have had with them. He would know who was deserving of honor and reward; and as all of us who have lately come have come in need, burdened with the care of servants and relatives, all being poor, we seek to supply our own needs and those of the persons whom we bring at our expense, and those who deserve aid go hungry; for before the governors can feel the pulse of affairs in the islands, and know what things need remedy, they depart or are removed.