n vessels, as it
is the necessary route from China to this city, from Japon here, and
to other parts. The country is well supplied with provisions. It has
few ports, but there is one which lies at the head of it, on the side
which faces toward Japon, which is very well formed and strong. It
is named Keilang, and at present has no defense. If three hundred
men were placed there with a fort, all the power of those parts would
not be sufficient to dislodge them; for the entrance is very narrow,
and with artillery they could resist any efforts which were made
against them. It is a large port with deep water, and the entrance is
closed by an island on the northeast part, inhabited by about three
hundred Indians. I have sent a carefully traced sketch of this to
your Majesty with this letter. The reason why it is very necessary to
occupy this port is for the safety of these islands; for it is known
to a certainty that ... that if a fort is built at ... which is very
... will be able to send it from there without great difficulty,
and being installed there, would make us anxious at all times, and
harry the land, without there being any help for it, For they are
a warlike and numerous people. The other reason is because all the
trading ships which sail for this city from China make land there,
and will not dare sail from their own country. They are very much
afraid of those people, and will cease their trade with this city,
and thus that will be lost--even more than the great wealth which
the ship "San Felipe" [43] carried, which arrived in their country
in the past year, ninety-six. That wealth made them covetous of it;
and perhaps their principal intention is to come here and attack
these islands. It is not worthy of the Spanish reputation to allow
this barbarian to use us thus, without experiencing our power through
some injury. It would be a great loss to him to take that passage from
him; and, for any purpose that your Majesty may desire, it will be a
very important station; since, if your Majesty sends a large number
of troops by way of Nueva Espana or of India, that is so difficult
an undertaking, and entails so much expense and the death of so many.

It is of no less importance to give an account to your Majesty of
two routes which can be explored at little expense and are short
and easy. The first is by the strait which is called Danian [_i.e._,
Anian], which lies between the farthest land of China and the regions
of N