he near neighborhood and almost in the midst
of other lands--Japan, China, Jaba, Borney, Malucos, and Nueva Guinea,
so that one can go to any of those regions in a short time. It is
a healthy land of tolerable climate, and it has sufficiently good
harbors where there is abundance of wood and timber, and other things
necessary for the building of ships; and it would cost but little
to bring workmen, sails, and some articles which are not to be had
there. It is also necessary to make a good harbor there, in order
that ships from outside may find anchorage. It is very dangerous for
large and deep vessels to pass among so many islands, with their
shoals and tides. It would therefore be necessary to build there
galleys and light-draught oared vessels, in order to go to those
regions that I mention above, and to carry cargoes which the heavy
vessels would have to carry to this Nueva Espana; the latter would
not leave any port of those islands which might be settled for this
purpose. They could thus cruise and trade in all places in a very
short time; and the heavy ships would only have to go to the harbor,
to take on their cargoes and return.

14. Of the mainland I will make a report conforming to what I have
heard, and what I have been able to get from the natives of it--both
those who lived in Manila, and those who have traded between the city
of Manila and the mainland, whence come the ships that have visited
the Spanish settlements. From what I have heard, there are, for two
hundred leagues (rather less than more), towns and fortresses ready
for conquest, on the coast whence have come these ships, as far as
Canton. On one river there is a fortress, containing a certain number
of soldiers as a garrison; but their number I could not ascertain from
those people. There are at the mouth of the river a few islets and
shoals. There is another fortress and town, about fourteen leagues
farther up the coast, in a little bay, called Occia. Opposite the
bay are a few islets, which are apparently uninhabited. About ten
leagues farther up the coast there is another river, with a town and
fortress called Sihua. Farther up the coast about twelve leagues there
is another large and very swollen river which from what I have heard
makes a junction with the river of the city of Canton. There is a town
and fortress here called Cincin. It is understood that from that port
sail the ships that come to Manila, and others that go to Vindoro,
Balay