ose, who would reside in Mexico, was put into execution;
but that, in violation of it, many of the inhabitants secretly send
large quantities of merchandise to Mexico, entrusting those goods to
the passengers and sailors without registering them, although that
city has persons of credit and trust in Mexico. Thus result many
embarrassments and frauds to my royal duties. He petitioned me to be
pleased to have my royal decree issued, ordering that such unlawful
acts be not permitted. The matter having been examined in my royal
Council of the Indias, bearing in mind what my fiscal said there, I
have considered it fitting to advise you of the aforesaid, so that you
may understand it, and I order you, in so far as it pertains to you,
to keep, obey, and execute, and cause to be kept, obeyed, and executed,
what has been enacted in this respect. Madrid, March 25, 1633.

_I the King_

By order of the king our sovereign:
_Don Fernando Ruiz de Contreras_

LETTERS FROM TAVORA TO FELIPE IV

I

_Government affairs_

Sire:

I sent a despatch by way of India in the month of November of the
past year 631, because the flagship which sailed for Nueva Espana
sank here in port, and the almiranta put back. A copy of the despatch
which they carried goes in the first mail, with this, and I refer to
it. Accordingly I shall now begin to give an account to your Majesty
of what has happened since then.

The ships which had remained in Nueva Espana last year, reached here
during the last part of May after a favorable trip. Therefore I trust
that they will depart earlier than in previous years, and that the
voyages may become regular. [_In the margin:_ "Seen."]

The ships brought as a subsidy two hundred and thirty-four thousand
pesos for the royal treasury. Two hundred thousand came last
year. The viceroy writes that he can do no more. The visitor here
will not, I believe, consider it little, since he does not have it
in his charge. Certain it is that the last six remittances which the
viceroy has made to these islands have all been smaller than those
made by the other viceroys. I confess that the times have become
hard; but one can but ill sustain a number of men, or take care of
the expenses of war, on less than what their pay and salaries amount
to. The accounts for the five years which were asked are enclosed,
and have been made out with all clearness. For the last three, it
will be seen how much smaller have been