ey see an order from your Majesty I beseech
your Majesty to have compassion for this new plant of the faith of
Jesus Christ, which costs your Majesty and your subjects so dearly to
establish and preserve. May your Majesty grant me grace and send me
troops, and let those who come be from those realms of Castilla--a
matter of moment and importance--and not the creoles or exiles from
Mexico. I should also be provided with ammunition, arms, and men to
cast artillery. An order should be sent to Mexico to supply me with
money, to meet the needs and contingencies. I trust in our Lord, and
in the excellent arrangement and plan that this city is assuming, that
if there are supplied barely sufficient troops to defend a town of this
size, your Majesty need not fear all Xapon, nor any other more powerful
enemy that might attack us. This I discuss at greater length elsewhere;
but here I only remind your Majesty of the completion of this fort,
and the necessity of troops therein, as also of the workmen and their
wages for which, in my former letters, I have petitioned your Majesty.

By a decree which I have received here from your Majesty, I am
ordered to make inquiries as to whether there is quicksilver here,
or if it can be brought from the Chinese realms and taken to Mexico,
and at what price. I will say that I have dealt with these Chinese,
and they are so distrustful that unless the money is given them
beforehand, they will not bring the goods the following year. It
is true, nevertheless, that they guarantee the fulfilment of their
commission. They ask one hundred ducats for a pico of quicksilver,
the equivalent of one hundred and thirty Castilian libras. If this
price is satisfactory, will your Majesty order as suits your royal
pleasure; for they can bring from their land whatever quantity is
desired. May our Lord preserve your Majesty for many long years,
with increase of better kingdoms and seigniories, as is needed for
Christendom. At Manila, May xxxi, 1592.

_Gomez Perez Dasmarinas_

Rules for the Manila Hospital

Gomez Perez Dasmarinas, knight of the order of Santiago, governor
and captain-general of these islands and districts of the West, for
the king, our sovereign. Inasmuch as it is advisable, for the service
of God, to reform certain matters in the royal hospital of this city
that require such remedy, and to decide and establish other matters
for its better government and service, for the welfare of its