cotton,
because they would not have the Sangleys acting as middlemen. The
rest that they bring is silks, very poor and sleazy, except some
silk which is brought in raw or spun into thread. This last, I fear,
exceeds in quantity that brought from the Spanish kingdoms; and would
interfere with your Majesty's royal revenues from the silks of Granada,
Murcia, and Valencia, which would be most undesirable. Besides this,
there is another point deserving no slight consideration--namely,
that they (the Chinese) come to these islands with freedom to sell
their goods, and even settle here, and frequently marry. They do not
permit us, however, to go to their country, nor may a Spaniard go
thither to invest one real--a custom entirely contrary to freedom
of trade. Therefore, in order to avoid other undesirable results,
I have decreed that Chinese traders shall not live here under the
pretext of being merchants; but that only certain workmen who are
mechanics may remain, and that, when their merchandise is sold,
they shall return home. The bishop and all the friars say that they
cannot thus be deprived of the liberty of coming and settling here,
and that no such commands or decrees can in conscience be made for
them. From the pulpits they say that the governor is going to hell,
because the Chinese have their laws, and we cannot dictate to them
unless we first govern ourselves according to the laws and customs
which we found among the Indians of this country, because it was and
is theirs. In regard to what I have said concerning the trade of these
Chinese, I am doubtful on only one point--namely, if this trade be
abandoned, your Majesty will lose the royal duties which this commerce
brings in, on the arrival and departure of the merchants. These must
amount to thirty or forty thousand pesos yearly, lacking which, your
Majesty would have to supply it from your royal treasury in Mexico,
or elsewhere, in order to maintain the army here, and for other very
pressing expenses. I have set all this before your Majesty, so that,
having considered it on both sides, your Majesty may inform me of
your will.

The bishop is about to go to Spain, [48] and is so wrought up over
what touches his individual interests, and matters connected with
his friars (as are all of the latter), that he declares publicly
that if I would not let him go he would betake himself to a desert,
in order not to look upon injustices. Not the least among these are
the ma