suaded immediately to move to more retired
and secure places; and that they should commence their sowing, since
there are many virgin and unoccupied lands. Should such an event
[the coming of an enemy] occur, then this would be already done;
and if not, then they would lose nothing in harvesting their rice;
for it would be necessary to abandon their hamlets and comforts,
if the enemy did come. Furthermore, as these Indians are traders, as
is known, and trade in rice and other products with this community,
since they bring it from Otton, Camarines, Ylocos, and other places,
this trade and provision would, if the enemy came, have to cease;
and if these Indians remained among us and near their present abodes,
they would consume our food, and we both would starve. In order to
supply food, there is no better remedy than to commence to sow in
distant and secure places, so that the natives may be safe, prepared,
and forewarned, and that there may be abundance of provisions; since,
by withdrawing from each varangay ten men, or the number that may be
deemed sufficient, these fields and new settlements may be commenced.

Likewise should be considered whether it would be advisable to store
the property of all the Sangleys in the stone warehouses of this
city, where the goods might be kept safe, while the Sangleys could
go outside of the city to build their houses, because of the great
danger, lest by some fire-contrivance they should burn that Parian
and a great part of the city. This is to be understood as proposed
only if occasion should arise for us to take such measures. Likewise,
it will be advisable to have the houses or churches which now are
thatched with straw or nipa roofed with tiles; or else they might
be destroyed, because of the manifest danger of being set afire with
great facility upon any occasion.

Whether the encomenderos, because of these common necessities, should
be allowed to collect from each tributario the value of two reals in
rice and one real in one laying hen, or two chicks (male or female),
or one cock, and the rice at its value among them. Also whether the
encomendero should not store it in the city, in the house that he
is actually living in; and whether, since the hen is obtained from
the Indian as the tribute for one real, neither the hen, the male or
female chicks, nor the cock--whichever the Indian gives in tribute,
the matter being left to his choice--can be valued, sold, or bought
for more t