From the island of Banda, and from other islands, nutmeg and mace. From
the same island they bring certain very beautiful birds which have no
feet or claws. They have a very long tail with very beautiful feathers,
and resemble young herons.

From Xapon a great quantity of silver; [abundance?] of tunny-fish;
certain catans (which resemble cutlasses, and are very large), and
daggers wrought very richly in gold; and other things.

From Sunda and many other places they bring various other articles. The
Spaniards take from the Philipinas many pieces of cotton of very
fine quality, and many pieces of various-colored damask; all kinds
of taffeta, in greater or less quantity; much spun and loose silk of
all colors; a great quantity of earthenware--which, together with the
silk, is all brought to Manila by the Chinese themselves, who also
bring a great amount of gold, wrought and unwrought, and of different
carats. The following are the names of the gold in the Philipinas
and their carats: first, gold of _ariseis_, of twenty-three carats
three granos, and worth per tae in the said islands, nine eight-real
pesos; gold of _guinogulan_, of twenty carats, worth seven pesos;
gold of _orejeras_, of eighteen or nineteen carats, and worth five and
one-half pesos per tae; gold of _linguin_, of fourteen or fourteen
and one-half carats, and worth four or four and one-half pesos;
gold of _bislin_, of nine or nine and one-half carats, and worth
three pesos; gold of _malubay_, of six or six and one-half carats,
and worth one and one-half and two pesos. [70]

NOTES

[1] The twelve-year truce between the States-General and Spain,
signed in 1608.

[2] This squadron was sent for the succor of the Philippines,
in December, 1619; but soon after its departure it encountered a
severe storm, which compelled the ships to take refuge in the port
of Cadiz. Learning of this, the royal Council sent imperative orders
for the ships to depart on their voyage; the result was that they
were driven ashore and lost on the Andalusian coast, January 3, 1620,
with the loss of one hundred and fifty lives. Among the dead was Fray
Hernando de Moraga, O.S.F., who had come to Spain some time before to
ask aid for the Philippine colony and the missions there. A council
assembled by the king, after discussing the matter, recommended that
Spain abandon the islands as costly and profitless; Moraga's entreaties
induced the king to disregard this advice, and