hundred
ducados, amounting to seventy-five thousand maravedis, which it has
been commanded to give him in addition to two hundred ducados which
by warrant of this Council, dated August 31 last, in the year 604,
we commanded you to pay him. This is on account of the expenses
which he is obliged to incur in the conveyance and support of the
religious. Take his receipt, with which and with this warrant the
accountants of his Majesty who aid this Council shall receive and
credit you on account the sum which you shall thus pay him. At
Valladolid, on the thirty-first of August in the year one thousand
six hundred and four. [10]

Signed by the Council.

_A true report of the difficulties of conducting religious to the
Philipinas, because of the severe restrictions imposed by the decrees
of his Majesty in regard to the matter_.

Although taking religious to any part of the Indias is a very
arduous undertaking, it is incomparably more so to convey them to
the Philippinas, since the journey is much longer, and there are more
places on the way at which it is necessary to have dealings with royal
officials. Accordingly, this voyage offers difficulties twice as great
as the others. Not only is it necessary to cross two great seas--those
of the North [Atlantic] and, of the South [Pacific]--besides the
difficult journey across the country of Nueva Espana from one ocean
to the other, but in addition his Majesty obliges us who make this
journey to pass through so many hands and through so many registries
as are certainly intolerable. If affairs be always conducted thus,
it will be truly impossible to make the voyage according to the very
severe regulations laid down by his Majesty, and with the very slight
assistance given by his officials to the religious. I do not expatiate
upon the great difficulties in obtaining religious, on their own side,
as they are the sons of many mothers; and as soon as they begin the
journey they hear a thousand things in regard to the evils of the
country where they are going. Even if nothing more is said of it than
that there is neither bread nor wine therein, that is enough to daunt
a giant. Then those who by their strength of character overcome these
difficulties at the edge of the water are frightened at the sea, and
at the dismal prophecies that are usually current, that the fleet
will be lost on account of sailing very late (as it almost always
does) from Espana. Thus many of the religious have