e is silver from the mines of Japon itself.

Now, then, it seems very advisable, for the above reasons, immediately
to drive out the Dutch from the island of Hermosa, if there is any
possibility and power therefor, uniting the forces of Filipinas,
if necessary, with those of Macan--to whom the question is so vital,
both because of the said reason of the commerce (which is of prime
importance), and because the island of Hermosa lies in the path of
the voyage from Macan to Japon; and also, I do not deny, because it
is possible that the Dutch have taken a port in the island of Hermosa
in order to conquer Macan therefrom, to which they are very near,
as they attempted to do in the year 622. Therefore, it will be more
expedient and convenient to drive out the Dutch from this island of
Hermosa as soon as it is attempted; and that will be very gratifying
to the Chinese, who are much offended at the Dutch because of the many
robberies of their ships in the Filipinas trade that the Dutch have
committed for the last seventeen years, and are bitterly hostile to
them. But although it seems that that hostility will be sufficient,
for the present, for the Chinese not to make any beginning in commerce
in the island of Hermosa with the Dutch, that disinclination will
disappear in a short time--both because of the kind reception that the
Chinese will experience from the Dutch, and because the Chinese are so
notably covetous that, although they are prohibited under penalty of
losing life and property from trading with Japon, some ships laden
with silks have gone to that kingdom during the last few years,
pretending in Chinese ports that they are going to the Filipinas.

The above is what occurs to me in regard to the first part. In regard
to the second, namely, that it is not advisable for us to have a
port in the island of Hermosa, whether the Dutch are there or not,
my opinion is the following.

Since the Dutch are there, one would think it advisable to prevent
them by force of arms from the commerce of China. But for that one
must attack either the Chinese or the Dutch. Since the Chinese are
our friends, and since we cannot live in the Filipinas without their
trade, I do not see how it can be done justifiably, as they are free
to trade with all. Even should we attempt it, they will oblige us
to permit them [to trade as they choose] by taking the trade from
the Filipinas. But if it should have to be by attacking the ships of
the Dut