ne and
ten reals, at which price it is sold in the [royal] magazines; and
the tribute which is given by the very Indians on whom this purchase
was levied is sold at the magazines, without being placed therein,
to the rice-mills. This gentleman very willingly accepts what people
give him for the offices. At the beginning, it was understood that
he would not receive gifts; but with five children, a wife, and a
sister-in-law, and heavily indebted, the office costing him so much,
and he coming so great a distance, how can he avoid looking out for
money? He is not opposed to the Society [of Jesus], but we are under
no obligation to him. Our order has no kindly feeling toward thieves,
and it is thought most probable, as nearly as can be guessed, that he
will not speak [of us] very favorably to his Majesty. He says that
he will despatch the balandra [2] this year; but I do not know how
this will be, because they have not begun to get it ready.

[From a letter by Father Magino Sola, June 19, 1691.]

On the twenty-fifth of July, Senor Fausto Cruzat y Gongora took
possession of the government. When Don Juan de Vargas was ready to
embark this year, the city brought a new suit against him, and seized
the little that he possessed.

[From a letter by Father Juan de Montemayor, dated July 4, 1694.]

He says therein that information had been received in Manila that
the Dominicans would not be promoted to bishoprics in the Filipinas
Islands, a statement that had been well received. The bishop of
Troya had attempted to regain the government of the archbishopric,
founding his claim on a royal decree in which he was charged to
surrender it to the person who had been presented by his Majesty
(from which he inferred that the king approved his government), but
slighting the imperative order [ruego y encargo] that he should set
out for Espana. He demanded that the governor send him the official
correspondence from Espana for the governor of the archbishopric;
but the governor replied that he would send him that which should go
to the name of his illustrious Lordship.

[Letter by Father Pedro de Silva Alencastre, July 20, 1694.]

[He says] that for three years past no letters from the islands reached
Mejico, because in July of the year 1692 the patache which was going to
the Marianas, with more than twenty thousand pesos, was burned while
in the very port. In the same year the ship "Santo Cristo" sailed for
Acapulco, and had to com