The Duke de Lerma has written to me, the Conde de Lemos, that your Majesty orders that the enclosed report from the Council of Portugal be examined in this Council, in regard to the order that there should be no passing to Japon by way of the Philipinas, and that your Majesty be advised of what seems best. In this report the principal purpose seems to be that commerce should be prohibited, by your Majesty's command, in order that the Philipinas may not maintain it with China or Japon. This matter depends very much on what the same Council of Portugal has claimed, and now brings forward as foundation for its claim, which is the prohibition of the entrance of Castilian religious into Japon to preach. At your Majesty's command, the Council replied, in the past year, to another report from the Council of Portugal, in which it proposed in detail the arguments on which it founds its claim. Therefore it seemed best to return the report to your Majesty, together with a letter written to your Majesty by Francisco Pena, auditor of Rota, from which it is apparent how this matter is considered in Rome, and how much that opinion is in conformity with what this Council has advised your Majesty, adding what we have learned since the aforesaid report was sent, from letters from the governor and Audiencia, and investigations made before the aforesaid Audiencia and the archbishop of Manila, and other trustworthy papers which came from the Philipinas and Japon. The emperor of Japon sent to the governor of the islands, asking him very earnestly to send religious to settle in the land of Quanto; and some were therefore sent, and they were very kindly received. Land was given them for houses and hospitals; so they have founded two residences, where they are making great headway in the conversion of the Japanese, and the religious are very well treated. As the emperor himself has for three years desired and insisted upon the commerce of the Philipinas with his realms, a ship has accordingly been sent each year from the islands to those of Quanto, with merchandise from China, and various articles of which they have more than enough in the aforesaid [Philippine] islands; and it brought back in return much silver (with which the land of Japon abounds), wheaten flour, dried beef, hemp for cordage, iron, steel, powder, and hafted weapons and other things of great value for the provision and preservation of the aforesaid Philipinas Islands. In those islands it appears of the greatest importance that this commerce be introduced and preserved; because, besides the provision of the aforesaid goods, it is well to keep the king of Japon friendly by this means. For if he were not so he would be the greatest enemy that could be feared, on account of the number and size of his realms, and the valor of the people therein, who are, beyond comparison, the bravest in all India--as has been experienced in the aforesaid