The customs duties from the Chinese at six per cent on merchandise 80U000 Licenses imposed by Don Juan de Silva on every Chinaman who remains in the country, at 8 pesos 80U000 Duties on cloth belonging to citizens, which is brought in the ships from Mexico. 2U500 Customs duties on ships that go to Mexico sent by citizens of Manila, at three per cent of the merchandise 12U000 Other items, 4U pesos 4U000 Total amount 255U541 In this way your Majesty has, from year to year, a little more or less than two hundred and fifty thousand reals of eight, and in this there are included neither the freight charges of the ships which go to Nueva Espana, amounting to more than 30U pesos, nor the twelve per cent paid there on the merchandise which is sent, because this enters into the royal treasury of Mexico. The expenses which your Majesty has in these islands are not so great that, if it were not necessary to furnish support for the war in Maluco with the Dutch, there would not be rather some surplus than a deficit; and you could well maintain four galleons and six galleys for its protection and defense. Chapter V. That your Majesty possesses in the Filipinas enormous wealth, even with the little effort made to realize it. What most discourages many servants of your Majesty, and even prevents others who are striving to forward your royal service from giving credence to great things, has been the incredulity which they display regarding the greatness of the Indias. This has been true since the first discoverers, as is well known. For not only are we to believe that the Holy Ghost gave them that impulse to persevere in their intention--even if that were not (which ought not to be believed) the glory of God and the saving of souls--but our Lord, who sought by this means to accomplish His work, gave them so great perseverance and fortitude in breaking through the midst of so many difficulties and so much opposition and so many hard rebuffs that, indeed, if one look upon and read the history of the Indias, it would seem that men would be unable to suffer so much. But God would encourage them, for whose cause they persevered in their projects, bringing so great increase of grandeur to the kings of Espana. Although since that time some, more desirous of wealth and honor than moved by God, have tried to imitate those discoverers, and have had ill success, they ought not all for this reason to be condemned and reproved without first examining their intentions and objects, and the real nature of the affairs which they are conducting.