Your Majesty orders me by another royal decree of the same date to see that the ships which are despatched from all these islands to Nueva Espana leave every year from this port in the beginning of June. That is advisable, but it is impossible to establish it this year; for never have these ships left without having to wait for the arrival of the others [from Nueva Espana], in order that [the inhabitants] answer their agents in regard to their [commercial] relations, and because no other opportunity for this arises during the year. Consequently, although the ships have been, as far as I am concerned, prepared in time with all that is necessary, the inhabitants have not begun to lade them until they have seen those which arrived safely on the twentieth of July. Since that, the fulfilment of this royal decree touching the two per cent has been discussed, as appears more in detail from the sworn statement of the acts, which I enclose. From now on I have commenced to order that the ships in the coming year are to set sail without those which are now departing; and that the royal decree of your Majesty must be inviolably kept and observed; but even with this warning in advance the early despatch has many inconveniences. This year no ships have come from Macan, so that the Chinese have brought more merchandise than usual. Their main deficiency has been that of not coming laden with woven stuffs; but with the fair treatment that has been given them, it is hoped that a great abundance of cloth of all kinds will come in the first champans. The loan of 60,000 [pesos] made to the royal treasury by the inhabitants of Macan, which I ordered to be paid, was opposed by the fiscal, because the Portuguese have kept a quantity of the goods of our citizens. Consequently that sum remains on deposit, in a separate account, so that, when the account is adjusted, their money may be returned to them.