city, it will be impossible again to introduce it, and whatever is collected there from the licenses given to the said Chinese (which is a very large item) will be lost; and finally the whole colony will reach so exhausted a condition that it will be impossible, [14] even with a million [pesos] of aid a year, to maintain the said islands. [Don Juan Grau] has entreated that I would be pleased to command that in the first ships which sail from Acapulco for the said islands--or, in default of these, in whatever ships shall go to the islands--shall be transported, besides the usual succor that I send, all the residues of permissions which there may be in Nueva España belonging to citizens of those islands, and all the money which may be still due as returns from the permissions, so that in this first voyage may be made up whatever shall have been deficient in past ones, according to the amount permitted, and nothing shall remain to fill out the entire amount of the returns in any year. Moreover, in order to mitigate somewhat the great injuries and losses for eight or ten years, [he has asked] that an increase be allowed them in the permission for the silver, up to the amount of 800,000 pesos instead of the 500,000 for which they have permission--or such quantity as I shall be pleased [to grant]; and that I give them permission to carry to Nueva España, besides the 250,000 pesos' worth of cloth from China which is already allowed to them, all the products of the country--as they have requested by a special petition in the large memorial, which Don Juan Grau asks shall be again examined, with the strong arguments which they present for asking this favor; and he says that at present there are [even] more reasons for granting it. This matter has been considered in my royal Council of the Indias, notwithstanding that I commanded the viceroy and the Audiencia of Mexico, by my decree of December 8, 1638, to inform me what permission the Philipinas Islands have, and that which was granted to the Count-Duke; and whether it would be expedient to enlarge further that of the said islands, considering their needs and other circumstances. By another decree of mine, of the same date, I also commanded the said my viceroy and Audiencia of Mexico, and the governor and Audiencia of Manila, to inform me regarding the representations made to me, on the part of the said city of Manila, that all the provinces of the Indias are permitted to export the products that in them are gathered and cultivated, without limitation of quantity. Those of the islands, the proceeds of their collections and labors, are: wax, lampotes, coverlets, tarlingas, blankets from Ilocos, musk, civet, and other commodities which are peculiar to the said islands; and it has been the custom for many years past to ship these products to Nueva España (which is their only market), registered, but not included in the 250,000 pesos of the permission, as it seemed that the citizens did not