such particular care to send assistance every year, this camp not only does not continue to increase, but even is not maintained: first, because the number of men who come is not in proportion to those who die during the year, since the land is [in]salubrious[1] and unhealthy, without reckoning the men wasted in the . . . on punitive expeditions, pacifications, and ne[w dis] coveries w[hich o]ffer [themselves]; and further there is a lack of . . . since, almost at the same time, occurred the expedition and pacification of Mindanao, the punishment and pacification of the presidio of Cagaian, the reverse for the troops in Çebu, the punishment of and raids among the Çambales, the presidio of La Caldera, and the expedition to Camboxa. Also the voyage from Nueva España wastes many men; because leave must necessarily be given to those who are married in España or to Peruvians—who are men very harmful to the commonwealth—besides others who did not come with the intention of living in it, or the desire of becoming citizens, but only to return with their property. In giving them leave, we take into consideration that there is . . . of those who leave here rich . . . few set their minds upon many to come . . . voluntarily without any expense to your royal treasury, so that we are always in need of men. Those who remain here are exceedingly poor, so I beg your Majesty to order the viceroy of Nueva España to attend to this matter with the greatest punctuality. This year only seventy men came here; they were not serviceable men and among
- ↑ The letters or words in brackets are conjectural readings, the original being illegible or worn in many places. When no conjectural reading is given, the break is indicated by leaders.
