it is impossible to obtain with this, or even approach, all that is
necessary. It is certainly true that for bread and wine alone, I spent
almost all of what the king granted me for supplies on the voyage;
and that I had to encroach upon what was granted me for vestments and
what clothes the friars themselves used for apparel. In addition,
I was unable to pay all that we owed in Sevilla to the convent for
the days during which we had remained there; accordingly, when I left
it I was out of favor with the prior and the other brethren of the
convent and yet I reduced to a very limited amount the supplies for the
voyage. This is the statement of facts _in verbo sacerdotis_; for it
may be evident in what straits we were, to anyone who has received as
allowance for this purpose no more than that which the king gives, as
ordinarily those who come from the Philippinas have only that amount.

_The requirement that the Council shall approve the religious who
are to go is severe and useless._ After all this, the requirement
of making the voyage under the very severe rule that the Council
shall approve the friars who are to go to the Indias brings the whole
undertaking within obvious risk of failure. If the list of names of
the religious who are going must be certain and accurate, it cannot
be sent to the Council before they are all assembled in Sevilla;
for up to that point it is very uncertain who are to go. Even then it
still remains uncertain, for many come back from Sevilla. The ordinary
state of affairs is that all are gathered there a few days only before
the departure of the fleet, for, if they go much sooner, there is no
means for their support; for his Majesty gives commands to provide
a real and a half daily for every religious, while the contribution
demanded from the convent is three reals a day for each one. Now,
if the list of names of the religious cannot be sent to Valladolid
earlier, even if it should be approved there at the very moment--and