in Maluco. If they are traded for clothing such as the Moros wear,
the cost will be one-half less. The carriage from Maluco to Manila
is nothing, for they will be brought in the ships of the usual relief
expedition to those forts. The fifty bars, delivered in this city, are
worth already at least ten thousand pesos. Once laden for India, and
carried at your Majesty's account in your own ship, they will be worth
thirty-five thousand pesos and more when delivered in Goa or Cochin,
as is affirmed by men experienced in this kind of merchandise. Your
Majesty needs many things in your royal magazines which are brought
from the above-named cities, such as saltpetre, iron, anchors, slaves
for the galleys, arms, biscuits, _cayro_, white cloth, and wearing
apparel for convicts. Those articles are bought every year in Manila
from merchants of Yndia, at excessive rates. The thirty-five thousand
pesos resulting from the cloves having been invested, then, in those
articles at Goa or Cochin, and having been brought to Manila on your
Majesty's account and investment, will be worth at the figures now
paid for the said articles, ninety or one hundred thousand pesos. And
even if all this did not rise to so high prices, I am sure that fifty
thousand pesos (which is one-half less than one might consider them
to be worth) will be the return in products to these magazines from
the fifty bars, which will cost four thousand pesos in money at first
cost, as I have said--and if they be bought for the peculiar cloth
of Yndia, two thousand pesos. That would be a very considerable gain
and relief to the royal treasury. [1] [_In the margin_: "Consult with
his Majesty as to what the governor proposes; and say that it has
been judged best, before advising what we think of it, to refer the
matter to his Majesty, so that he may order the council of Portugal
to state their opinion regarding the matter. Having examined it from
all points of view, an opinion will be given."] [2]