1583. Morga says that trade with the Chinese was increased during his
governorship. He attempted to discover a return route to New Spain
through the southern seas, but was unsuccessful. He opened trade
with Peru. A duty of two per cent on merchandise sent to New Spain
was imposed by him, and one of three per cent on goods imported by
the Chinese.

[27] Taking the words "twenty years" literally would make the date of
this letter in 1584, but it must have been prior to that date. Ribera
was sent to Spain in 1581, and Ronquillo died in 1583. The date of
this letter therefore is conjectured to have been the latter year.

[28] Retana's text here reads thus: "El preçio que tenian las cosas,
después que los Españoles introduxera la moneda de plata, que por la
mayor parte son tostones, que así llaman á los reales de á cuatro
çientas gantas de arroz, y por otro [real], çiento de vino, y por
otro, doçe y catorçe y a un diez y seis gallinas." The bracketed
word _real_ was supplied by Retana. A more satisfactory emendation
would be _tostón_, the equivalent of _real de á cuatro_. The passage
should read thus: "reales de a cuatro [por un tostón cuatro] çientas
gantas de arroz, y por otro [tostón] çiento," etc. This supposition
is borne out by a later passage where Salazar states that in former
times four hundred gantas of rice cost one tostón.--_H.E. Bolton_.

[29] Ronquillo was governor of the entire archipelago.--_Retana_.

[30] He alludes, as will be seen below, to the encomenderos, against
whom, chiefly, this accusation by the famous bishop Salazar is
directed--_Retana_.