The King: To Don Luis de Velasco, [47] my viceroy, governor, and
captain-general of the provinces of Nueva España. Your predecessor
in the government of those provinces, the Marques de Montes Claros,
informed me by a letter of May 24 of last year that he had received
my decree of August 19, one thousand six hundred and six, in which
were contained the directions to be followed by him in the opening to
navigation and the settlement of the new port of Monte Rey, discovered
by Sevastian Vizcayno on the voyage from Nueva España to the Philipinas
Islands. He stated that the decree could not be carried out in any
respect, since it reached his hands when the trading fleet for those
islands had already set sail, and since Sevastian Vizcayno--whom I
had commanded to undertake that voyage and found the colony, as being
the discoverer of the said port--had departed for that kingdom in the
fleet of that year. He stated that with a view, above all, to reaching
a decision in regard to what must be done for the prosecution of this
business, it seemed to him well to inform me of what he had heard, and
of what had been brought before him with reference to the matter. He
took for granted that it was of great importance to discover a port
where the ships returning from the Filipinas might stop to refit;
for on so long a voyage the greatest part of the danger is due to
the lack of a place where the injuries received in the voyage may be
repaired. If no more suitable place should be found, he said, it would
be advisable to make use of the port of Monte Rrey, of which he had
been notified; but, to understand better the importance of this port,
it would be well to notice that according to the survey made by the
said Sevastian Vizcayno it seems to be in latitude thirty-seven, on
the coast known as the coast of Nueva España, which runs from Cape
Mendocino to Acapulco. Now while it is true that most of the ships
on his voyage sight land within one or two degrees of that place,
still, it must be understood that they always regard themselves as
being at the end of their voyage and out of danger on the day when
they reach there. This is so true that there have been ships which,
when they were at the mouth of the harbor of Monte Rey, decided, as
soon as they recognized it, not to enter it, but kept on their voyage
with all sails spread. They felt that as soon as they sighted land
anywhere they could go on, and, with favorable weather, reach the
harbor of Acapulco in twenty-five or thirty days. The accidents and
injuries caused by hurricanes--which are the things that place ships in
jeopardy, and which oblige them to return to their port of departure,
with so much loss--ordinarily occur from the time when they pass the
cape of Spiritu Santo on the island of Manila, all along the chain
of the Ladrones until they pass the end of Japon at the point called
the Cape of Sestos and reach latitude thirty-two or thirty-three;
consequently, the ship which receives such injuries always does
so before entering the great gulf of Nueva España, and can find no
place of refuge without returning to Japon or to the Philipinas. If
its condition should permit it to sight the coast of Cape Mendocino
after fifty days (the usual length of time), its troubles would be
practically over. On this account, and since the harbor of Monte
Rrey is so situated that when the ships from the Philipinas reach
it they feel that their voyage to the harbor of Acapulco within
twenty-five or thirty days is certain, as has been said, and since
it has never been known to occur that a ship after sighting land
has been obliged to put back, therefore the Marques declares that,
as the object is to provide ships with a harbor where they may land,
or at least touch and refit, the harbor should be provided, or at
least be sought, where it may be of use before the vessels enter the
great gulf of Nueva España. This he urges the more because there are
two islands in latitude thirty-four or thirty-five, named Rrica de Oro
and Rrica de Plata, [48] to the west of the harbor of Monte Rey and
in almost the same latitude though very distant in longitude. Those
who have undertaken that voyage and have made it declare that both
these islands are very well suited to be places of refitting for the
ships from the Philipinas, and that it would be advantageous to find
them again and colonize one of them for this purpose. Regarding this
as certain, the Marques thinks that the exploration and colonizing
in question should be mainly at these islands, being committed to
some person of competence, care, and fidelity. For this he judges
that the said Sevastian Vizcayno would be suitable, because he would
know, as well as anyone could, the way to the harbor of Monte Rrey,
being already acquainted with it. If the commission were entrusted
to him, it would be well for him to go from Acapulco as commander of
the ships for the Philipinas, returning from Manila with two small
and lightly-laden ships for no other purpose than the discovery;
for if he were to return as commander [of the trading fleet] the
merchandise and stuffs of the inhabitants of Manila would run great
risk of being detained on the voyage, and of suffering some loss,
and the owners would have a right to recover damages from my royal
treasury. Then after the new harbor which is affirmed to exist shall
have been discovered, Sevastian Vizcayno may go as commander in the
year following, and may make a beginning of refitting a station there
with the trading ships, so that the navigation may be opened. After
this report had been brought before my Council of the Yndias and
my Council of War for those lands, and had been discussed there,
both sides having been considered by me, the suggestions of the said
Marques of Montes Claros were approved by me. Therefore I command
you that since he declares that the two islands, Rica de Oro and Rica
de Plata, in latitude thirty-four or thirty-five, will be much more
suitable than the harbor of Monte Rey as a port in which the ships of
the Filipinas trade may refit, you shall suspend for the present the
opening to navigation and the settlement of the harbor of Monte Rey. I
command you that, in conformity with the opinion of the said Marques of
Montes Claros, you shall give the charge of the expedition to Sevastian
Vizcayno; and shall cause to be undertaken the discovery, settlement,
and opening to navigation of a harbor in one of the said islands, Rica
de Oro and Rica de Plata, as shall seem best and most suitable for
the purpose intended. For the present I intrust to you the choice of
all that concerns the matter. On account of my trust in your prudence
and caution, and my confidence that you will not permit any excessive
expense, I license you to expend from my royal exchequer, for all the
aforesaid and for the arrangement of all other requisites, all the
money needed, drawing the same from my royal treasury of the City of
Mexico. I sanction and command the granting by you to the colonists
of the same privileges that were granted in my decree of August 19,
one thousand six hundred and six, to those who should go to colonize
the port of Monte Rey. In case it seems to them that the latter port
is entirely preferable to either of the two islands referred to, you
will execute the decree previously issued with reference to the said
colonization and opening to navigation of the said port of Monte Rey;
and by this my decree I command my accountants for my Council of the
Yndias to record this command. Dated at [_word partly illegible_;
Aranjuez?] September 27, one thousand six hundred and eight.
_I The King_
Certified to by Juan de Civica and signed by the members of the
Council of War of the Yndias.
The King: To Don Luis de Velasco, my viceroy, governor and
captain-general of the provinces of Nueva España, or to the person or
persons in whose charge the government may be. Having understood that
as a way-station for the vessels in the Philippine trade, one of these
islands, Rrica de Oro and Rrica de Plata, would be more suitable than
the port of Monte Rey--which had been explored, and for the opening
and colonization of which orders had been issued--because the former
are in a better situation: by a decree of the twenty-seventh of
September of the past year, I commanded you to suspend for the time
being the opening and settlement of the said port of Monte Rey, and
to undertake the exploration, settlement, and opening of one of those
two islands, Rrica de Oro and Rrica de Plata, as it appeared better
and more suitable for the object desired; and you were to spend from
my royal exchequer whatever money was necessary for this, and settle
other matters, as should be expedient. You were to concede to the
settlers the same privileges as were accorded to those who were to
go to settle the port of Monte Rey; and in case it still appeared to
you that the latter was better fitted than either of the two islands,
you were to execute what I had ordered you to do in connection with
its settlement and opening, as is explained more at length in my said
decree, to which I refer you. But now Hernando de los Rios Coronel,
procurator-general of the said islands, has represented to me that
in any case it is best that the said exploration should be made from
the Filipinas, and not from Nueva España--both to avoid the great
expense which would fall on the royal exchequer, if the ships for this
expedition were built there, as all marine supplies are very dear in
your country, and difficult to procure; and also because it would be
necessary to make that voyage at hazard, mainly, and there would be
great danger of not finding the islands and of losing the results of
the voyage and the expenses incurred. For they are in a high latitude,
and far distant from your country of Nueva España; and, besides,
as all those who should go on this expedition would necessarily
take a large amount of money to invest in the Philipinas (for, as
the ships are to go back empty, they would take the opportunity to
lade them with merchandise), they might, in order not to lose their
goods by going on the exploration, draw up an information on the ship
(as has been done at other times), saying that on account of storms,
or for some other reason, they were unable to make the islands. But
if the said discovery were made from the Philipinas, all these
difficulties would be avoided; for it is evident that the cost and
danger would be much less, as the two islands to be discovered are
so near at hand that they can almost go and take them with their
merchant ships. All the rest may be arranged merely by ordering that,
having made the discovery, they shall come back to the Philipinas
without going to Nueva España; for in this way there will be no
reason for them to lade their vessels with merchandise. Furthermore,
there are in the Philipinas trustworthy persons for this affair, to
whom it may be entrusted; and the sailors there are more competent,
since they have more experience. Having again considered this in our
Council for the Yndias, it has seemed best to command you, and you
are so commanded and ordered, that if you have not begun to carry out
the preparations for this exploration, as I have ordered you to do,
and if you have not so advanced them as to make it inconvenient or
very expensive to abandon it, you shall examine and consider with
especial attention whether, for the suitable execution and less cost
of the exploration, it would be expedient to place it in the hands
of my governor and captain-general of the said Philipinas Islands,
so that he may proceed to undertake it from those islands. And if it
appear to you that this plan is expedient, you shall send at the first
opportunity to my said governor the letter which will accompany this,
for him, in which he is so ordered; and at the same time you will
remit to him the money that in your opinion may be necessary, which
is not to exceed the twenty thousand ducats, which I had granted for
the settlement of the port of Monte Rey Dated at San Lorenzo el Real,
on the third of May of the year one thousand six hundred and nine.
_I The King_
Countersigned by Juan de Civica; signed by the members of the Council.