The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803; explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the Catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commericial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the beginning of the nineteenth century; [Vol. 1, no. 13]

I604-1605] DECREE REGULATING COMMERCE

26I

governor and archbishop, for the greater security of
what may be in their charge. Their residencias shall
be taken for each voyage by the auditors of my said
Audiencia of Manila; and I command that they shall
not be allowed to make a second voyage until they
shall have given the said residencia, and account satisfactorily for what was in their charge.
As I have been informed that there have been
many infractions and irregularities during past years
on the part of the commanders, admirals, and officers
of the said ships, in the matter of carrying money
and bringing back great quantities of merchandise on
their own behalf; and that they have caused serious
grievances to the traders, especially to the citizens of
the said islands: for the present I forbid and prohibit
them in any case to trade or traffic, or to occupy or
lade the said ships during the voyage made in their
charge, in small or great quantity, under their own
or any other name, in any article whatsoever; nor
shall a single tonelada be assigned to them, as to the
other citizens; nor can they buy or take from others
any space for freight - under penalty of a perpetual
deprivation of the said offices on the trade-route, and
confiscation of the goods which they may have laded,
carried, or taken, which on investigation may be
found to be theirs.
I consider it well, and so decree, that, in order
that the said officials may be maintained according
to their station and the obligations of their offices,
there shall be give to the said commander a salary
of four thousand ducats, and to the admiral three
thousand, for each voyage out and back. And I permit and allow the said governor and archbishop to
give to the captains, soldiers, sailors, and artillery