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-I605] DECREE REGULATING COMMERCE

263

a year to each man for each voyage, for they must not
ship goods [for themselves] either little or much,
under the penalties provided for the commander and
admiral. And the said inspector and accountant
must sail, one in the commander's ship and the other
in the admiral's ship, alternating each voyage. The
said governor and archbishop shall give them the
instructions and plan which they must follow on the
voyage, and they must give residencia like the other
officers of the said fleet, before they embark again
for another voyage; and the consciences of the said
governor and archbishop are charged with the selection and appointment of all the said ministers and
officials.
And since, on account of the overloading of the
vessels which thus far have plied on the said Philipinas route, we have seen that many have been
wrecked, with the men and goods which they contained, and as it is fitting that this be remedied and
prevented, we command that in future care be taken
that the tonnage to be carried in the said ships shall
be conformable to their capacity, leaving the space
necessary for the men who sail in them, and the supplies they take -which must be sufficient so that in
case of the lengthening of the voyage, for any cause
which may arise, the men may not perish for lack of
them. Great care should be taken that they be not
overloaded or encumbered, so as to put them in danger of wreck or some misfortune; on the contrary,
they should be lightly laden, and in such manner as
will secure their safety against storms or enemies that
may be encountered. The tonnage which, as aforesaid, is to be laden in them shall be allotted by my
governor, the archbishop of Manila, the senior