Note 2 — Letter to Felipe III from Alonso Fajardo de Tenza

On the eleventh of the present month I despatched the ship “San Buena Ventura,” in which I informed your Lordship of occurrences here. That same night the ship “Santa Margarita” reached this port from Manados with the cargo brought by the fragata “San Miguel,” which returned to those islands. This ship brought the orders that its commander says were given him by Francisco Rosales, master of the “San Miguel,” in which your Lordship orders a Page 134quantity of cloves to be prepared to send to Eastern Yndia, in order that it may be exchanged for the supplies necessary for the fleet; and that two thousand three hundred pieces of Chincheo cotton are sent for it. I answer that I have them, and assert that your Lordship ought to have that master punished; for he did not give those orders to the accountant, Pedro de Almansa, when he left the ship at Manados to come here. Had he done so, there would have been, notwithstanding the season, some cloves which could have been bought, although not all the quantity ordered, and although it could not have been done when they arrived. At that time the selling had already been finished, and the Spaniards who lived there had a great quantity of goods in their houses on account of the scant supply of cloves; for the harvest was not so great as was expected. Consequently, as soon as I received the order sent me, I ordered a factory [i.e., trading post] to be established, and your Lordship’s orders to be executed. However, these four months no cloves can be traded; for until the end of that time the trees will not bear. Consequently, although great efforts be made, we shall not be able to send to Yndia until next December or January. Besides that, there would be great delay in buying forty-five bares2 of cloves with Page 135cotton alone, which would be the amount at the prices current this year. In order that this may be done more quickly, it has been decided to put with them other kinds of cloth bought in Yndia, since these Moros wish to have a choice, some asking for one kind of cloth, and others for another. Thus all manner of care possible will be given to this matter.