That which the order of our glorious father St. Augustine, resident
in the Philipinas and the lands of China, humbly asks from his Majesty
and from his royal Council of the Indias is the following:

First, that his Majesty cause to be sent to those realms the greatest
number of religious who can possibly go, in response to the very
pressing need (which is felt now more than ever) for preachers
of the gospel of God. They ask this not only for the lands held
by his Majesty which are now at peace (where there is much need),
but also for the great kingdom of Cochin China, for that of Sian,
and for other foreign lands--to which those who lack so great a
blessing, since they have no one to show them the way, beseech and
call us. Herein the religious of that province beg of his Majesty
that he reward the hardships which they have suffered, and are now
suffering, in his service and that of God.

Item: that the said religious shall not go [from Spain], as
heretofore, by way of Nueva España, inasmuch as the majority remain
there, and not a third part of those who have departed for those
regions, at the expense of his Majesty, have ever arrived there. Nor
even of those who have come from there [the Philippines] has a single
religious returned; because all have remained in España, or in the
province of Mexico. This has occasioned no little trouble to those
of us who reside there. From this it follows that the intention
of his Majesty is defeated, and the result which is attempted is
not attained. On this account our order there begs his Majesty to
command that the said religious shall make the voyage by way of India
to Malaca, and from Malaca to Macan, [18] where friars of our order
have gone to settle. The vicar-general has my instructions as to what
the religious should do if they go thither, as I hope they will.