LETTER FROM FELIPE III TO SILVA


The King: To Don Juan de Silva, knight of the Order of Santiago, my
governor and captain-general of the Philipinas Islands, and president
of my royal Audiencia there. Your letters of July 20, 612, have been
received and examined in my Council of the Yndias, and I was pleased to
learn that you had sent to Nueva España, by the ships going that year,
the two hundred quintals of quicksilver [68] of which you informed me;
also of the friendly reception and kind feeling that you encountered
among the Chinese in the matter of selling this metal and bringing
it to Macan, where you say there is established a factory [_i.e._,
trading-post] for this purpose. I feel gratified at the diligence and
care that you have exercised in the matter, and earnestly charge you
to advance this matter, and strive that the quantity of quicksilver
that you shall purchase and send to Nueva España may be as large as
possible, in accordance with the request of the viceroy. You will
keep in close correspondence with him, and not draw on any money
that he may have sent you or shall send you in the future for this
purpose, for any of your own needs, however great. You will try to
foster this trade in such manner that it may be at as little cost as
possible. It has been thought best to advise you to consider whether
it would be possible to procure the quicksilver by having the Chinese
bring it with a clearance direct to the Philipinas, and thus do away
with the factory in Macan. For with the latter there cannot fail
to be difficulties, as the Portuguese merchants do not trade in the
quicksilver; besides, it would seem that the metal would be furnished
by this method at a lower price. I do not mention other objections
that have been considered. However, the documents that you mention
will be sent through the Council of Portugal.