42 APPENDIX, NO. ir. 



of dried fish, six hundred ducats' worth of oil, vinegar, and 

 pulse ; three hundred ducats' worth of cheese, one hun- 

 dred ducats' worth of salt — for it will be of much im- 

 portance to carry out a good quantity, as it will be of use 

 when there is plenty of fish, or when arriving at a place 

 where meat can be procured, they may be preserved during 

 the whole voyage by means of the salt. 



All which expenses will amount to forty^seven thousand 

 and seventy-seven ducats ; and this is the utmost that the 

 fitting out of the ships will cost, though there must be 

 other lesser things which are absolutely necessary : and on 

 good consideration it will be perceived how cheaply so 

 great an advantage may be purchased, which is indeed one 

 of the greatest that can now offer itself; for by this means 

 may be prevented the great misfortunes which may befall 

 the kingdoms of your Majesty from neglecting to navigate 

 this strait; and finally, it will be advisable to take posses- 

 sion of whatever others may have seized upon, to our 

 prejudice; for 1 know not in what the policy consists that 

 would suffer strangers to take possession of that which has 

 been discovered by Spaniards, particularly when it is in 

 their power to injure us by so doing, and to make war on 

 us : and not only this, but should they acquire possession 

 of this strait, they will without doubt give the best fruits of 

 this kingdom to the devil — the souls of the natives — dis- 

 seminating among them their wicked and perverted doc- 

 trines ; for we run all these risks by neglecting the 

 navigation of this strait and leaving it free for our enemies, 

 by w hich they may get possession of all those kingdoms, — 

 and that they may do with greater facility by means of the 

 recent discovery of Terra Australis ; for as it is so large 

 and extensive a region, (according to their account of it,) 

 whoever has possession of it will also be masters of the 

 whole South Sea ; for if notwithstanding the distance of the 

 route they have to pass, round the Cape of Good Hope, 

 the enemy has found means to establish in India and those 



