I20 Field Columbian Museum. 



And now I shall set forth my opinion as to the manner of sending 

 vessels to the Hispaniolu Island, and the rej^ulation of this subject 

 which must be made, which is as follows: That no vessels should be 

 allowed to unload their cargoes except at one or two ports designated 

 for that purpose, and that a record should be made of all that they 

 carry and imload ; and that no vessels should be allowed either to 

 leave the island except from the same ports, after a record has been 

 made also of all that they have taken on board, so that nothing can 

 be concealed. 



And further, and in regard to the gold to be brought from the 

 Island to Castile, that the whole of it, whether belonging to Your 

 Highnesses or to some private individual, must be put in a safe, with 

 two keys, — one to be kept by the master of the vessel, and the other 

 by some person chosen by the governor and the treasurer, and that 

 an official record be made of ever^'thing put in the said safe, in 

 order that each one may have what is his, and that whatever gold, 

 much or little, found there, in excess of what the record shows, be 

 forfeited to the benefit of Your Highnesses, so as to cause the trans- 

 actions to be made faithfully. 



And further, that all vessels coming from the said island must 

 come to unload to the Port of Cadiz, and that no person shall be al- 

 lowed to leave the vessels, or get in them, imtil such person or per- 

 sons of the said city as may be appointed for this purpose by Your 

 Highnesses have boarded the same vessels, and received information 

 from the masters of all that they have brought, and the official state- 

 ment of the nature and value of the cargoes, so as to facilitate a 

 thorough examination and find out whether anything has been 

 brought hidden and not declared in the manifests at the time of 

 shipment. 



And further, that the said safe where the gold belonging to all 

 may be placed and brought to Cadiz must be opened in the presence 

 of the judicial authority of the said city, and of an officer appointed 

 for that purpose by Your Highnesses, and that thereupon each one 

 must be given what belongs to him. 



May Your Highnesses keep me in their minds, while I, on my 

 part, shall ever pray to God our Lord to preserve the lives of Your 

 Highnesses and enlarge their dominions. 



S. 



o. -A-. o. 



X. M. Y. 



Xpo Ferens. 



Sent by the Admiral. 



