It is also the custom to ship pikes with their iron heads from Nueva
Espana to the said Filipinas Islands. Delivered in the city of Manila,
they cost your Majesty more than thirty-two reals apiece; but, with
thirty-two reals, they can make forty pikes in the city of Manila. It
is a weapon that is worthless in those islands, and it is not used
in them. And even if they were used, there are shafts in the forests
of those islands, and the native Indian smiths can make the heads.
A number of old pipe-staves and iron hoops are also shipped from
Nueva Espana to the said Filipinas Islands. Delivered in the city
of Manila they cost your Majesty a considerable sum of ducados. That
expense can be avoided; for, when those staves arrive there, they are
full of holes and rotten, and quite useless. The hoops alone serve
in Manila to make nails and bolts from them, which thus come to cost
fifty ducados per quintal. They can be made there for thirty-three
reals. It is sufficient to carry those pipes that hold the water and
wine in the ships.
For the ships' supply of water, they generally make vats when the ships
leave there [_i.e.,_ Manila], each of which carries thirty pipes of
water. Further, there are many earthen jars, which are brought from
China and Japon. Consequently, one can make the above articles there,
and more cheaply, for much less money than what is paid there.
Flour is also shipped in pipes from Nueva Espana to the said Filipinas
Islands, which they say is for making hosts.
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