.

How the city of Manila at present bears the burden of.
all this structure.
I have already explained how the city of Manila is like the center of a circle, whose circumference includes all the kingdoms mentioned.

It remains to explain how it maintains this structure and bears the whole burden of it.
In the first place, it maintains the war of Maluco and feeds it with troops, supplies, and munitions continually, a thing which Portuguese India could not do.

I argue the matter thus, that I may not seem to be actuated only by affection for my own country, instead of making a just estimate.

It must be considered that people cannot go to Maluco from India more than once a year, on account of the weather; this is well known to all those who sail on those seas.