This is, that your Majesty should command the governor of the Filipinas to build eight galleys, and keep them in Terrenate; I will explain what their cost would be, shortly.

These would be of great importance, as can be readily seen here, if one considers these reasons and the letter which Don Geronimo de Silva writes to his cousin, and another from Master-of-camp Lucas de Vergara to the dean of Manila, and to myself--the originals of which I possess, and which, as they explain the situation of those islands, I place at the end of this relation.
In the first place, the enemy has no ports in those islands in which to take refuge; and ordinarily his fleet goes about, one way and another, among the coasts there.
Second, every day in the year (or almost every day) there are six or eight hours of dead calm, at which time galleys never meet a galleon under these circumstances without taking it or sending it to the bottom; for it has been seen by experience with a galleon and a galliot which the Spaniards possess there, what excellent results they have produced.
Third, on account of this expedient of the galleys the enemy will not dare to divide their forces among the factories to carry on their negotiations; and, as they will have to go together, the cost will be so great that they cannot support it.
Fourth, the supplies will be taken away from their fortresses; for they have nothing wherewith to support themselves except it be brought from other islands.

This would be very easily accomplished, and the enemy would have no means to remedy it.

The natives who are devoted to them would be so terrorized that they would be obliged to come over to our side.

If they accomplish that in this way and through the effective plans of whomsoever shall govern there, and the negotiations which he would conduct with them, it is quite certain that the enemy would be ruined, and could not maintain himself a year in his forts; for it is the natives who aid and sustain him, and furnish the cloves for his profit.
Fifth, it would be easy to make an invasion with the galleys on all the factories where they have not fortresses--and especially in Bantan, which is in Greater Xava, whither they carry all the spices which are shipped to Holland--and then to gain them all and burn them.