The expedition of Garcia Jofre de Loaisa left Spain for the Moluccas (Maluku Islands, Indonesia) on 24 July 1525, to open up the spice trade initiated by the Magellan expedition. Of the seven ships under Loaisa originally, only four entered the Pacific - via the Strait of Magellan, on 26 May 1526. A few days later, they were separated by a storm. One ship, the Santiago, made her way to Mexico; another, the San Lesmes, was not heard of again; and the remaining two, the Santa Maria del Parral and Santa Maria de la Victoria, crossed the Pacific independently. The documents on these microfilms concern the fitting out and dispatch of the expedition, accounts of the expedition's proceedings, and claims for salaries by dependents of expedition members who died in the Moluccas or on the voyage out. Details of contents are given for each reel, however, a more comprehensive listing, including names etc., is available from the Pacific Manuscripts Bureau on request.

The original documents are arranged in bundles or 'patronatos'. The information given is a translated and edited version made by the PMB from that contained on pp.78-91 of the Boletim da Filmoteca Ultramarina Portuguesa, No.32, Lisbon 1966. Patronato 37, Documents 11-33: Doc.11: Madrid, 3 April 1525 - remarks on Loaysa's men by Council of the Indies. Doc.12: Toledo, 13 May 1525 and Santo Domingo, 10 May 1538 - royal letters; orders and instructions. Doc.13: Instructions to royal officers (who were also members of royal treasury - factors, accountants etc.). Doc.14: Madrid, 5 April 1525; Instructions to Hernando de Bustamente. Doc.15: Madrid, 5 April 1525; Instructions to Diego Ortiz. Doc.16: Toledo, 13 May 1525; Instructions to Diego de Covarrubias. Doc.17: Contributions to expedition, names, amounts. Doc.18: Madrid, 5 April 1525 - Appointment of Alonso de Tejada. Doc.19: Undated account of voyage. Doc.20: 13 July 1526 and 31 July 1526; Will and inventory. Doc.21: 18 September 1526, 2 financial docs.Doc.22: 4 June 1527, Account of San Gabriel. Doc.23: 17 February 1528 petition for salaries. Doc.24: Tidore, 11 June 1528 - account of voyage by Hernando de la Torre. Doc.25: Madrid, 5 November 1529 - Royal decree re payment. Doc.26: Tidore, 28 October 1528 - Account of relations between fleet and Portuguese in Moluccas. Doc.27: Cadiz, 10 May 1529 - Account of expedition by Don Rodrigo de Acuna. Doc.28: Toledo, 29 January 1529 - Royal decree re Moluccas. Doc.29: n.d. - Law suit re salary. Doc.30: Palencia, 17 September 1534 - Declaration by sailor of the Santa Maria de la Victoria. Doc.31: n.d. - Account of voyage and events in Moluccas. Doc.32: 1535 - Account of several survivors of expedition describing how their diaries, books, maps etc. were confiscated on arrival in Lisbon. Doc.33: Valladolid, 25 October 1536 - Declaration by a Greek sailor, Francisco de Paris, on events of the voyage.