mation as a traitor and rebel
against the royal crown. Moreover, proceedings will be instituted
against such person with all due severity. Thus he provided; and,
under the said penalties, no one shall dare to give such, persons
ships or conveyance by which they may leave, without said permission.

Given _ut supra_:

_Don Goncalo Ronquillo de Penalosa_

By command of his Lordship:

_Alonso Beltran_

Letter from Gonzalo Ronquillo de Penalosa to Felipe II

Royal Catholic Majesty:

In another letter of greater length, I have informed your Majesty
regarding the affairs of this land, and have requested some things
desirable therefor. What is now presented is as follows:

On the twenty-fourth of the past month, there came to this port a
ship of about one hundred and twenty toneladas. It was sent by your
viceroy of Nueva Espana, but it contained no reenforcements, nor
has he yet despatched them. This country cannot make progress if a
year passes without reenforcements, since it depends upon colonists
for its settlement and growth. Moreover, the commerce cannot be
increased by sending, from year to year, a ship so small that after
the departure of two ships (and one of them more than four hundred
toneladas) this year, half of the goods remain in this city for lack
of a ship. Moreover, this settlement is not provided with a doctor
or apothecary, who are greatly needed on account of the insalubrious
nature of this country. There was a scarcity of everything except
provisions; this fact the royal Audiencia [of Mexico] sent against
me, with only false accounts and petty information obtained from
the followers of Doctor Francisco de Sande, my predecessor--whose
residencia I had taken, and, as a result thereof, had deprived him of
all royal office. Nevertheless, he was received in that royal Audiencia
as auditor; and, as a consequence, persons with grievances may well
lose hope of obtaining justice. It is just that complaints against
me as subjecting him to indignities, be heard, and that justice be
done in that tribunal; but I also believe that your Majesty will
be pleased to guard the dignity of an office as important as mine,
and the servant in whom your Majesty has placed so much confidence. I
say this because from Mexico they meddle with my government--giving me
orders as to the corregidors whom I am to keep, and addressing private
individuals in regard to the supplies, directing them to keep watch
over that matt