that I do not think it will be possible to
go to make discoveries this year, until these rivers in which gold
is found are placed in the most suitable condition for the service
of their Highnesses, as afterwards it can be done much better.
Because it is a thing which no one can do without my presence,
according to my will or for the service of their Highnesses, however
well it may be done, as it is doubtful what will be satisfactory to
a man unless he is present.

["Let him endeavour that the amount of this gold may be known
as precisely as possible.]

"Item. You will say to their Highnesses that the Squires who came
from Granada showed good horses in the review which took place at
Seville, and afterward at the embarkation I did not see them because
I was slightly unwell, and they replaced them with such horses that
the best of them do not appear to be worth 2000 maravedis, as they
sold the others and bought these; and this was done in the same way
to many people as I very well saw yonder, in the reviews at Seville.
It appears that Juan de Soria, after he had been given the money for
the wages, for some interest of his own substituted others in place
of those I expected to find here, and I found people whom I had
never seen. In this matter he was guilty of great wickedness, so
that I do not know if I should complain of him alone. On this
account, having seen that the expenses of these Squires have been
defrayed until now, besides their wages and also wages for their
horses, and it is now being done: and they are persons who, when
they are sick or when they do not desire to do so, will not allow
any use to be made of their horses save by themselves: and their,
Highnesses do not desire that these horses should be purchased of
them, but that they should be used in the service of their
Highnesses: and it does not appear to them that they should do
anything or render any service except on horseback, which at the
present time is not much to the purpose: on this account, it seems
that it would be better to buy the horses from them, since they are
of so little value, and not have these disagreements with them every
day. Therefore their Highnesses may determine this as will best
serve them.

["Their Highnesses order Don Juan de Fon