onscience feel that your Majesty is under any obligation in this
country, beyond that of rendering justice for past excesses. I could
easily give your Majesty a detailed account; but, not to be prolix,
I shall leave it until the especial thing that demands reform here has
been somewhat remedied--and this is in regard to the soldiers of this
land. For in their begging for favor they are all in need of reform;
for it is through many sicknesses, and through being dependents of
the members of the Audiencia, and in like manner, that they have been
deprived of their gains.

Likewise, I found here not a ship or a galley, not a libra of iron
or of copper, or any powder except what I brought from Mexico--forty
quintals. Not a braza of rope did I find, nor balls for ten pieces
of artillery which are here. These are very insufficient for the
needs of the place; for four of them are swivel-guns, and another,
a large piece, is neither culverin, cannon, nor sacre; nor do any here
understand how to manage it, except by chance; there is no account of
it, no design, and no name for it. There are no storehouses, with the
exception of a shed where there is a little rice; and an enclosure
where have been put the wood and remains of three rotted galleys,
which were built but never launched. Their timbers are all rotted,
and the oars of the galleys also. The enclosure contains, as well,
a makeshift turret where the little powder that they had was kept,
and where I put what I brought; but unfortunately we had a fire,
and now it is all gone. In order to collect these necessary supplies
from those places where it is not proper to keep them, I resolved to
build storehouses, and have constructed four, where we are placing
what comes--such as iron (for I confiscate it all), rigging (which
is being made, for the sake of having some in reserve), rope, lead,
and rice. Shovels, pickaxes, and spades are being made, because of the
great need for them. Ammunition I planned to obtain in the following
way: I sent to Macan a ship which I found here, and which had been
despatched hither from Mexico by the Marques of Villamanrrique
(bound for Macan, as he said)--after taking from it guarantees to
the amount of fifteen thousand pesos that it should make the voyage
to Macan and return, bringing the ammunition. I sent also a regidor,
Pedro Debrito by name, with a copy of the warrant that your Majesty
gave me, authorizing me to do this; but up to this time he has