pontiff. They are religious who
reap a great harvest among souls in this newly-christianized land. It
would be expedient for your Majesty to order their general to send
[more of] his men here, increasing the number of them; for they are
greatly needed for the mission villages that these fathers have in
their charge, and the work which they accomplish therein, and the
other duties of their office. Nor is there anyone of that order who
talks of going back to those kingdoms without the most urgent reason
making it necessary. [_In the margin_: "Examined."]

I have understood that several auditors of this Audiencia, meeting
outside of the sessions and by themselves, have written to your
Majesty, and have caused various persons to write by different methods
and routes, things against me, [accusing me of acts] unworthy of my
office, and even incredible of my character. Perhaps [they do this]
on account of what I have written to your Majesty concerning their
actions, and to satisfy their unjust resentment, uniting [against me]
for this reason and to justify themselves. As it would not be just
that, relying upon the great distance and the long time which is
necessary to clear up the truth, and on the changes and innovations
which in the course of time usually occur, any one should dare
to write letters not true of persons like myself, and especially
to your Majesty, I beseech you humbly to be pleased to entrust my
residencia and those of the said auditors to a person who would take
it from all of us, with authority to prove the facts and inflict such
punishment as shall be necessary. Copies of what has been written
against me, and of what I have written, should be produced, so that
whoever shall not prove his statements may be punished as the crime
deserves, for informing your Majesty maliciously against other people's
reputation. On account of the importance of this, whoever is to take
the residencias should be a person not belonging to this country,
and who will not have to remain here, living with these auditors,
or the auditors with him. Whether he shall find me with much or with
little property, I pledge whatever I have; whatever may be lacking
for it will oblige me to pay the cost of an inspection, and the
condemnation of the guilty. But I have no more than what I inherit,
tied up with so many debts from this voyage that I have not been
able to pay them, nor even to acquit myself of the two-thirds of my
[first year's] sal