ere is need
of a leader, on the direction of a pilot or a master, when suitable
provision can be made without any considerable increase of expense
to your royal treasury. If your Majesty be so pleased, and will give
me authority for it, I prefer to do this, even if, in order to give
them some pay, that of the commanders and officials be curtailed;
or by seeking another plan and supplying them something with certain
accommodations in their vessels, as might be done better here. The men
levied in Mexico and those provinces might be delivered at Acapulco to
those captains, thus saving the pay granted to the infantry captains
and officers. For most of the latter are not usually very eager in
their service, while their persons and the troubles that they bring
are of no little embarrassment to the governors; and perhaps it would
be advisable to do away with their banners and distribute the men
among the old companies. That has not been done at any time, both
to place the aforesaid persons under some obligations, and because
they bring the pay for one year already paid to them. I petition
your Majesty to order this matter to be examined and considered,
and to command me what I am to do in regard to it and to order the
said viceroy, in accordance with the above, to refrain from annoying
with that pretension the respectable and deserving inhabitants who
sail [on the ships] with appointments to such offices. For there
are men here who have merits and are old residents of the country,
to whom these employments might well be given; and others who,
although they are not of so much prominence in this country, have
been and are engaged in the service of your Majesty. Consequently,
both for that reason and because of their qualifications, no one ought
to be preferred to them--although there are, besides the aforesaid
persons (who are numerous), a much greater number of others who demand
everything, without right, reason, or justification, and assert that
they deserve it. They must believe this, by the way in which they get
angry about it; for it comes to such a pass that they do not treat one
another well, as we have just experienced. For I appointed Captain
and Sargento-mayor Esteban de Alcazar admiral of these ships that I
am despatching--a man of many years of service (some in Flandes), and
more than fifteen years of residence in this country, whither he came
as captain of an infantry company. He has also served in Terrenate, and
re