t condition. I have, glory to God, as I wrote
to your Lordship, rice in the magazines to last until the end of next
April, with the precautions that I am taking, making use of that which
came from Macasar. My greatest cause for anxiety at present is my lack
of a galley or two in order to oppose to those that they say that the
enemy is bringing; for I have nothing but one rotten galliot--and that
without crew, as I have written--which is the vessel that I seized
from Pedro Alvarez de Abreo. I am repairing it, in order to do what is
possible with it, and to attend to the communication with these forts,
which are situated at points so dangerous. Will your Lordship send me
a galley or two as quickly as possible, in order that I may do this
better, and work what harm I may to the enemy (for these boats are the
necessary things in this island, as your Lordship knows; and the enemy,
knowing this, are not afraid of us). I need also some money and clothes
for these poor soldiers; and some cloth from Yndia, if there is any,
in order to put it in the factories as agreed upon, at the account
of his Majesty; and some men, since they are so necessary. Therefore
with what the galley or galleys that may come can bring, since I
have rice for the time above stated your Lordship will not need to
be in haste to send me help in defective vessels. But then I hope,
God helping, that the fleet will have arrived from Castilla, and
that it and that of those regions will come, even though somewhat
late, both to bring that aid safely and to achieve the results that
his Majesty desires, since these Dutchmen are quite stripped of men;
and although they have many ships, and those from Olanda, they do not
expect reenforcements as abundant as hitherto. It appears that all
the natives are already turning against them, and are continually
supporting the English in these regions with greater forces. The
latter are so very hostile to the Dutch, that they will hasten to
profit by a very good opportunity. [34] I regard it as certain, that
in case that we wish to avail ourselves of the forces of the English,
if our own are insufficient to destroy these Dutchmen, they will
aid us in it very willingly, by short agreements that might be made
with them. I know that this cannot be a bad thing for his Majesty,
but very good. This English captain who is here has told me that if
we wish to bring this about, his nation will do it. I advise your
Lordship go that should