nchez wanted at least a hundred negro slaves. The government thought
the number excessive, and gave him authorization for only thirty;
whereupon he declared that the enterprise might as well be given up. In
fact he secured in Spain only fifteen workmen, and with them he sailed
for Cuba, hoping to secure the rest there, or elsewhere in the West
Indies.

The work began early in December, 1558. A stone quarry was opened near
Guanabacoa, and a kiln for making lime was built. But labor was still
lacking. Sanchez wanted two hundred, negro slaves or others, and
appealed to the people of the town to help him get them. In response
they procured for him thirty slaves--their own, whom they were willing
to turn over to him "for a consideration." Then the governor took a hand
in the game. There were forty slaves at Santiago, who had been brought
thither without the proper shipping papers, and were being held for that
reason. Mazariegos sent to Santiago, confiscated them all, and brought
them up to Havana, to work on the new fort. Some French prisoners who
had been taken in a fight off Matanzas were also set at work on it. All
tramps and vagabonds who were arrested were sent to La Fuerza or to the
quarry, and for a time, until the crown stopped it, one third of the
Indian village of Guanabacoa were kept at work on the fort.

Although Sanchez was in charge of the work and was responsible for it,
Mazariegos spent much of his time there, watching it, directing it, and
chastising with tongue and sometimes even with rod all who seemed
laggards at the job. In time he succeeded Sanchez in authority. For
Sanchez incurred much enmity on the part of some influential citizens,
whose houses he took in order to make an open place about the fort. They
accused him of corruption, of making gross errors in the plans for the
fort, of fomenting discord, and of wasting money. He was too busy with
building the fort to pay much attention to these things, even when they
took the form of letters to the King. The outcome of it was that in the
summer of 1560 Sanchez was removed from his place, and Mazariegos was
put in charge of the completion of La Fuerza. A few months later Sanchez
reached Seville, and pleaded his case to so good effect that the crown
was convinced that injustice had been done him, and that he should not
have been discharged. However, it was not practicable to reinstate him,
though he was sent back a few years later to make an official insp