from the place to
save their lives from starvation and pestilence.

Whatever were the general merits of the controversy between the two men,
it was certain from the beginning that Menendez would win. He had the
higher official rank, and he enjoyed the special favor of the King. More
and more he made Havana his headquarters, preferring it to any port on
the Florida coast; to which it was, of course, naturally much superior.
More and more, too, he assumed authority in Havana, not alone in
military but even in civil affairs. More and more Osorio was ignored.
And as Menendez had the stronger force of men, and was backed by the
approval and favor of the King, it was in vain that Osorio resented the
slights which were heaped upon him.

Matters reached their climax in the matter of further fortifications.
Osorio wanted to build a sea wall in front of the city, such as the
engineer Sanchez had planned years before, at the beginning of
Mazariegos's administration. Menendez curtly dismissed that scheme, and
commissioned his son-in-law, Pedro de Valdes, with some other officers
from Florida, to survey the waterfront of the city and recommend
additional fortifications. They reported that it would be folly to
build a sea wall, and that all that was needed was a round tower, about
thirty-seven feet high, on the headland opposite the Morro, on which
latter an observation tower had already been erected. Valdes suggested
that the tower might be built by the garrison of La Fuerza, at no cost,
if the governor would provide the materials. This Osorio refused to do.
He had no money for such a purpose, and no authority to spend any for
it. Moreover, he condemned the plan of thus dividing the garrison,
holding that it would be far better to finish La Fuerza and concentrate
all the forces there. The outcome of it was, therefore, that the
proposed Punta Castle had to be for the time abandoned; Menendez
perforce contenting himself with some earth-works on Punta, in which he
placed a couple of cannons.

At the same time other friction arose at Santiago, a place which could
not yet be altogether neglected. Menendez's attention was called to that
place by having one of his own ships chased into Santiago harbor by a
French privateer. The captain of that ship reported to him that Santiago
had a fine harbor but practically no defences. A fort had indeed been
begun on the headland at one side of the harbor entrance, but had not
been finished, and t