in the West Indian seas, but that between
Spain and the Netherlands, along the coast of France and in the British
Channel. In that capacity he was commander of a considerable fleet, and
the work was doubtless in itself congenial to him, and one which he was
well fitted to perform with success. But his heart was set on Florida,
with which he aspired to be identified as Cortez had been with Mexico
and Pizarro with Peru; and he bitterly lamented his being so far
separated from that country.

So far as his governorship of Cuba was concerned, which is all in which
we need here be interested, he had at this time reached the beginning of
the end. The king decided to remove him from that office, though
probably not so much to get rid of him there as to be able to keep his
valuable talents continually employed nearer home. He had decided that
Menendez was of more value to him as a captain of his fleet than as a
civil administrator. Accordingly at the beginning of 1573 Alfonso de
Caceres Ovando, a temporarily retired judge of the Supreme Court of
Hispaniola, was commissioned to make the customary investigation of
Menendez's administration. He was not, however, appointed to succeed
Menendez as governor, but the latter was left for the time in office.
This was a mark of the high favor in which Menendez was held by the
king; and another token to the same effect was the provision that
Menendez need not personally appear to answer any charges which might be
made against him, but might, if he preferred, send an attorney in his
stead. A third and perhaps still more notable indication of royal favor
was in the fact that when Menendez elected not to appear in person, and
not to send an attorney, but to ignore the whole investigation, he was
not called to task, but was permitted to go without so much as a
reprimand.

The investigation did not take place until November, 1573. Though brief
it was thorough and searching. But it disclosed little that was to the
discredit of Menendez, and nothing that was really serious. He seems to
have been a somewhat gloomy and cruel fanatic, but a man of integrity
and singular loyalty to his sovereign and his faith. He was zealous and
energetic, but better fitted to command a ship or a fleet, or indeed an
army, than to govern a state. Yet in both respects he failed. His chief
concern in Cuba, as we have seen, was to promote her military defences;
but he left La Fuerza incomplete, while the inestimable eco