upreme Court of Hispaniola to serve
as Mayor. He got on well enough with Quinones, but not with Rojas, the
Royal Treasurer, who frankly declared him unfit for office and charged
him with possessing a too itching palm. His administration of affairs
seems to have been confined to purely local matters and, as we shall
see, in a very short time, before the spring of 1586, Luzan was again
exercising his full civil authority as Governor, though still most of
the time absent from Havana. Quinones was also in full authority as
Captain-General, and these two former enemies were acting together in
complete accord.

This radical change in the aspect of affairs was due to an impending
crisis, the most serious thus far in the history of the Island. A new
enemy had arisen, far more formidable than any the Island had yet
known. For years Cuba had been harried by French privateers often little
better than pirates, but now the English rovers of the sea began to
infest the Spanish Main. In 1577 Sir Francis Drake entered upon his
memorable voyage around the world, defiantly navigating that South Sea
which Spain has regarded as exclusively her own, and ravaging the
Peruvian treasure ships even more ruthlessly than the French had preyed
upon those of Mexico. Early in Luzan's administration warnings were
given that this bold adventurer was planning a descent upon the West
Indies and probably, therefore, upon Cuba.

This menace naturally caused great alarm at Havana and throughout the
Island, and urgent appeals were made to the royal government and also to
the Viceroy in Mexico for aid. It was represented that galleys were
needed to patrol and to defend the coast. Artillery was needed for La
Fuerza and for other fortifications at Havana and elsewhere. A larger
garrison was also needed for La Fuerza. To these and other like appeals
the King made no satisfactory reply. He apparently had no galleys nor
men to spare for the defense of the Island. The best he would do was to
direct Luzan to utilize his own resources to the full. A military census
of the Island was to be taken, the first in its history, and all
available men including Indians and negroes, were to be mustered into
service.

The result of this enrolment, which was made in the spring of 1582, was
unsatisfactory. In Havana itself only 226 men fit for service could be
found, and no other town on the Island could furnish more than a quarter
as many. They were, moreover, chiefly men un