growth of the island which then numbered from eighteen to twenty
thousand inhabitants was greatly hampered by such invasions. Santiago
offering so little safety, the bishop ventured to suggest the removal of
the cathedral to Havana; but the plan was found impracticable and never
carried out. In time, however, the prelates began to ignore the
disapproval of the government and to install themselves in Havana. Other
members of the ecclesiastical cabildo (chapter) followed their example
and also left Santiago. Governor Valdes, in accord with the ayuntamento,
demonstrated to the king the pitiful state of the island and urged as an
indispensable necessity the stationing of a permanent fleet in Cuban
waters. Only in this way did it seem possible to check the increasing
pirate menace which was paralyzing commerce and arresting the progress
of the island.

But the royal government at Madrid, weak and helpless in the hands of an
incapable sovereign, lacked stability and strength to cope with the
unrest and confusion that gradually set in. The inadequate
fortifications and insufficient garrison had left the coast of Cuba
almost without defense. Knowledge of these conditions had spread among
the corsairs prowling about and awaiting an opportunity to descend upon
the unprotected population and made them more and more audacious. Philip
III, a weak though humane ruler, had transferred the reigns of
government to his favorite, the Duke of Lerma. But procrastination seems
to have been one of the permanent features in the Spanish kingdom's
management of her American possessions, and little was done to insure
her safety.

At last the king heeded the clamorous appeals of the authorities
representing his loyal but unfortunate subjects in Cuba and ordered some
timely steps to be taken. Royal letters patent of October eighth, 1607,
arrived from Madrid. In order to safeguard the interests of the
inhabitants they decreed that the island be divided into two districts,
an eastern and a western, with separate jurisdiction, and Havana and
Santiago as their respective capitals. The governor of Havana retained
the title of Captain-General of the island, but his general jurisdiction
was reduced to the territory between Cape San Antonio and eighty leagues
east of the capital. The governor of Santiago was named Capitan de
Guerra (chief military authority) with a salary of one thousand eight
hundred pesos and jurisdiction over the rest of the island inc