unt, the one named Don
Lorenzo de Alva, and the other Don Pedrode Revera, and presently our
General sent to the Viceroy to Mexico, which was threescore leagues
off, certifying him of our arrival there by force of weather, desiring
that forasmuch as our Queen, his Sovereign, was the King of Spain his
loving sister and friend, that therefore he would, considering our
necessities and wants, furnish us with victuals for our navy, and
quietly to suffer us to repair and amend our ships. And furthermore
that at the arrival of the Spanish fleet, which was there daily
expected and looked for, to the end that there might no quarrel arise
between them and our General and his company for the breach of amity,
he humbly requested of his excellency that there might in this behalf
some special order be taken. This message was sent away the 16th of
September, 1568, it being the very day of our arrival there. The next
morning, being the 17th of the same month, we descried thirteen sail of
great ships; and after that our General understood that it was the King
of Spain's fleet then looked for, he presently sent to advertise the
General hereof of our being in the said port, and giving him further to
understand, that before he should enter there into that harbour, it was
requisite that there should pass between the two Generals some orders
and conditions, to be observed on either part, for the better
contriving of peace between them and theirs, according to our General's
request made unto the Viceroy. And at this instant our General was in
a great perplexity of mind, considering with himself that if he should
keep out that fleet from entering into the port, a thing which he was
very well able to do with the help of God, then should that fleet be in
danger of present shipwreck and loss of all their substance, which
amounted unto the value of one million and eight hundred thousand
crowns. Again, he saw that if he suffered them to enter, he was
assured they would practise all manner of means to betray him and his,
and on the other side the haven was so little, that the other fleet
entering, the ships were to ride one hard aboard of another; also he
saw that if their fleet should perish by his keeping them out, as of
necessity they must if he should have done so, then stood he in great
fear of the Queen our Sovereign's displeasure; in so weighty a cause,
therefore, did he choose the least evil, which was to suffer them to
enter under assura