and maimed, who are useless, so that I
shall have left in this river a trifle above two hundred men, many of
whom are sick, because of past hardships and their wretched existence.

_That medicines and delicacies be provided._ The master-of-camp
is sick, and I fear lest, with the advance of the rainy season,
the sickness will continue to increase; for it cannot be alleviated
by medicines and delicacies, because we have none. This is a great
pity. I entreat your Lordship to have medicines and some delicacies
provided for the sick, and clothing for the hospital.

_That religious are not going there to furnish instruction_. Father
Chirinos [40] came to this island with the sargento-mayor, and on
his first sight of it was so discontented that for no other reason,
he turned his back upon it, and was in so great a hurry to return that
he declared that if a vessel were not given him immediately in which
to leave, he would swim away. He went away speaking ill of this place,
and has caused great annoyance and wrong to these poor soldiers. If
a religious who ought to be happy with a hard life, and who ought
to seek hardships in which to serve God better, refused those which
might be offered him here, the soldiers, who are less perfect and less
filled with God, will do but little. Father Juan de Sanlucar asked
me for leave likewise to go there with this vessel, in order to go to
get a companion, as he could not stay here alone. I did not grant it
him. If the fathers of the Society are to have this place in charge,
it will be right for them to send religious. If not, then they should
say so, and your Lordship should request the ecclesiastical government
to provide ministers. The one here at present has labored to our great
approbation and has set a good example. But he is greatly grieved at
being alone, and he is not without reason, for he has no one to whom
to make his confession.

The ration given to these people is so small that it can only be
endured in times of great stress. Indeed it is doubtful whether a
Spaniard could live on only one-half ganta of rice, without anything
else; and even the Indian is unable to do so without having some fish
with it. For the future we need abundance of provisions; for, as I
have noted, we cannot expect this land to furnish them, because it
does not have any. Your Lordship must have them provided in accordance
with the accompanying memorandum.

_That it is advisable to send hither the enco