hat have taken place in these islands, and by the reputation which
they have everywhere gained for maintaining themselves among so
many enemies, always attacking these with great personal bravery,
without having had forts or defenses for their protection. Their
alertness, good will, and discipline has all been due to the fact
that the governors and captains-general who have come here on your
Majesty's service, provide everything that, in the opinion of your
master-of-camp and the captains, may appear to be requisite for
your Majesty's service, without its being necessary for anyone to
lend a hand in it. On account of this regularity in affairs, both
captains and soldiers have performed their duties freely, lending
their assistance with much care in whatever was necessary, and doing
whatever they were ordered without any shirking--for, besides fearing
the punishment which would be meted out to them for doing anything
improper, they expected a reward for their services. They saw that
those who merited it were constantly being rewarded with encomiendas
and other means of support; consequently everyone exerted himself in
the service with much more willingness and courage, without shirking
any labor or peril, however great it was, and without stopping to
make any demands that they should be given their usual pay--as now
they claim in regard to your Majesty's royal decree respecting the
towns that shall be vacated and placed under the royal crown. For
this has so disheartened the soldiers of this royal Audiencia who
have come so far in the hope of being rewarded for their services,
that there is not a soldier who does not refuse to obey the orders he
receives. Since the royal Audiencia has come here, there have been so
great dissensions that very few or none take any pride in military
service or carrying arms as before, except it be ourselves, the
master-of-camp and the captains. To remedy such a state of affairs,
it is not enough to make rules which point out their duty; but in
rewarding each man who goes the rounds, does sentry duty, or the
like, support is given to the royal Audiencia, whose orders lately
fail of execution; for when we or they order anything to be done,
the soldiers go away and do as they please. As a result the latter
have grown so arrogant, that many times when they have been summoned
by their sergeants to do certain things which are their usual duty,
and indispensable for the defense of this city, they h