pprove of this,
since Dona Tomasina was not a native of this country; and I had not
gone beyond your Majesty's intentions, for you gave me permission
to bring my wife to this land. As she died on the way I married
Dona Tomasina, whom I brought from Mexico. In the past year, 1598,
I received the royal instruction of your Majesty and other royal
decrees which were mentioned therein, at the time when the ships
were being despatched. Those things which could be done at that time,
considering the short time before they left, I attended to then. I have
in everything worked for the service of our Lord and your Majesty,
conformably to the pious zeal and spirit with which I am serving you
here; and I have carried out those things entrusted in your royal
service to my predecessor.

2. _That it is expedient, in order to realize the results of the great
expense in these islands, that religious should be sent each year to
gather the harvest which should be taken from it; and that an account
should be sent of the Indians here, both Christians and infidels,
and a memorandum of the religious._

As the holy intention of your Majesty, in the expenses which from your
patrimony you incur in this country, is principally the conversion or
the heathen here, and the establishment of the holy gospel in place
of their idolatries, there is no better means than the teaching
of the Christian doctrine and the presence of its ministers. That
your Majesty may have a fuller report of it, I am sending an account
stating how many Indians are pacified, and acknowledge the royal name
of your Majesty in these said islands; the number of Christians and
infidels; and how many are taught and how many to be taught--not
only in the encomiendas under your royal crown but in the private
ones. Accordingly I beg your Majesty to be pleased to further this,
appointing each year, as usual, religious of exemplary life, so that
they may bring with more love and gentleness our holy Catholic faith
to the Indians; for certainly as much as a good minister edifies,
finding fault injures. With this goes the memorandum which your Majesty
ordered me to send, of the religious in these islands and those whom
it will be necessary to bring from Espana each year. Those who are
here are assigned as well as was possible, so as to give instruction
to all. The mission villages are in some confusion and the orders
somewhat mixed with one another. This could not be remedied as it
should