s captain-general of this
realm, to take action in this cause--not only to execute whatever
may be just in the matter, but also in order to give an account to
our lord the king of what has happened. I have had this in mind in
giving to your Lordship so faithful and exact an account of the case,
and of the aforesaid irregularities, of which the ones that need
particular attention are the following.

First. When the fleet was on the point of setting out from the port
of Cavite, although it was already scantily equipped with seamen
and artillerymen (which was a matter of the greatest importance),
the majority of those who had been provided and supplied absented
themselves and fled from the aforesaid fleet at the time of setting
out, so that they could not be reached; and the fleet had to go
without them, which was the cause of a great deal of suffering and
loss. It can be determined who were guilty of this through the lists
of allowances and apportionment which are in the possession of the
factor of the royal treasury, and through the register which the
accountant afterwards made of both fleets at Mariveles.

_Item_: Although your Lordship, at my request, had some seamen sought
out in this city, and had them sent to me with the sergeant Pedro Lopez
to Mariveles (where the fleet was anchored) on Wednesday, December
thirteenth, and although the aforesaid men arrived on Wednesday,
they refused to go on the expedition because they were men of wealth
and property; and they did not go to the fleet that night, but went
to the settlement on the island. There they remained until the fleet
had gone in pursuit of the enemy in the early morning, when they left
the village and returned to this city.

Third. The Sangley nation of this city offered themselves, with three
ships, according to their custom, to go in the service and convoy of
the aforesaid fleet. They were armed and set out after it from Cavite
for that purpose, but when they reached the station at Mariveles,
where the fleet was anchored, they left it; and it was necessary to
send to them and order that on the following day they should join the
fleet and follow it without moving off, under pain of their lives. Not
only did they not comply with this, but on the following day, when
they saw the battle, they remained more than three leguas behind,
looking at it; and although they could have been of great assistance,
when they saw my flagship founder, they returned toward the