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he commander's ship and admiral's ship, together with their long-boats, came to these islands, where they came out of the channel on the sixteenth of November of the said year. Governor Don Francisco Tello found himself unprovided with any kind of fleet to resist them by sea; for he had no galleys and no other kind of ship with which to carry on offensive warfare, because a galizabra which had been commenced the year before in the shipyard of Cavite had been abandoned, and its build changed to that of a merchant ship. As he feared that the enemy would come down to the said port, and burn the few ships which were on the voyage from Nueva Espana, in order to secure himself from the seaside at all points he commanded Don Juan Ronquillo de Castillo (who was drawing his salary as commander of galleys when there were none) immediately to go to the said port, and put it in a state of defense, and build a fleet with which to go out against the pirate. He went to the port, which is two leagues from this city, and on the third day returned to the city without having undertaken to do anything, or shown any disposition to do so. He interposed difficulties, and asked for so many things which he said were necessary, and which were not at hand, that he made the thing out impossible; and not only was the governor disgusted with him for it, but Don Juan allowed himself to say things which obliged the governor to arrest him, as he did. The pirate continued his voyage in the direction of the bay of this city, and the president and governor, seeing himself hard pressed, communicated with the Audiencia and sought its aid. The latter, desiring to make the greatest effort possible, decided that I should go to Cavite and put the port in a state of defense and likewise secure a fleet. I opposed no difficulties or excuses to this, nor did I seek any rewards or aids for the expense, nor any impossible things. On the contrary, that same day I went to the port and fortified it so adequately that it was in a good state of defense--so that, although the enemy came into the mouth of the bay, they dared not enter or carry out their designs, on account of the knowledge that they had of my preparation. At the same time I finished the galizabra and launched it; and I fitted out another vessel, belonging to private persons, which lay there. I armed both of them and set sail in thirty days with a number of volunteer troops, men of quality, who were resolve
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