e
anxiety and uneasiness of the governor if the enemy should attack him
and he were without possibility of collecting the forces with which to
drive him from these islands. But for all that might happen, and in
case the enemy should divide his fleet, in order to be able to make
use of any good opportunity, the governor placed in order two good
galleons--a flagship and an almiranta--two other quite small ships,
and two galleys. That represents the total strength of your Majesty's
fleet in this port and all the islands. In order to equip them with
men, the governor withdrew as many men as possible from the presidios
of Oton, Cibu, and Nueva Segovia. He sent edicts to all the provinces
to assemble the wandering Indians therein. Although the greatest rigor
was employed for this purpose, those collected amounted to so few,
that their number did not reach seventy persons. It is a pitiful thing
to see how few men your Majesty has for service in these islands, as
I can certify, since the army is in my charge. For the paid infantry
does not exceed four hundred in actual service, outside of the crippled
and sick in the hospital, where they are continually dying. Many of
those who are not on pay escape to India and other regions, without
any possibility of avoiding it. Consequently, Sire, this matter remains
in the above condition, and demands very speedy betterment, which your
Majesty should furnish by sending a number of men and the other things
needed for the conservation of all this land. For by doing otherwise,
a well-known danger is invited, as your Majesty will learn more fully
from the relation that the governor will send, to which I refer.

On the thirteenth of the month of last June, a ship from Malaca
anchored in this port, bearing news of the advices that your Majesty
ordered to be sent to Portuguese Yndia, in regard to the alliance
between the states of Olanda and Ynglaterra, and their purpose to
attack these regions with the huge fleet that was thought to have
come for that purpose. It also brought news that sixteen Dutch
ships had already arrived at La Sunda, and that the rest of the
fleet was on the way. May God, in His infinite goodness, bring their
evil plans to naught, since we here are so in need of human forces
to frustrate them. I can assure your Majesty that we will always
exercise the requisite care and vigilance here, if your Majesty
will send and provide the most important and necessary things;
this the