stra Senora de La Vida," which was
wrecked, a great deal more of its cargo has been unloaded than what I
informed your Majesty of in the last despatch which I sent by way of
Nueva Spana. All the artillery that was in it was likewise taken out;
and I have ordered it to be conveyed to a shipyard in this island,
where two ships are being built, which were already necessary to
supply the place of the old ones. There is no anxiety about raising
money for the future when the Indians are helping with a good will,
as they are doing now; and this work is being paid for, as well as
that on some galliots or little galleys, of seventeen benches each,
which also I am having built, as I save in that way half the crew,
and they are sufficient for this country and its coasts. There are no
other vessels belonging to the enemy that can secure any advantage
over them, for our vessels, to aid in fighting, can carry very
good artillery; and, as for going about where occasion arises to
punish or intimidate the Indians, they are excellent--although for
attacking the vessels with which those called Mindanaos, Xoloans,
and Camucones (who are bad neighbors of ours) usually sally out, we
need other boats like theirs. But if we had a fourth of their number,
and a couple of these galliots, they would not dare to await attack,
even though as many of their ships as could be found in their islands
were assembled, as has lately been seen; for some of these tribes
having recently been tardy [in their payment of tributes], when we
sent a galley with four or five smaller boats from here we could find
no more of them, although the sargento-mayor Don Fernando de Silva,
who went out for this purpose, is even now in search of them.

In the last few days, news has come from the province of Nueva
Segovia that some Indians on four or six of the encomiendas there
had fled to the woods, driving away the religious and burning
the churches. Although it is not a thing to create much anxiety,
I thought best to despatch immediately, without losing an hour of
time, Admiral Joan Baptista de Molina, with a sufficient number of
soldiers--some Spaniards, and some from the province of Panpanga--for
their pacification and the punishment of the leaders and the guilty
ones, for it is well to quench the fire, however small it may be,
before it extends and increases. On the other hand the enemy's
greatest desire is to see these natives disaffected toward us, and
disposed to favo