ished,
he stabbed his wife, telling her to repent of her sins and to confess
to God who would pardon her. This happened at nine o'clock at night. A
large crowd gathered immediately, and the alcaldes made investigation
of what was passing. The dead bodies of the two men were guarded until
next day, for justice to do its duty. That of the governor's wife
remained there until eight in the morning, when the master-of-camp,
Don Geronimo de Silva, of the habit of St. John, ordered it to be
taken up and carried to his house, in order to have it buried from
there, according to the rank of her person, and not according to the so
disgraceful event and death that had happened. They buried her body in
the Recollect convent, with the greatest pomp possible. Then the two
bodies of the men were buried, carrying them together from the street
to the grave. The royal Audiencia took charge of the matter. They
found almost two hundred notes from the governor's wife in Juan de
Messa's possession, and in hers a great number from him. A report
was made of all and sent to his Majesty. It was the first instance
in which a so common person had an alliance with so powerful a lady,
who was here as is the queen in Espana. [6]

Manila, July, 1621.

Letter from Fajardo to the King

Sire:

Although at present, up to the nineteenth of June, the ship "Sant
Andres," the capitana, has not arrived from Nueva Espana, even at
this late date, which is the one that I despatched last year to
that province, and I have no letters from your Majesty to answer,
I am making a beginning of this one in order to gain time in the
despatching of those ships, so that it may be somewhat earlier than
usual in past years--although at present, having the war on our hands
which we have, and as the ships are later from China than is usual,
and there are very few that come for fear of the war, there will
be more difficulty and labor in the despatch. [_In the margin_:
"Council; examined."]

According to the despatch which the said ship carried, measures were
to be taken to secure its preparation and departure from Acapulco
for this country without waiting into the month of April, or without
delaying more than two or three days in that month; and it was not to
depart later because of the danger of encountering contrary winds in
its voyage here, or being forced into the ports of Japon--and likewise
because this was the best, considering the course which it must steer