these excesses in
pardoning as being extreme, the same thing occurs in his sentences and
punishments. For he thus executes his sentences, however rigorous they
be (notwithstanding appeal, and without taking the trouble to present
the criminals before the Audiencia), as if he were absolute lord of
them, as is said to be the case in Japon. Consequently he follows
and lets loose all the passions to which his taste inclines him,
just as if he did not have to give account to God and your Majesty.

One Gregorio de Saldana, a sailor--against whom was executed a
sentence of stripes and condemnation to the galleys, without allowing
a report of his appeal to be made to the Audiencia--having presented
a certain memorial of the frauds and trickery which he declared had
been practiced against the royal treasury and the natives of these
islands by the sargento-mayor, Estevan de Alcacar (brother-in-law of
Don Juan de Alvarado, fiscal of this Audiencia, for he had married
the latter's sister), in the building of a galleon under his charge,
about which there have been public clamors, an investigation was
begun by Auditor Don Antonio Rodriguez, and the said frauds were
declared by Saldana, for which purpose the latter was taken from
the galley. The governor took the cause away from the auditor
and pigeonholed it, [19] without being willing to allow any more
investigations to be made upon it. On the contrary, to prevent that,
he remanded the sailor from the prison where he was to the galleys,
and thus prevented him from obtaining his appeal, as it was a matter
that touched the said sargento-mayor--to whom, for himself and for
his brother-in-law the fiscal, he has granted permission, as is said,
for extortions on the Sangleys in the office of chief warden of the
Parian. He has exercised that office for more than a year, succeeding
to Gonzalo de Ocampo, who married a cousin of the said fiscal. Ocampo
held the said office for two years, and the said sargento-mayor is now
sending him as admiral of the vessels about to be despatched to Nueva
Espana, with the title of general for the return trip, without taking
his residencia--notwithstanding that he was declared by an edict of
Governor Don Juan de Silva to have fallen into condemnation and to
have incurred the loss of his encomienda and all of his property,
because many others who were prepared for the expedition of Sincapura
ran away, in imitation of his example. That edict or proclamation is