tion your Majesty to appoint, for the third person who serves,
one of such qualities and characteristics that he can succeed to
this government, if a person for that should be lacking, and to the
presidency, in case that your Majesty does not now wish the Audiencia
to succeed to everything; for if they always avoid having more than
one head, your Majesty's service will fare better--and of that we have
already had experience here, as in other regions. For the same reasons
it would be advisable for such a person to be governor of Terrenate,
and even the castellan of this castle; even if he should not have
to serve for more than his duties there, and with his counsels,
your Majesty would be excellently served. With that intention I have
proposed to your Majesty the persons whom I know, in my opinion,
to be suitable. Likewise other persons should be sent me for other
purposes, chiefly for clerkships [_officios de la pluma_] and for the
administration of the royal treasury. They should have been reared in
a good school and have exhibited good qualities; and they should be of
no other [than the clerical] class, because of the great importance
of efficient care, method, and system in the handling of papers and
accounts. That care and system signifies much in such employment,
and even more when it is lacking, since a deficiency therein is more
grievous. Inasmuch as the accountant, Francisco Lopez Tamayo, left the
department of accounts because of his advanced age and his ill-health,
I appointed Pedro de Lensarra as accountant in his stead. He came
in the caravels with Ruy Gonzalez de Sequeyra. I appointed him here
for this purpose for I thought him a man just and intelligent in
the matter, according to what I have hitherto been able to learn;
and I made more of his good qualities than of the jealousy exhibited
toward him by some, who call him a criminal and blasphemer--but I
am not surprised that it is rather unusual here to praise any person
very highly. What I can say of him is that the way in which he fills
his office has not as yet displeased me. On account of his report to
me and that of the royal officials, in response to an order of mine
issued for the correction of certain abuses, which I shall mention
below, I instituted a reform in them as follows.

During the term of my predecessor a meeting was held by the president,
auditors, and royal officials then in office (some of whom still hold
their offices). In that meetin