119.  These officials of the royal treasury asked permission of your Majesty to have Indians, as appears by a letter sent them as an answer on the fleet by which I came, and according to what they say.  In that letter your Majesty says this is not convenient.  Notwithstanding, when Guido de Lavesares became governor, he gave them encomiendas of Indians.  It seemed to me that they neglected their duties, depending upon other means of subsistence; and that they try to flatter and please the governor so that he will give them another encomienda; that the natives are angry, and that these same officials presume to draw a salary besides.  Thus it seemed best to me to apportion their Indians to the royal crown of your Majesty.  Therefore I promulgated a decree that they should have no Indians, and that their salaries should be paid from the royal treasury according to its contents.  They have appealed from this.  Will your Majesty examine and provide what is necessary?  Where your Majesty possesses so slight an income as is the case at present in these islands, it was a mistake to send, at the beginning, three officials with a salary as great as those of Mexico receive.  For this very reason, their letters-patent state that they are to be paid only from the profits of this land; yet they have taken from the stores for barter and from your Majesty’s treasury at various times and seasons, what they could.  I did not take an itemized account of this, for at the time of settlement, either they had nothing, or it was hidden; and they allowed themselves to be imprisoned.  Upon this question judgment has been suspended, and I refer it to your Majesty, so that you may make such provision as is best.  My opinion is that for the present the officials of your Majesty’s royal exchequer here should not hold positions simply for ostentation, but for actual service—­since there is so much to be administered here, and it is necessary that they should go about to make collections and to inspect the work in the shipyards, as well as in other places where they might be needed.  It would be better to give them lower salaries, and if they proved themselves efficient in their duties, then they should be given an increase in the shape of an encomienda or another office, after having closed the account; for in this land, as all are soldiers, there are no guarantors or others to ensure the pay of the many officials.  There are people of gentle birth here, as well as diligent and able soldiers, who could fill all the positions satisfactorily, while the accounts would be well kept—­all of which is necessary, so far away from your Majesty.  Will your Majesty please issue the necessary orders in this?