receives.  Since the royal Audiencia has come here, there have been so great dissensions that very few or none take any pride in military service or carrying arms as before, except it be ourselves, the master-of-camp and the captains.  To remedy such a state of affairs, it is not enough to make rules which point out their duty; but in rewarding each man who goes the rounds, does sentry duty, or the like, support is given to the royal Audiencia, whose orders lately fail of execution; for when we or they order anything to be done, the soldiers go away and do as they please.  As a result the latter have grown so arrogant, that many times when they have been summoned by their sergeants to do certain things which are their usual duty, and indispensable for the defense of this city, they have refused to obey them.  On the contrary, officers have been publicly insulted and stabbed; and this has occurred not once but many times.  This boldness has increased to such an extent that it is displayed on the slightest occasion.  On this account we cannot maintain sentinel duty, or the necessary precautions, because we, the master-of-camp and the captains, cannot punish them as formerly.  The soldiers no longer have for us the fear and respect that they once had, which has caused in these islands the complete loss of that military discipline which was formerly so strict.  This has been shown repeatedly, so that the natives indulge in all sorts of daring, holding us in very slight estimation, as they did last year in Panpanga, five leagues from this city.  They placed at their head two chiefs, who in two days’ time had a large following, well armed and supplied, who could disturb the whole land with the insolence and the effrontery that they displayed.  Because they said that they were coming to destroy this city, it was necessary for myself and some captains, and all the good soldiers to be found here, to go out to prepare for them.  This was done and the president sent your Majesty a detailed account thereof on the ship which sailed from here at that time.

Feeling that this was right, and due to your Majesty’s service, I held a council of the captains; and I set before them these difficulties, and others that might result from the complete ruin of the military service.  Unanimously we all petitioned “that this royal Audiencia here shall be freely allowed to have charge of war affairs in general because in this way we could act as a unit, as we did before.  We should strive to reduce the evil condition which obtains at present to that good order which we are wont to have, because what has taken so many years to acquire should not be lost in one hour.”  The result was that a suit was instituted against us on the ground that the petition which we presented was disrespectful, and that we were rebellious.  We were imprisoned for a long time and condemned to an excessive fine, where we had expected to be rewarded for our ardent zeal and desire to please your Majesty, which we have