Captain Martin de Goyti came with me on this expedition to serve your majesty as captain of a company of soldiers, at the order of Don Luis de Velasco (who is in glory), who was viceroy of Nueva Espana; since then, on account of the death here of the master-of-camp, Mateo del Saez, I have committed his duties to the above-named captain.  In both capacities he has served and is serving your majesty faithfully and loyally in every way; and he takes great care and pains, for he is a very prudent and rigorously just man, and possessed of many good qualities for this office.  Furthermore, he has shown himself in the wars to be skilful and courageous and of great valor, as an old soldier who has served your majesty many years in Italy and has always been the first in all labors and perils which have occurred.  By great diligence and care he has induced many of the natives to become vassals of your majesty; and by his great industry and diligence has been one of the chief means of our being able to maintain ourselves in this land.  It is well and fitting, if in this discovery any service has been rendered to your majesty, that you recompense him, for he also has served and toiled in it.  May God, our Lord, watch over your majesty’s royal person and increase your kingdom for many years.  Done at Cebu, July 12, 1567.  Sacred royal Catholic majesty, whose royal feet your humble and faithful vassal kisses,

Miguel Lopez De Legazpi

Very exalted and powerful Lord: 

At the end of the year one thousand five hundred and sixty-four, I left Nueva Espana by way of the South Sea, for the discovery of these islands of the West, by order and commission of his majesty; and having arrived at these Filipinas islands, I sent a vessel back to Nueva Espana to discover the return route, and to give his majesty an account of the voyage, and inform him that a colony had been settled in this island of Cubu.  What has happened since then is, that in these fortunate times of his majesty and your highness there have been discovered and are being discovered many islands and lands, in which God, our Lord, and his majesty and your highness may be very well pleased with the great growth of our holy Catholic faith.  And, not to be prolix with long relations of affairs and details concerning this land, I will refer you to those which I am writing to the royal Council of the Indies.  It seemed to me that your highness would be pleased with specimens of the weapons with which these natives fight; accordingly they are bringing to your highness a Chinese arquebuse, of which there are some among these natives.  Although they are very dexterous in handling these guns, when on the sea, aboard of their praus, they carry them more to terrify than to kill.  And likewise they bring you a half-dozen lances and another half-dozen daggers, a cutlass, two corselets, two helmets, and a bow with quiver and arrows, all which they use.  Moreover, that your highness may see how scrupulous these people are in their dealings, I send your highness a pair of balances and one of their steelyards.  I beg humbly your highness to receive my desire to serve you ever as a faithful servant, and pardon my boldness.