had broken out, and that the assurances between us would remain null and void—­as his Grace will see in my letters, since his memory is so feeble as he says and declares, since he says and declares that without the assurances being canceled as yet on either side, and without giving any warning or intimation whatsoever, I ordered the boats and galleys to fire on his fortifications and basket defenses.  But this I did, in reality, in firing on the black people of the land, who were acting against their true king and lord.  Little blood was shed in this affair, as I have ascertained, but all this business his Grace owes to his failure to reply to or satisfy me—­acting as if he wished open war with me, as was seen by the breast-work which he had constructed.  And—­after a few volleys had been fired from the said boats, galleys, and pinnaces, in reply to the many broadsides which they let fly at us from their fortress—­here on the afternoon of that same day Fernan Riquel, notary-in-chief of that camp, came with a reply from his Grace, also a copy of certain clauses from his instructions, and a message to the effect that he would finally have the work stopped, if this fleet would stand off farther from shore.  This I showed to the said Fernao Riquel, who suddenly became short-sighted, in order not to see it; nevertheless, I ordered the boats to retire, and to fire no more.  And the next day I did not, on my part, consent that they should go on increasing the work further.  In what, then, does his Grace find here, up to the present time, more good words and deeds than mine?  Moreover I gave him much more peace.  It should be added that after the boats had killed many Indians and a few Spaniards, they ceased from further shots that afternoon and the following day.  It would then have been just and due to us that his Grace should have had the basket defenses destroyed—­for that was the true road to peace and amity after so long a period of enjoyment of our land—­rather than to allow a bombardment, as cruel as if against heretics, to take place and endure from eleven o’clock in the morning till sunset.  These ships of the king our lord were pierced with balls in his own port, killing several persons, and so aimed as to kill many more, if I had not used caution and retired.  This affair is certainly an ugly and terrible one, before God and men.  I did not, however, consent that any broadside should be fired from this galley, the “San Francisco,” although I had pieces of very large caliber therein, which could have done much damage to the fortress and defenses.  And therefore, up to the present time, I have not shed, nor given occasion for the shedding of Christian blood as his Grace has done in batteries and ambuscades—­although none whatever were made against him, inasmuch as I restrained myself when I could have done him much injury by fire and sword.  The sovereigns yonder, however—­who are so good Christians and have clear minds—­will judge of the fair words