It is very evident, and can be denied by no one, that the loss of that particular ship was ordained by God; for, three days before it reached the coast [of California], another ship—­from Macao, bound for Mexico—­passed the same place and was not sighted by the Lutherans.  When news was received in Piru of the coming of this pirate, the viceroy sent in pursuit of them a good fleet, with many soldiers and ammunition sufficient to engage an equal or greater number.  When they came to the port of Acapulco, supplies were needed; and they requested these from the purveyor who had them in your Majesty’s warehouses.  He was unwilling to give them; and they even say that an order was given to detain some pack-teams which brought biscuits, so that the captain of the fleet from Peru could not take them.  Thus they say that, as it was not desired to supply them with provisions, and because Doctor Palacios [11] became dictatorial in regard to several points, they returned to Piru; while the Lutheran remained free to attack and capture, as he did.  So great was our misfortune that, at the time when the two captains were debating as to who should take command, the pirate was near Puerto de la Navidad, which is not very far from Acapulco, repairing his ships.  Had they attacked him, it would have been impossible for him to escape; but God chose to blind our men, so that we might be punished by this pirate.  The punishment of God did not stop here; for, having set fire to the ship “Santa Ana,” they left it half burnt, set sail, and came to these islands.  With more than human courage, they passed through the midst of them with a ship of one hundred toneladas, where the natives venture with trembling in very light boats; but this infidel dared not only to come into our midst, but to collect tributes from your Majesty’s vassals.  A Spaniard was captured, and after having told him what they wished him to say to us, they put him ashore.  What they said was in boast that they had left the coasts of Peru and Nueva Espana utterly ruined; and that they had robbed and burned the ship “Santa Ana,” and hanged a canon who was on his way from this city to Mexico.  In testimony of his prowess and our misfortune he displayed the silks, brocades, and cloths of gold which he had seized as plunder.  Not content with this, he went away threatening us that he is to return soon to drive us all hence, and to destroy the nest that we have made here—­meaning thereby the stone fortress built here.  The grief that afflicts me is not because this barbarian infidel has robbed us of the ship “Santa Ana,” and destroyed thereby the property of almost all the citizens; but because an English youth of about twenty-two years, with a wretched little vessel of a hundred toneladas and forty or fifty companions, should dare to come to my own place of residence, defy us, and boast of the damage that he had wrought.  As your Majesty has here an army of captains, who, as I understand, are certainly as many as the companions of the Lutheran,