The cathedral church is completed, thanks be to God; and mass has been celebrated therein since the twenty-first of last March with a large attendance and much devotion, and to the great satisfaction of the people.

The seminary for girls, although in its first house, is maintained in seclusion and good order; and there have been several marriages or establishments made from among the inmates.  As I have written, that house is so unsuitable that the erection of the new church and house is being pushed forward; it is being built of stone, and will be very substantial and commodious, and will be completed inside of six months.  Your Majesty is patron of this house; and not only on account of the preeminence of the royal patronage and what for this reason is due, but for the good ordering of the house, I desire that there be sent me from Espana some rules or laws whereby such houses are ruled and governed.  The regulations which I have been able tentatively to ordain here are those accompanying this letter.  This house will have four hundred pesos of income.  That being built has not hitherto received anything whatever from the royal exchequer of your Majesty; for, although I would like to give it, your Majesty does not have it here.  I am sending also a set of rules for the conduct of the hospital, in order that your Majesty may order them amended there.

The new fort, which will be called Santiago, is now raised from the level of the ground more than two estados; and in one ravelin thereof, which is now finished, eight pieces of artillery have been mounted already, and guard is kept.  By the time this reaches you, God willing, the fort will be finished and perfected.  All the beach from the fort of Santiago to the fort of Nuestra Senora is occupied by the curtains and traverses—­the latter very suitable, two and a half estados in height.  It needs nothing but the parapet, which is being built.  Although that already built was called a fort, it is not one, nor can it be of use; for it is but a large tower, badly cemented, and was falling in four places.  It was braced by four buttresses which were called cavaliers, and cost your Majesty a large sum, as I have written.  Everything is now being rebuilt in order to put the fort in good condition.

I have launched four galleys, and have for them a gang of free rowers on pay, although they are hard to manage.  Even that has been accomplished in the face of great difficulties and scruples; for the religious say that I cannot maintain galleys or rowers, or avail myself of Indians for that purpose.  If they do not serve, it is impossible to maintain galleys here, because there are no other people to row.  What I have been able to accomplish is that the Indians are to remain on the galleys until your Majesty shall advise me of the plan which you are pleased to adopt.  I have manned one of the galleys with four hundred Cambales, who were captured in war.  They were given to me by some captains and soldiers, and I have used them in your Majesty’s service.  They are now on a galley and would to God that I could thus provide everything for the many needs which your Majesty has here.