The other route for navigation is through Nuevo Mexico, in forty-five degrees of latitude.  This was related to me by a friar named Fray Andres de Aguirre, of the order of St. Augustine, who died about three years ago, being prior of the convent of his order in this city.  He was learned in cosmography.  He said that in his presence, at the time when Don Luis de Velasco the elder was governor of Nueva Espana, a Vizcayan gave an account of this route, who said that he had seen it while he was sailing with a French pirate.  They entered through an arm of the sea above the main coast opposite Florida, and after sailing west for many days they found that the said arm ended in a bay.  They saw straightway a half a league distant another arm of the sea, and building a brigantine they went through it sailing for several days, and came upon a very populous city, where they were furnished with whatever they needed, and had built for them some wooden houses on the shore, until, on account of a certain difficulty which one of them had with a woman, they were driven out of the country, and went back.  From this it may be inferred that in that region, which they said lay in forty-five degrees of ...  From here having ships there, rather ... of this.  Father Antonio Sedeno, rector of the Society of Jesus of this city, who died about two years ago, said that it was told him many times by Pero Melendez in Florida. [46]

These two explorations will be very easy to make, at little expense, from these islands rather than from Espana.  For their entrances from that side are difficult to find, and from this side one cannot go astray, nor is there any obstacle.  The first year after Gomez Perez de las Marinas arrived in this country as governor, he conferred with me about sending me to explore the strait of Danian.  By reason of the expedition which he intended to make to Maluco, he deferred the other; and when he was so unfortunately killed it put an end to the project.  He, I believe, would have far advanced the affairs of these parts if he had lived, and would have done good service for your Majesty, judging by the valor and zeal which he showed; and his absence, and the need for him, have brought this city to a sense of what they owe him, and now they deplore his loss.

I have given this brief account to your Majesty, begging humbly that you will pardon my boldness (which zeal for your royal service and the good of these regions has caused) in advising your Majesty, that you may see how glorious opportunities our Lord God has kept for you to extend and widen out the holy Catholic faith.  But it is necessary that your Majesty should entrust this to a person of high rank and great worth, and that he should not come for a limited time, with the intention of gathering riches and the fruit of the land, and then returning; for those who have this intention will not be watchful for its welfare, nor zealous for the honor of God and for the service of