13.  Likewise, with zeal for the service of God and of your Majesty, according to what he saw, learned, and heard asserted by persons zealous for the service of your Majesty, he declares that the galleys that are [at] the Havana [20] are of little use and advantage, and a great expense to the royal exchequer, because they cost annually forty-two thousand ducados.  And since they are there, they have been of no effect at all—­although occasions have arisen when they might have been useful—­because they were not well equipped, and lacked soldiers.  Therefore it will be advisable either that they be strengthened and disposed as is necessary for the occasion that may arise, or that such excessive expenses without any profit accruing from them be avoided. [In the margin:  “Already provided for.”]

14. Item:  That the port on the point at the entrance to Havana [Cavite?] is very important for the guard and defense of the entrance to the port; but it must be strengthened with more pieces of artillery, for it has very few for the defense of the entrance by sea and land, if a large force of enemies should come; and that the fort built on the headland in front of the point is very good, exceedingly strong, and very important for its object.  Nevertheless, according to what he saw, learned, and heard said by military men, the work must be made smaller, for it covers a great deal of space; and, unless it be retrenched, a much greater garrison must be supplied, besides a great deal of artillery for its guard and defense, and for the object for which it was built.

[Endorsed:  “+ Father Francisco de Ortega of the order of St. Augustine.”]

Decree for Despatch of Missionaries

The King:  To Gomez Perez Dasmarinas, knight of the order of Santiago, my governor and captain-general of the Filipinas Islands.  After reading what you wrote me recently in regard to the need of those islands for religious to carry out our obligation to the conversion and instruction of the natives, I have ordered the needful despatch put thereto, so that at the present one hundred religious are going there—­to wit, forty Augustinians, twenty-four Dominicans, eighteen descalced Franciscans, and eighteen of the Society.  Furthermore, additional missionaries shall be sent until the need is met.  Now because I have learned that better results will be obtained by assigning each order to a district by itself, and more emulation will ensue among them without their embarrassing one another, or their work overlapping, as might happen if they were assigned to districts regardless of order, I command you, together with the bishop of those islands, to divide the provinces, for the said instruction and conversion, among the religious of the orders, in such a manner that where Augustinians go there shall be no Franciscans, nor religious of the Society where there are Dominicans.  Thus you will proceed, assigning each order to its province; taking note that the province allotted to the Society must have the same manner of instruction as the others; for this same obligation rests upon them there as upon the others, and it does not at all differ from them.  Given at Aranjuez, April 27, one thousand five hundred and ninety-four.