When the flagship of the fleet on which I was went to the bottom, there was no shallop or boat to saye the men, because the boats had been taken by some sailors and soldiers, who to escape the danger, had gone with them to the aforesaid island of Fortun.  Consequently when the ship sank I was left in the water, and saved myself at the end of four hours by swimming with great exertion to the island of Fortun, which was a legua and a half away, against many waves and a high wind.  The same thing was done by two hundred other persons, including Spaniards and slaves, but the rest drowned and perished, with what was left in the ship.  Then I made haste to take all the people from that island, because it was without inhabitants and without water, and I started them on the way to this city.  After that I went along the coast to get information about the enemy which had fled, and in search of the admiral’s ship and of the captured vessel; but I could not find them, nor could I in the islands of that district, although I searched among them in light vessels, for they had departed thence.  At last, having heard that they were near Mariveles, I came to claim them, but did not enter them because your Lordship wrote to me, at just that time, to come to this city on other business in the service of his Majesty.

Thus that expedition ended.  It is true that the desired end was accomplished—­namely, to destroy the aforesaid corsair so that he should not be able to do the damage which he was doing in this sea, and to conquer him, which was done.  Nevertheless it could have been accomplished fully without the loss which there was, if my orders had been followed in the aforesaid fleet, and if there had not been other transgressions and irregularities—­which I should have proceeded against and executed justice upon if I had had opportunity to return to the aforesaid fleet, as I tried to do.  Since on my part this is all ended, it remains for your Lordship, as captain-general of this realm, to take action in this cause—­not only to execute whatever may be just in the matter, but also in order to give an account to our lord the king of what has happened.  I have had this in mind in giving to your Lordship so faithful and exact an account of the case, and of the aforesaid irregularities, of which the ones that need particular attention are the following.

First.  When the fleet was on the point of setting out from the port of Cavite, although it was already scantily equipped with seamen and artillerymen (which was a matter of the greatest importance), the majority of those who had been provided and supplied absented themselves and fled from the aforesaid fleet at the time of setting out, so that they could not be reached; and the fleet had to go without them, which was the cause of a great deal of suffering and loss.  It can be determined who were guilty of this through the lists of allowances and apportionment which are in the possession of the factor of the royal treasury, and through the register which the accountant afterwards made of both fleets at Mariveles.