maintain it—­and likewise a new one of nineteen benches which I built and had armed, and another small galeota which I had here, which used to be in Cebu.  Although the latter was not designed for a galeota, I had it so fitted up, and it will serve for the present.  Another galeota, of twenty-two or twenty-three benches, I am having finished to serve as flagship; it will be launched inside of twenty days, and will, I believe, be very good, according to the curves which it has.  Accordingly I shall arm four vessels—­the new one, this one which is being finished, the old one which was here, and the little galeota (which has no more than fifteen benches).  I have much confidence in them in case the Chinaman should come; because great loss could be inflicted on his ships, before he could disembark and get ashore; and in any event they will be of use, for, although they must be manned with Sangleys, this will necessitate greater prudence, and all will be well arranged.

It has been a great help to me that I brought with me from Cartagena and Nueva Hespana several skilful men experienced in regard to galleys, who have been known to me from the time when I sailed with them from Hespana—­especially Captain Francisco Romanico, captain of one of the armed galleys of the fleet on the Yndia route.  As I knew him well and was certain that he was a man of long service and great activity, with much experience—­for I have seen this on many occasions, as the adelantado of Castilla would tell you if he were alive, as he set much store by him—­and fearing that I should find affairs here ill-provided for, I persuaded him to come with me and leave the galleon, as it was all for the service of your Majesty.  I begged General Marcos de Aramburu to give him permission for this, as he did.  Accordingly he has been setting things to rights, which without his aid could not have been done, for there are no boatswains, or officers, or persons who understand the management or working of galleys; and accordingly they are being built anew, with labor enough on his part and mine, of which I have wished to give your Majesty an account.

I likewise wrote to your Majesty in the said letter of the third of July of this year, that as I had had word in the month of April past that they were taking up arms in Mindanao to go and harry the Pintados (as they are accustomed to do each year), I had the old galeota armed.  I ordered General Don Juan Ronquillo to go with a company of infantry to Oton, which is opposite Mindanao; so that with these troops, and others which are there and in Cebu, he might oppose the enemy, and do them what damage he could.  Having met several caracoas on the way, they fled from him, and he could not overtake them.  He went on to Oton, where he remained with a few armed caracoas, in readiness for what might occur.  For the time being, the enemy did not make any attempt to come to the islands, and as I was informed that they were arming for the monsoons of September (as that time