The master-of-camp, Juan de Esquivel, arrived at the opening of the strait of Capul June 11, and came to Cabite June 17, after having disembarked the forces in the port of Ybalon—­where he received my order to do this, and found ships in which to send them on to the island of Panay, where provisions for them are provided.  The number of troops who have come with the master-of-camp are six hundred and fifty men, including thirty who came afterwards in a small vessel which had been left behind.  These men had gone from Acapulco to Tehuantepeque for four pieces of artillery which were cast in Nueba Hespana for this expedition.

The forces for which I asked from Nueva Hespana for this undertaking were one thousand five hundred men, including sailors and soldiers.  As for the five hundred who have served in old companies and are not altogether new recruits, I was told by the master-of-camp, that those from his regiment are for the most part good soldiers.  What I can assert is, that the troops in the two companies who arrived first, and the troops of the master-of-camp who are here, have satisfied me very well.  From this garrison and from the paid soldiers as large a force will be formed as can be spared, in order to leave matters here with a safe guard; since on account of the importance of this enterprise I must, if God gives me health, go on this expedition in person.  I intend to take with me some Panpango Indians and some Indians from this region, among whom there are many good arquebusiers and musketeers.  In company with Spaniards, they prove to be very good soldiers.

I asked for five hundred quintals of powder; and your Majesty informed me that the viceroy would send them.  Although he did not send the whole amount, two hundred and thirty-five quintals of powder and a hundred quintals of saltpetre arrived.  We shall be obliged to use what there is in the royal magazines here, that we may not lack so necessary a thing; yet the whole is but little.

The said viceroy wrote me that the troops came paid for a year, and that from the wages of the troops he had retained sixty-five pesos in the case of each soldier.  The total amount is forty thousand pesos, which sum was sent under registry on the account and at the risk of the said forces.  This is a piece of excellent foresight; for if the total amount of wages had been paid, as is customary, they would have gambled and spent the whole in two days, and would be in need the whole year, from which great evils would follow.  For the expedition the viceroy sent sixty thousand pesos, without considering that the treasury here is in such a state that, even if the whole amount should be paid into it on account of these islands, there would not be enough to pay unavoidable debts and the loans which have been taken throughout a whole year from private persons, some of which were granted on my credit.  I was expecting some good quantity of money on a separate account; and I also hoped for the ordinary soldiers who are sent every year to supply the places of those who are drowned and those who die of disease and in battle.  We are continually waging war in one province or another, and sometimes at home.  But I have been disappointed in all this, and must expend my efforts to get on as best I can, using some methods to prevent the service of your Majesty from failure.