As soon as I was informed that your Majesty would be pleased to command this expedition to be undertaken, I began on the very day when I arrived here to busy myself with the preparation of the materials and other things necessary to build the galleys and also to keep them in proper condition.  I regard them as the most effective means of defense for this kingdom, on account of the causes which I have previously written to your Majesty.  Accordingly, I have five equipped.  The flagship has twenty-two benches, the second in command [patrona] and another have nineteen each, and two others seventeen each.  One of these two which have seventeen will be launched within a fortnight, and has the necessary supply of rowers.  These vessels are not made larger, being thus more suitable for these regions, because there are many shoals here; and when they are of this size they are sufficient for the contests which they have to carry on with the oared vessels employed by the enemy Another reason is the advantage of keeping down the number of rowers and reducing the expenses, as I have written your Majesty.  These galleys have turned out very well, because I found here a good foreman; and although he died a few days ago, I have had the good fortune to find a second, a Genovese, a good workman.  He is well known in Cartagena, where he built a galley.  I have met with much opposition from the archbishop and from the licentiate Don Antonio de Rivera Maldonado, auditor of this royal Audiencia.  If I had had to follow the opinion of either of them so that they could restrain my hand, the first stick of wood would still have to be worked.  God knows what I have had to undergo in this, and what I am still undergoing; and He knows the evil results which follow from such a state of things in a region so distant from your Majesty, when those persons undertake to correct matters of war, and to meddle with them, who do not understand them and have nothing to do with them.

I expect to take with me on the expedition four of these galleys, and a vessel which has arrived here just now from Acapulco, which was made here and has capacity to carry a large amount of troops and provisions; it is of seven hundred toneladas.  This vessel I will have fitted and put in good order.  I expect also to take another of moderate size, of two hundred and fifty toneladas, which I have had built in the province of Camarines.  I shall have three Moro ships from Peru.  These will be very light, the largest being of a hundred and fifty toneladas, and the other two of a hundred and thirty each, more or less.  Thus in all there will be five, in addition to seven brigantines and five lorchas, vessels built after the fashion of China and Japon.  These are very good with both oar and sail, and have greater capacity and accommodation for carrying provisions than any other kind of vessels with which oars are used.