hears of it, he is allowed to continue his releasing [of prisoners] here during prison inspection, and out of it, at his will, without considering that they are imprisoned by the Audiencia, or the gravity of the crimes, or any other of very weighty circumstances.  And so that [it may be seen] that we do not deceive ourselves in attributing to him these excesses in pardoning as being extreme, the same thing occurs in his sentences and punishments.  For he thus executes his sentences, however rigorous they be (notwithstanding appeal, and without taking the trouble to present the criminals before the Audiencia), as if he were absolute lord of them, as is said to be the case in Japon.  Consequently he follows and lets loose all the passions to which his taste inclines him, just as if he did not have to give account to God and your Majesty.

One Gregorio de Saldana, a sailor—­against whom was executed a sentence of stripes and condemnation to the galleys, without allowing a report of his appeal to be made to the Audiencia—­having presented a certain memorial of the frauds and trickery which he declared had been practiced against the royal treasury and the natives of these islands by the sargento-mayor, Estevan de Alcacar (brother-in-law of Don Juan de Alvarado, fiscal of this Audiencia, for he had married the latter’s sister), in the building of a galleon under his charge, about which there have been public clamors, an investigation was begun by Auditor Don Antonio Rodriguez, and the said frauds were declared by Saldana, for which purpose the latter was taken from the galley.  The governor took the cause away from the auditor and pigeonholed it, [19] without being willing to allow any more investigations to be made upon it.  On the contrary, to prevent that, he remanded the sailor from the prison where he was to the galleys, and thus prevented him from obtaining his appeal, as it was a matter that touched the said sargento-mayor—­to whom, for himself and for his brother-in-law the fiscal, he has granted permission, as is said, for extortions on the Sangleys in the office of chief warden of the Parian.  He has exercised that office for more than a year, succeeding to Gonzalo de Ocampo, who married a cousin of the said fiscal.  Ocampo held the said office for two years, and the said sargento-mayor is now sending him as admiral of the vessels about to be despatched to Nueva Espana, with the title of general for the return trip, without taking his residencia—­notwithstanding that he was declared by an edict of Governor Don Juan de Silva to have fallen into condemnation and to have incurred the loss of his encomienda and all of his property, because many others who were prepared for the expedition of Sincapura ran away, in imitation of his example.  That edict or proclamation is in force today, for the royal Audiencia alone declared null and void all that which was enacted after the edict.  Although the governor has been advised of this in writing, no reparation has been made; for,