the punctilios of those who hesitated in embarking and in taking charge of those vessels—­desiring, perhaps, under pretext of this to remain ashore—­I gave out that the squadron was to be in charge of Don Luis Fajardo, my brother.  Thereupon all followed him, and he obeyed the orders of the said admiral, Joan Baptista de Molina, like the meanest soldier of those who embarked with him.  The enemy must have heard of it, or they must have had more important business to look after, for they did not approach these coasts.  On the contrary, it has been learned that they lost one of their large vessels (than which never better sailed), at the head of the island of Hermosa; and that, for the last two years, they have obtained nothing from this coast beyond the destruction of what had been made for equipment of our vessels, and the loss of the ships that have been wrecked.  I am thoroughly convinced that opportunities will not be lacking in which, coming to blows, they will lose more, if God help us; for their attachment is strong to the profit that they claim from these pillagings, as well as from those that they made in former years.

Had not the Dutch been so embarrassed by the so ruinous wars that they have had with the English, beyond doubt a greater number of vessels would have come here.  According to what I have just heard from a Spanish pilot, whom the Dutch held prisoner, and who escaped from the ships that fought with us, those two nations [i.e., the Dutch and the English] were negotiating a peace, in order to be able to come here with a great number of vessels, or for other advantages to them.  If the ships that I am awaiting with the reenforcements arrive, by God’s help, I shall not care when the enemy comes.

[Marginal note:  “It is well.  Through your diligence and zeal for the affairs of my service, I hope that our Lord will grant very good results in everything, since the expense and care incurred by those regions are known.”]

11th.  That ship that I bought at Macan has come, with some freight charges and duties on goods that it carried.  That goes a good way toward aiding the cost of its purchase and the expense [of maintaining it].  The price was eleven thousand pesos, with sails, rigging, seven anchors, and four good cables.  I am satisfied with it; and it appears at least to be made of better woods than those here.  It was made in India, and its burden is more than six hundred toneladas of the Northern Sea. [24]

Contract and agreement have been made to build another ship in Sasima [i.e., Satsuma?] a province of Japon near here.  I am assured that it can be built there very well, and it will be strong and of good timber, and very well-proportioned and suitable as is needed for this line and trade with Nueva Espana.