[Marginal note:  “Ecclesiastical.”]

41st.  Thanks to our Lord, this country is peaceful and prosperous in other things.  The native vassals are orderly and full of courage, and those who were living in the forests have been reduced to their settlements and missions, being very confident that their possessions will not be taken from them, and that no repartimiento or [MS. holed:  edict?] will be made among them, or that any other service will force them to flee or to be made slaves, in order to make them render service, as has happened to innumerable of these poor wretches; for they hope that what I have done hitherto to relieve them from so many burdens will be continued.  If I avail myself of their services in any unavoidable and necessary labor, I do so, by paying them beforehand, saving the money from other things for it.  Consequently, they now rather desire the opportunity to earn money by their services or the products of their fields, which now they reckon and hold as their own.  I trust that, with divine favor, this will go daily from good to better, and that everything will succeed in the same way, until acts of injustice to these poor wretches will be avoided.  Although I was taking delight in doing thus, now I am very happy, for I have learned what your Majesty desires, and that you commit this to me.

They and we are so well supplied with churches that inside this city and about one legua around it, there are thirty of them, unless I have counted wrong; and of those not three are of other material than stone, nor are there as many others that fail to cause expense to your Majesty and labor to the natives—­and this in one legua about the city as I have said, in a semicircle, which is even not entire, for the other half falls within this bay.  I have not resolved before now to inform your Majesty of it, because I hesitated, on the grounds that our Lord would be just so much better served by the increase of churches, and these Christians would be better governed.  But since your Majesty is discussing the limitation of this, I cannot refrain from answering you with the plain and naked truth.  Well do I know that this and the other things that I have related have not [MS. holed] me, because I am already advised of it; and [MS. holed] resolution and execution of many, among whom are some who have issued a proclamation [for the services of the Indians?], while it was prohibited, for anyone in the world, not only of their profession but also for seculars, to issue one.  But considering as surely slight any peril that will result, if revenge is to be taken on truth as truth, while, on the contrary, the neglect to tell the truth will result in great risk, I am convinced that I am doing my duty in this. [32] If they should say that I am a very good governor, your Majesty does not excuse me from my residencia for that reason.  If they should say that I am very evil, I petition you to hear us all, and that you will pardon me for saying this which was unnecessary.