In the ships which have just arrived from Nueva Spana in these islands there came a royal decree by which your Majesty was pleased to confirm and approve the grant which Governor Don Alonso Faxardo made to these islands, while he was governor, to Don Luis Faxardo, his brother, on the first of April of the former year one thousand six hundred and twenty-one, giving him the encomienda of natives at Bombon and its dependencies, in the province of Balayan, which contains two thousand seven hundred and twenty-five tributarios.  For this within four years he was to secure a confirmation from your Majesty, as appeared from the royal decree under date of the tenth of September of one thousand six hundred and twenty-six, countersigned by the secretary Don Fernando Ruiz de Contreras—­which decided me not to proceed to the execution of this without first informing your Majesty as to what has passed in this matter, and the state in which affairs are at present.  I found, Sire, when I arrived in these islands and undertook the government thereof in the said year of one thousand six hundred and twenty-six, that the said encomienda was vacated, and declared so by Governor Don Fernando de Silva, because the said Don Luis Faxardo had not secured the said confirmation from your Majesty within the designated period.  During the vacancy, the proceeds of the products and the profits were placed in the royal treasury.  This encomienda had two thousand five hundred and seven tributarios, which, as they appeared to me to be a large number, I divided.  I made a grant thereof in the name of your Majesty, according to law, as being vacant, to two persons of considerable rank, ability, merits, and services.  One of these is general Don Antonio de Leoz, to whom I gave one thousand six hundred tributarios thereof, as I knew that he had served your Majesty for twenty-four years past, both in the kingdom of Napoles and in these islands—­whither he came from that kingdom with Governor Don Juan de Silva, as alferez of the company.  Afterward he was made captain, and served in this camp with other offices, being present when occasion arose.  He has always acquitted himself well of what was entrusted to him, as will appear by his papers and commission—­which I have despatched to him; and which I understand should already be in that court to petition for and secure the confirmation, according to the command.  He is married to Dona Juana Gallinato, legitimate daughter and sole heir of Master-of-camp Juan Xuarez Gallinato, who died in these islands in your Majesty’s service, being a person of many services.  I charged him with a pension, from the said tributarios, of one hundred and fifty pesos, which he each year gives and pays to Dona Beatriz Cornexo de Tapia—­a widow, who had been the wife of Doctor Juan Manuel de La Vega, formerly auditor of the royal Audiencia and of these islands; for she was very poor and was suffering need.  In consideration of making this grant Dona Juana Gallinato resigned one thousand two hundred