LETTER FROM GUIDO DE LABEZARIS TO FELIPE II
Sacred royal Catholic Majesty:
Inasmuch as when Don Antonio de Mendoça, your viceroy of Nueva España, went to Piru, he ordered me to go to those kingdoms of España, in order to inform your Majesty of affairs touching this western region, I being one who understood them and had had experience in them, and had come to these districts as your accountant in the fleet under command of Rruy Lopez de Vyllalobos: I went to those kingdoms in order to kiss your Majesty’s feet, and gave the most detailed relation and information possible concerning the islands and provinces of these districts, the character and number of the people, their trade, means of gain, and mode [of life]. Your Majesty ordered that the fleet for the expedition be equipped immediately; that ships be built and the necessary things prepared for it in the sea west of Nueva España. I busied myself in that work and despatch from the time of my return; also as soon as I returned to Nueva España, I went, by order of your viceroy of that country, Don Luis de Velasco, to explore the coast and ports of Florida where I had to go afterward when the fleet sailed of which Don Tristan de Arellano was commander.[1] After my return from that expedition, I continued in the despatch and equipment of this fleet, in which I occupied myself most sedulously. When it was quite ready for the sea, I embarked in it as your treasurer. When I was in España, your Majesty assigned me four hundred pesos de minas payable in acquittances in Nueva España. But they have been poorly collected, and there are none from which I can be paid. I humbly beseech your Majesty to have me paid from the royal treasury for the support of my wife and family whom I left in Mexico. Besides this, as is well known to your Majesty, when I left Yndia, I brought pepper and carried away ginger from Yndia at a very great risk, because of the ordinances and penalties passed and imposed by the most serene king of Portugal, which are executed without remission upon transgressors. The pepper was lost, but there is a great quantity of the ginger in your Nueva España today, all of which has come from the roots which I took there with the purpose and design that your kingdoms might enjoy so many profits and a common usufruct. I communicated in regard to it with Don Francisco de Mendoça, asking him to treat with, your Majesty, so that some favor might be shown me from the profits that would result from the ginger. Don Francisco negotiated it for himself and not for me as he had agreed. Consequently, he obtained the reward for my services without having performed any work or labor on his own part, while order was given to give me three hundred pesos de minas of acquittances with the injunction that they be conferred. I wrote your Majesty in regard to the matter, and although I intended to go to ask for justice from your Majesty, as from a most just prince, after the despatch of the fleet, in whose preparation I had been occupied, I did not go, because I thought that if I failed to sail in the fleet, I would not be performing my duty to your royal service; and that since I was one who knew the land and the season in which to return for the discovery of the return passage, and that success might be had now in that in which so many fleets have not been able to succeed, it was important for me to come. Therefore on account of coming (as I did), I did not go to España, being confident in the liberality and grandeur of your Majesty, and that if I petitioned you from here, you should show me justice and thorough favor. Also [I did this] because it is well for me to end my life in your Majesty’s service, since most of my life has been spent in serving you. With that motive, I embarked, and we set sail at Puerto de la Navidad. After a sixty-four days’ voyage we made the Filipinas. While some masts were being prepared in the island of Bohol for the fleet, your general sent me to the province back of the island to attend to other things. There I traded for the samples of gold, wax, and cinnamon which are being sent to your Majesty, with the greatest care possible. I returned to Bohol, where the fleet was stationed, and where, at the last resolution taken, it was determined that the fleet should come to this island of Cubu, because of the information that we heard of it, and for other reasons. We arrived here on the twenty-seventh of April of this year sixty-four (or rather sixty-five). We are located in the best center of the country although there is no other advantage in this island than that it is well settled, and consequently we can maintain ourselves until your Majesty have us informed of what is best for your royal service and that we should support ourselves. We are stationed here at the gateway of great kingdoms and Maluco is very near, where our holy faith will be exalted and your royal patrimony increased, for there is a natural fitness for it. I am busying myself and shall continue to busy myself in your royal service, and there will be no lack of service. Will your Majesty aid us with the wherewithal, so that trade may be maintained and introduced among many of these nations. It is a fact that entrance must be made in your royal name, and by force of arms. We are not well equipped, and consequently, it is necessary that the aid that we are now sending to ask from Nueva España be sent with promptness. In the matter of the ginger it is already clear to your Majesty, that I brought it and that Don Francisco did not treat in my favor as he ought to have done, and that I was notably injured in this, and that the three hundred pesos de minas in acquittances have not been collected because of the difficulty in doing so. I beg your Majesty that I be given warrants on the treasury reserving the right of the rest that makes for my justice in this matter, until it is pleaded in my name and until amends may be made to me; since before nor since no one else has done such a service in which there is an annual sum of more than fifty thousand ducados involved (or rather more than one hundred and fifty thousand). In that I will receive grace and justice. May our Lord happily prosper your sacred royal Catholic Majesty with the increase of life and greater kingdoms that is desired by your servants. Cubu, May 30, 1565. Your royal Catholic Majesty’s faithful servant, who humbly kisses your royal feet and hands.
[1] The disastrous expedition to Florida was undertaken in pursuance of a royal order to Velasco, although the latter was unwilling to undertake it. The Spaniards imagining Florida to be overflowing with riches, eagerly offered themselves for the expedition. The Spanish force sent comprised six squadrons of cavalry and six companies of infantry, and was accompanied by one thousand Indian archers. Under the command of Tristan de Luna y Arellano (also called Acuña), this force left Vera Cruz in thirteen vessels in June, 1559. On reaching Florida, they were so harassed by the Indians that they were compelled to send for aid, which was sent under Angel Villafañe, who was appointed Luna’s successor. In a short time, however, the attempt was abandoned, the few survivors reaching Mexico via Havana. See Bancroft’s Mexico, ii, pp. 593–595. [↑]