CHAPTER V.
A. D. 1600.
Letter from Father Francisco Parga to the King, as one of eleven monks sent out by his Majesty to spread the Gospel—Eighty churches in different Missions—Complaint of lazy Indians—Avarice of the Governor causes dissatisfaction and suffering among the garrison and impedes the work—Unnecessary war with Indians—People desire the Governors removal—Fray Baltazar Lopez has labored for twelve years converting many Indians, among them the Casique, Don Juan, who stands highly among his people and has quelled many uprisings—Letter from Juan Nunez Rios—Complains of Governor—Who allows one Juan Garcia to represent him—People forced to buy of this Garcia who takes all advantages—Begs for an open port that the people may be allowed to go back and forth and trade—Antonio Menendez Canso writes to his Majesty complaining of injustice by the Governor, and asks to be allowed to serve his Majesty elsewhere—Letter to his Majesty from Fray Blas De Montes imploring that he may be allowed to come to Spain for retirement—Gives account of a fire which burned the church among other houses—Reports slow progress with the Indians and advises that a Bishop be sent to administer sacrament of confirmation—Report of Gonzalo Menendez Canso to his Majesty—A shipmaster bearing dispatches from New Spain shipwrecked in a dreadful storm—He and his crew escape in a boat—Governor aids them from the Royal treasury—Arrival of the Auditor for his Majesty—Garrison abounding in fruits and grain—Death of a Christian Indian, Don Juan—Fray Lopez returns from New Spain in good health—Money brought to establish a hospital—More money needed for Garrison expenses—Report of Francisco Redondo Villegas, Officer of Customs and Auditor for his Majesty—Complains of not being treated with the respect due to Royal officers—Finds affairs in a muddled condition—Soldiers well drilled—Much land under cultivation which will be needed as wages are small and rations insufficient.
Patron Letter From Fray Francisco Parga, of the San Franciscan Order, to the King.
Your Majesty:
This is a duplicate of a letter sent your Majesty by a vessel which left this port of St. Augustine in the month of February of this year via Havana. I wrote giving an account as I was one of the eleven monks sent by your Majesty to spread the Gospel and teach the natives of this country. When we arrived we were assigned to different places or posts, each one trying his utmost and best to do what he could for the redemption of these souls. It being such an arduous and difficult life, having to traverse on foot, bad roads, with little or nothing to eat at times, that little fruit has yet been yielded, although the harvest, which we hope eventually to reap for the Lord, is worth the trials and sacrifices made, as we know that He suffered death and passion to redeem the souls and rejoiceth over the salvation of one; how much more should we be willing to suffer for the conversion of so many souls as there are in this country and whom we hope to save with the help of God? And so I say that while your Majesty has control of these lands as the Religious have charge of this Garrison in time of need, and they also help to support the Church under their care and the ornaments and other things necessary for the worship of the Divine Lord, not having for this purpose any income from your Royal Finance. There are more than eighty churches which have been built in the different missions and others under construction. We are moved to do this to encourage the Indians who are incapable of good conceptions and obedience. They have always had their ministry so that they listen with little appreciation to what we preach and teach, in grave detriment to the poor newly converted Indians, notwithstanding that our teaching and converting accrues to their own good, as we aid and provide for them in their time of hunger, and when crops have failed. The Indians are so lazy and improvident that if we did not take care of the crops after planting they would have nothing. They do not even save the seed for another planting. Of the Governor I wish to say as little as possible, but the misery, impediment and calamities among Indians and Christians is due to his avarice, and if the poor Spaniards who are in the Garrison of St. Augustine had not the hope that your Majesty would be informed in some way and send them relief from the fearful calamity which this Garrison is suffering, the affliction among the married men as well as the single would become unendurable. They dare not, under any circumstances, send you information, as it would cost them their lives, and so they have prayed and implored me as Chaplain, who live from day to day upon the charity of your Royal Treasury, and have to render a strict account or others would slander us, and our account of the war and other matters must be true. The war with the Indians where many have been killed and many brought in as prisoners was uncalled for and the Indians at “Cabeza de Martyres” are much incensed. As it is a place where many vessels are wrecked, the Spaniards have taken whole crews and kept them until ransomed. We fear the Indians of that place will do much damage to vessels passing to and fro. We feel very sorry that the present Governor has shown so much anger and resentment towards the Indians and has sent your Majesty such meagre accounts of the true condition of this Garrison. It is swampy, little inhabited by Indians, and the roads difficult to traverse. The Bar is a rough one; there are said to be better ones on this coast towards the north. I have not seen them, but have heard through Fray Baltazar Lopez, Vicar of that Island, who has been there for twelve years working in the conversion of souls, with other Friars who came with him, and who have left for New Spain. He alone remains at his post, much encouraged, as he has mastered the Indian language; it is of great help to him in preaching. He has converted many who frequent the sacraments of confession and communion. Had it not been for him and through his persuasions, having converted and taught the Casique Don Juan, there would have been a terrible uprising among the Indians, and probably not a Spaniard left. Thus, by the industry and influence of Fray Baltazar over Don Juan, who is highly in favor of Christianity and all civilized ideas, this trouble was averted. Don Juan has sent relief to the people of this garrison in times of famine. I recognize in Fray Baltazar that spiritual zeal for the service of God and your Majesty that this land may be converted, increase in civilization and aggrandize your kingdom. As Fray Baltazar’s experience is of long standing, it has been decided that he write to your Majesty and give a full account of all the happenings. To this letter of his, which I shall remit to your Majesty, you can give full credit, as he speaks scientifically and from long experience.
Your Majesty:
As a final remedy and forced by necessity and worry which we poor citizens of this garrison suffer ever since the arrival of Gonzalo Menendez Canso, we come to implore you, as King and Christian, not to permit that your subjects and vassals be so ill treated and afflicted by those who govern here, since your Majesty in your Cedulas always orders the contrary. There being no corporation as in other cities of like size to whom we can appeal for protection, I take the liberty of writing this. We have not done so before, and gone on suffering all that is possible for us to suffer, because we understood you had been informed by other parties, and we hoped and waited daily to be delivered by your sending some one else who would proceed in a different manner, and thus we poor citizens would receive better treatment at his hands, and enable us to proceed in better condition to advance your interests which have been decreasing and losing ever since the said Governor came. Much of the land that was gained from the Indians, and who themselves had become quiet and peaceful, has been lost. I came to this country in the year 1568, twenty years ago, with others from your Kingdom, to aid and succor, as was commanded by your Majesty in transferring us to these Provinces, having assisted and served in them on all occasions which have presented themselves at Port Elena and St. Augustine. I married a daughter of one of the settlers who was here and had come enthused by the promises made by the previous Governors, but who spent his life eking out a meagre existence for his wife and children by taking advantage of the license which at that time was granted the citizens of going abroad to seek work which was so much needed. This Governor has withdrawn this license and forces us to remain in the town proper. The town is frequently left to the government of his cousin who calls himself Juan Garcia and whom he brought with him to this Province with a large stock of merchandise which he sells at exorbitant prices and he, the Governor, collects all payments. Before this Governor came we were paid off, but since his assumption of affairs he forces us to buy all we need of this cousin, and the Governor informs us that if we do not obey his order in this we must go without. On pay day he keeps all our pay saying we have already spent it. If one of the soldiers is sick requiring anything and sends to ask for money to get the needed medicine the Governor refuses to give it, forcing him to buy it of Juan Garcia. All law suits or troubles of any kind which arise are brought before the Governor by this same Juan Garcia, who seems to be supreme. It is understood that the vast estate is a joint one of Juan Garcia and Governor Menendez Canso. My house was burned, as can be testified by any of the inhabitants, fearing to notify Juan Garcia of the fact. I sent to him and asked him with all due respect to come, accompanied by the Mayor, who is the only representative of the law, and see the condition I was in. For this act he has levied upon me for fifty maravedies and six months’ imprisonment in the Fort. That I must appear before him, and he has worried me in many other ways. He has taken from us the only means of making a living for our wives and children and refuses to grant us any rights whatsoever, except those which in your Cedula are so plain he is obliged to grant them. And yet he grants all rights to Mexico. It is a great injustice not to allow us the same privileges. We trust that being so far from us and it takes so long to inform you, that you will have mercy upon us and immediately send some one to replace this Governor. One who will treat us with more kindness and justice. We implore you to grant the privileges of an open port, that we may be allowed to go back and forth and trade, so as to enable us to make a living. Others would write to you imploring the same grace, only all fear to do so, as we run great risk of having the Governor intercept our letters. I send this at the risk of my life. There are many more things upon which I could enlighten you, but fear prevents us from doing so, and we trust your Majesty will send us relief as speedily as possible.
God preserve the Royal Person of your Catholic Majesty for many years, as christianity has need of it.