In the report I give you of the Indians I must say, my Lord, that we make little progress and are but poorly esteemed by them. The fault must lie in us, as there will no doubt be those who will so report it to your Majesty. The good esteem which I am ordered to have for the Governor I shall comply with in every respect except that I shall not lose my rights; sending out the Friars to convert and teach the doctrine, I have always observed the order given by your Majesty with the title of Royal Patron. Since it is a truth perfectly well known that no Friar has been sent by me or my predecessors to convert and teach without the permission and sanction of the Governor, and should it become necessary I will so make him confess this truth, which he well knows, as there are so few of us he cannot ignore it, as we eat from his hands at all times. If this country is to be increased and civilized it would be well to send a Bishop here, as it is quite necessary to administer the sacrament of confirmation; therefore, for the peace of those who live here, it would be well for your Majesty to consider and provide as you see fit and God would wish. There is nothing a man can desire more than the salvation of his soul, for this it seems to me urgent that I should retire from this work and take shelter where I can obtain this end, serving in quietude your Majesty. For this I beg and humbly implore your Majesty to send me a permit to go to Spain, as I feel assured of the little success I can obtain by remaining in this country. May our blessed Lord preserve your Majesty in peace and love, Yours,
Fray Blas de Montes.
St. Augustine, Fla., Feb. 25th, 1600.
Your Lordship:
On the 13th there arrived in this city Diego Ramirez, a citizen of Triana of Sevilla, a second class shipmaster from New Spain, sent by your Viceroy and Royal Officers from San Juan de Ullva. On entering the Bahama channel he was overtaken by a dreadful storm, his vessel sprung a leak and took in so much water they were forced to make for the nearest land which was on the coast of this Province about one hundred and eighty leagues from this city to the north, about thirty-four degrees, more or less, where, on entering a port, the vessel was completely wrecked and the Master made his escape in one of the boats with the papers and dispatches for your Majesty and also some private letters. Coming along the coast, landing at night until he reached the Province of Guale, where last year the Indians had killed two Friars. There he found two vessels in the service of this Garrison which had been sent to carry three or four Casiques, two of them men of great influence in their tribes, who had come to implore mercy for themselves and others for the terrible crime they had committed. I now have them quiet and pacified. These natives carried the master to the ships of this Garrison where he and his men were given shelter and brought to this City.
The natives also gave them what relief they could. On the arrival here of the Master he told me of the dispatches he brought for your Majesty and which he understood were of much importance as they had learned in New Spain that Chinese, English and Flemish were settling there. He asked me for passage for himself and men, for any dispatches I might have for your Majesty and any private mail. He also asked for the means of sustenance from your Royal Treasury, for himself and men, as they had lost all. Considering the importance of the dispatches and papers, and that you might receive them with the utmost speed, I granted their request and also gave them a change of clothes. He did not wish to go to Havana on account of the variable winds and so, as I had a frigate in Port just suitable for the purpose, I fitted it out against the wishes of its owners, to whom I paid the cost of the trip which three pilots assured me would amount to one thousand ducats, not counting the maintenance of the Master and his men. I felt it my duty to aid them from your Royal Treasury, as they were shipwrecked and there was no one in this country who could raise a subscription to supply their wants, all being soldiers or men who have no employment. An account of this may be kept by the judges and officers in Sevilla against this Province. Pedro Redondo Villegas, Auditor of the Artillery of Havana, whom your Majesty nominated to come here to straighten the accounts of this Province, arrived and has commenced his work. He tells me that he is notifying your Majesty of all and calling your attention to some. He says that having notified me of the Royal balance made to Juan Sebadilla, deceased, being as it is, a large sum, it will be well that you send a bill, stating what must be done about its collection. Captain Alonzo de las Alas has not yet satisfied his balance because while investigating his accounts in virtue of the royal decree of appointments and of which he was in charge, was suspended for four years. In accounts taken of different royal officers, they have paid up many losses against your royal estate. I had noticed this and when the accountant Pedro Redondo arrived I suspended these payments until he could look into them and I shall point out to him the result of what I found in them.
On the eighth of February of this year I rendered your Majesty an account of how I sent the collections to your Treasurer, Juan Menendez Marquez. This time the causes made known in the letter which arrived at this Port on the 21st of this month with four vessels and their cargo of provisions, ammunition and money collected from the allowance was too late, so that hereafter your Royal order set forth in Cedule will be obeyed.
This Garrison and territory is at present abounding in the fruits of the earth—corn and other vegetables. Having encouraged and aided in cultivating the land our Lord has seen proper to give us the most fertile year ever known in these Provinces. On the 16th of this month Don Juan, Casique of the Province of San Pedro, died—the one your Majesty was so kind to in sending him two hundred ducats which were given him. I feel his death very much as he was one of the most faithful and influential in this Territory; he was sagacious and practical, having faith, and agreed in all that you ordered. He died as a good Christian, receiving the sacraments and giving a good example at the hour of his death to all the Indians and natives. His niece becomes his heir; according to their custom the nieces and nephews become the heirs and not the children.
Fray Baltazar Lopez, of the Franciscan order, has arrived from New Spain. He was crippled and sick, so I gave him permission to go to New Spain where he was cured and has regained his health which has been a great happiness for me as he is greatly needed in the conversion. He has brought many to a realization of the truth of Christianity, and I trust in God he
