Your Lordship:
Through a letter of September 20th of last year, 1602, and an account rendered the Bishop of Cuba (the past year of 1606) who came to confirm the Spanish Christians not yet confirmed and the native Indians of these Provinces, I told him all that I thought would be most convenient to the service of God our Lord and your Majesty regarding the conversion of this Garrison to which I again refer, it having come to my knowledge that your Royal Council did not repeat it to you, fearing to tire or annoy you. Now, on learning the resolution you have taken of reforming this Garrison and reducing it to one hundred and fifty infantry, I am sure you have listened to the advice of persons who have never seen this coast, nor do they know anything about the interior of the country, nor the great benefits which have been accomplished in the conversion of the natives who are idolaters and savages, hesitating at no crime however horrible.
If Gonzalo Menendez Canso were moved with the true zeal of God and a proper desire to serve your Majesty it would have been no more than just that when he first assumed control of this Government he should have given you a full and detailed account of the existing state of affairs and sought your advice and not waited until he was quite sure that his Office was to be filled by some one else.
Again, I decided to write this to implore you to consider and look closely into the matters upon which I have advised you and which I have done in all truth and fidelity as I am obliged to for my King. Knowing also that the King of glorious memory, your father, had more trouble and combats than at present on account of economy and the abandoning of this Garrison, he never listened to such things; on the contrary, in the time of Governor General Pedro Menendez Marquez, my first cousin, he increased the force to one hundred and fifty soldiers of Infantry and by thus assigning them to this Post their aid and succor succeeded in subjugating the Indians and in bringing and attracting them to hear the Holy Gospel, and listen to the words of the Friars who preached. This is a public truth. And since that time no Governor has made any conquests or discoveries, nor gone in person to treat with the Indians nor draw them towards civilization by gifts or other means. And if you would at least grant us a Garrison of defense of three hundred Infantry and thirty marines besides the Friars, Governor and Royal officials, with orders that they proceed to ferret out the secrets of the interior of the country, where Lieutenant Mocana entered, and in which latitude there can no doubt be found an excellent port, particularly at Cayagua, where any Armada could with safety enter in an altitude of thirty-three and one-fourth degrees, and where I have myself been in the past year of 1588. Should it prove advantageous and convenient in the Bay of the Mother of God, of Macan, at a height of thirty-seven degrees at its mouth, and which terminates at the foot of the mountain range where I was also, in the same year, in search of the English settlement. It is a more sheltered harbor than this one and nearer for obtaining aid, and an entrance could be made through the Province of Guale in the land of Tulufino, which corresponds with that called Tama, on the skirts of the mountain range. It might be a very advantageous move which would result in the glory of God and your Majesty’s interest; for if we could bring these people to honor the Governor of the garrison and when they found that he was working for their good and not the contrary, there would naturally result a reform among the enemies and we might aspire to carry out your designs in a satisfactory manner. Under existing circumstances it is impossible for this Garrison, composed of so few men, to march out or in any way try to defend themselves against the enemy, and nothing remains but to die bravely defending the Garrison as best they can, and when there remains no one else to defend it, it leaves the Friars and converted Indians to the mercy of God, for it is the only help they can look to, the Forts and Castles of Flanders being so far away they would be slow to respond. If there is to be no more infantry sent I think it would be well to agree upon making this Fort a ravelin and build a good trench of defense along the coast to prevent the enemy from jumping over and in every possible way attend to the preservation of all the above mentioned regarding the Friars and converted natives. Put a stop to all these ambushes and skirmishes and other nuisances which oblige them (the natives) to leave their settlements and fortify themselves upon your domains and do great damage to vessels coming in and going out at the mouth of the Bahama channel, making it unsafe all along the coast of this part of the Indies, possessed by your Majesty and which you will possess for many years for the glory of God and the welfare of the souls of these poor natives, and may His Divine Majesty not permit these arbitrations and troubles caused by a few men who are incited by their passions and own selfish interests and with the pretext of saving you some twenty or thirty thousand dollars cause such great trouble that your expenses will be more than doubled in repairing the damage. You support and maintain the Garrisons of Havana and Porto Rico from rents and taxes of New Spain and it is not just nor proper to put difficulties in your way to prevent you from preserving and sustaining in the same way this one which should be well defended as it is a Port from whence you can pass through those same inland regions to Mexico, and, in my opinion, it is very important to preserve it for this purpose. Havana is of importance, being the key to the Indias and a place where the Armadas and fleets can replenish and repair to continue their voyages through these Kingdoms. With all humility I beg you receive my zeal and good wishes which is to always serve you with fidelity and truth as has been done by my parents, and if on this occasion I did not call your attention to these matters, which are of vast import, I should be committing a crime, and in all this I subject myself to better judgment and implore your Majesty with all humility that as I can be of no other use in this Post, but to serve as Treasurer of these Provinces, which I am at present doing, you will consider my application and give me permission to go to Spain and render an account of the Royal finances intrusted to my care since June of the past year of 1602, hereafter and for this purpose that I be given receipts of my charge, and that during my absence from this Port the employment be at the risk and account of the person left in my place, and who must give bond as is customary in vacations of similar Posts and offices and at the same time that the Governor provide that he be given one half of the salary and that I receive the other half as a means of helping me to defray my expenses, and if my mind does not deceive me my services are deserving of it for the care and anxiety I have suffered in this Garrison by wishing to defend the cause of the profit of the Royal finance of your Majesty and the desire that I have of settling my accounts, not only those I have of my own, but also those of Pedro Redondo which will seem to have been given with pay, which will be the case with those I render if God will give me life for it to employ in your Royal Service. May God grant you many and happy years for the mercy and defense of the faith, the preservation of peace and tranquility of many more kingdoms, and the conversion of as many idolaters as are in these parts.
Juan Menendez Marquez.
St. Augustine, Fla., January 5th, 1608.
CHAPTER VII.
A. D. 1622-1640.
Report of Antonio Benavides to his Majesty—Endeavored to execute order of the King to establish friendly relations with the English of the Carolinas—Sent Don Francisco Menendez together with other Officers—The Mission a failure owing to the English not having instruction from London—Find that the English have built fort on Spanish territory—Requested its removal in order to avoid trouble between the two nations—The English Governor refused—Matter fully laid before his Majesty—Report of Luis De Rojas—Frigate sent from Augustine to Havana to help fleet from New Spain bring over supplies for Garrison—They discover thirteen vessels, which proves to be an enemy who give chase to the Frigate—The pilot and soldiers landed, followed by the enemy, until a forest is reached, where the enemy leaves them—Returning to their launches the enemy strip the Frigate and burn the hull—The enemy coast along shore frightening the Indians, lodging in their huts—A large force of Indians were gathered together with one hundred and fifty soldiers to pursue the enemy at which they reembark and sail away—A Spanish Frigate arrives bearing forty-seven persons, all that was left of three vessels which had been captured by the enemy who proved to be bearing provisions to a Dutch Fleet in Havana—Recommends his Majesty to build a fort at the Bar at the place called Jega—Report of Luis Ussitinez to his Majesty—The Mandate of the King has been carried out in regard to prayer to God for the success of the King’s arms taken up against France—1636—An account of a meeting of the Board of the City Council of Havana at which a clergyman of the Holy Office of the Inquisition appears with an Auto from the Senior Commissionado, Don Francisco de las Casas, of the Holy Office of this city, containing instructions as to certain ceremonies in connection with the Inquisition.
Your Lordship: