your Majestie heretofore of. Our Lord keepe your Majestie many yeeres. From Havana the 20 of October, 1590. Your Majesties servant, whose royall feete I kisse, JOHN DE TREXEDA governour of Havana. 1590. A letter sent to Don Petro de Xibar one of his [III. 559.] Majesties privie Counsel of the West Indies, from Don Diego Mendez de Valdes Governour of S. Juan de Puerto Rico the 20 of November 1590, touching the state of that Citie and Island. prisoner in Received your honours letter the 20 of Februarie, whereby I received great content, to heare that your honour is in good health. As touching the imprisonment of our cousin Don Pedro de Valdes, Pedro de Valdes, it doeth grieve me to the very soule. I beseech God to send him his libertie: England. and likewise the imprisonment of Diego Flores de Valdes grieveth me very much: I pray God to send good justice. The M. of the fielde Juan de Texela, and the M. workeman Juan Baptista Antonio arrived here in John Baptista safetie, and have viewed this Citie with all the circuite Antonio the round about and the situation as I have informed his generall Ingenour of the majestie thereof. They have marked a They have marked a place to build West Indies. a strong Fort, whereat the countrey remaineth very well contente. And it standeth in a good situation, and in a convenient place on a high mount which doeth lye upon the entering in of the Harbour, & so cutteth over to a point of land, leaving in the Fort as much space as wil containe 3000 persons, without joyning thereunto any part of the coast. So the M. del campo hath named the fort Citadella. He left me great store of yron worke, A strong fort tooles eight workemen, and 200 Negros, which are the newly builded kings. And the Island doth finde 400 pioners which are continually at worke. His majestie hath sent me a in S. Juan de Puerto Rico. I590. This fort was And warrant to spend the provision of the Island, & to take those rents which his majesty hath here, & to certifie his majestie what there is wanting for the maintaining of the workmen & that they may have all things necessary. So I have sent to Nueva Espanna, for such things as are here wanting. I have written to the M. of the field, which is gone to Havana, informing him that it doeth greatly import that the worke with all expedition should go forward, seeing that it is begun for the defence of the Island. And we doe defend it as well as we can from the enemie, in respect of the great danger which otherwise might happen, if the enemie should come and finde it begun, and not ended. And likewise that his majestie would send me that which I do request. And the most principal thing of al is, to send more Negros. sending me all these things which be needful, I trust in God I shal in short time build up the fort, to defend us from the enemie. The fort must be builded triangle wise for it will reach into the bay: and we shal be able to plant in the same 40 pieces of good ordinance, Canon, Demi-canon, and Colverine. The M. of the field, hath promised to send me some from Havana. For that he is determined to cast some there, by reason of the great store of copper, which now of late is found in Havana: for here we have as yet but small store of ordinance to defend us. I looke for 5 Canons which his majestie should send from Spaine, with shot and powder and al kinde of weapons, because that here is great want in the Island. His majestie hath sent the whole number of 200 souldiers 200 souldiers, and in the companie there came two de Puerto Rico, capitaines. The corps de Guard is kept in the market 1500 fighting place: and twise in a moneth I muster all the men in men in S.Juan the Iland, and finde very neere 1500 fighting men, and de puerto Rico 80 horsemen. The forte when it is ended will be the Island. strongest that his majestie hath in all the Indies. And now the people of the countrey sleepe in security. For The boldnes of commonly before, the Englishmen would come and beard the English. us to the havens mouth. God keep your honour, and Copper mines found neere Havana. sent to S. Juan send you long health. From Puerto Rico the 20 of November 1590. The Governour DIEGO MENDEZ DE VALDES. A letter to John Lopez Canavate, Alderman in His is to give you to understand, that 1590. Havana. time. For here is great watch dayly kept and great looking to the souldiers in keeping of them together, for running away. But neverthelesse I hope in God, to The souldiers finde some friend to convey mee away from hence. This run away from countrey is so close and narrow, that if a man steale not away hidden in some shippe, it is not possible for him to escape, nor to goe a league out of the towne, no way but by sea. And because the harbour is so close, it is the best harbour and the surest in the world. The harbour is made in this order. The entrie in towarde the land is by a narrow streight chanel, which continueth as long as a caliver shot, and from that place the river openeth broader and broader: There are in the entring in, two points which make with the lande, whereupon are newly builded two strong forts, which are fortified with very great store of ordinance: besides another strong [III. 560.] and famous Forte which is in the Citie, so that it is impossible to take it. There are in these three Fortes, a thousand souldiers in Garison. And likewise here are two galies to keepe the coast. Yet for all this, The boldnes of the English. the audacious Englishmen being without all shame are 1590. 18 ships builded in Cuba against England. Acapulco the harbour where the ships lie that goe for China. not afraid to come and dare us at our owne doores. Our journey to goe for England is most certaine in the yeere 1592. Here are making with great expedition 18 ships, which are called Frigats for that effect. They are very strong shippes, and will drawe but very litle water, whereby they may enter amongst the shoulds on the banckes of Flanders: they are builded the higher because here is great store of timber and excellent good and incorruptible. It is reported that the fleete will depart from hence in February, by reason that at that time the Englishmen are not departed out of their owne countrey. And thus I rest, from this Island of S. Christopher in Havana this present day on S. Lukes even; the 17 of October 1590. Your Worships servant, JOHN DE PORVA CANAVATEs. A letter from Mexico, of Sebastian Biscaino to his Father Antonio Biscaino in Corchio in Spaine, touching the great profit of the trade to China, and somewhat of M. Thomas Candish. Written the 20 of June 1590. Aving written to your worship by a friend of mine at large, nowe I will bee somewhat short. And this is onely to give you to understand, that foure moneths past, I came from China, and landed in Acapulco, 70 leagues from Mexico, which is the harbour where the ships that goe downe to China lye: and all the marchants of Mexico bring all their Spanish commodities downe to this harbour, to ship them for that countrey. It is one of the best harbours in all Nueva Espanna; and where the ships may ride most safely without all kinde of danger. For it lyeth under a necke of land, and behind a great point. And in this harbour here are foure great ships of Mexico of 600 and 800 tunnes a piece, which |