arise there, as is expected from him. Have a letter written to the
viceroy of Nueva España, telling him to send all the best part of
the troops which he can, considering that the governor writes that
in past years so few troops have gone there that he is now almost
without any in the service; and accordingly he should decree that it
be such which he sends. Advise Don Alonso of what is written to the
viceroy of Nueva España."]

The reason for there being so few troops is, that after the year one
thousand six hundred and sixteen, when a ship called the "Angel de la
Guarda" came, in the following year, sixteen hundred and seventeen,
there came no reenforcements of infantry, but only a patache called
the "Sant Geronimo," with the archbishop Don Fray Miguel Garcia,
and a number of friars; and in that year there died in the engagement
which Don Juan Ronquillo had with the enemy, and were drowned in the
six galleons, more Spaniards than I brought in the year one thousand
six hundred and eighteen. Since my arrival I have sent almost four
hundred soldiers to Terrenate, and this number has not come in the two
reenforcements from Nueva España which arrived in the past years of
nineteen and twenty. Then besides these--and a number who have left
with good cause and permission (although these are few), and others
who have managed to flee without permission, and others who have turned
friars--there are so many who have died in the hospital and outside of
it, that it may be said that all the soldiers in the country are found
in this jurisdiction [of Manila.]. I have wished to give your Majesty
an account of this so that it might be fully understood, and that you
may learn the truth of it; and that you may know how great is the lack
of men here, as I say. That of vessels is not so great as some people
here say, who know nothing of this matter, or who desire to build them,
on account of the money which they usually obtain from this work, or