And inasmuch as I am not confident that the viceroy will be willing to admit that the appointments of offices and officials of these ships from these islands do not concern him, when those who are appointed complete the exercise of their duties on their arrival at Nueva Espana--as, for instance, Don Francisco de la Serna, who is going this year as commander; and Don Luis Fernandez de Cordova, who was commander last year, as they commenced to exercise those offices from the time of their departure from those provinces and are returning in those functions through courtesy, and for just considerations--the viceroy undertakes to appoint men to those places, refusing to understand as he ought what your Majesty has ruled and ordered in this matter.

On the contrary, in order to establish himself in this pretension, he has suppressed the appointments that I sent last year.

Indeed, although he deprived Don Fernando de Ayala of his appointment, he did not make another appointment, but said that he was satisfied for that time with that act of jurisdiction.

He said that he would send me another as commander of the ships--a young man, like those whom he sends as captains of infantry.

That would have resulted in the disinclination of people in this country to send what is of so much importance [_i.e._, their cargoes to Nueva Espana], with the supplies and artillery which I sent--very differently from the usual practice, in charge of a man of action and valor, who has fought very often.