a very good way: and if any men of warre will attempt to come into these seas, they may very easily come vp this riuer as farre as Venta de Cruzes, and from thence march vnto this citie, and if the enemy will, they may bring their pinnesses, ready made in foure quarters, and so taken in sunder, may afterwards set them together againe: as it is reported that Francis Drake hath vsed it once before when he came that voyage; and so he may attempt vs both by sea and land. And forasmuch as the most part of these people are marchants, they will not fight, but onely keepe their owne persons in safetie, and saue their goods; as it hath bene sene heretofore in other places of these Indies.
So if it will please your maiesty to cause these houses to bee strongly fortified, considering it standeth in a very good place, and if any sudden alarms shoulde happen, then the citizens with their goods may get themselues to this place, and so escape the terrour of the enemy: and so this will be a good securitie for all the treasure which doth come from Peru. So all the Pirats and rebels, which haue robbed in these parts, haue gone about what they can to stoppe this passage, and so by this meanes to stoppe the trade of Spaine, and to set souldiers in this place, for to intercept and take your maiesties treasure, whereby none might be caried into Spaine. Therefore it behooueth your maiestie to fortifie these places very strongly.
These places being fortified in this maner, your maiesty shal haue al your gold and siluer brought home in safetie which commeth from Peru. And all those commodities which are laden in Spaine may come safe to this place.
Rebellion feared in the West Indies. And if perchance any rebels should rise in these parts, which would rebel against your maiestie, which God forbid, and if they should chance to ioyn with any of these pirats, hauing this place so wel fortified, and Puerto Bella in the North parts, and so to send some garrison your maiestie needs not to feare: for here in this harbor are alwayes 10 or 12 barks of 60 or 50 tunnes apiece, which do belong to this harbor. So if any of these places shalbe intercepted, then your maiestie hath no other place fitter then this to land your maiesties souldiers, for then they haue but 18. leagues to march by land, and presently they may be shipped to supply these places which shal stand in most need of them. In al the coast of Peru there is no harbour that hath any shipping but onely this place, and the citie of Lima, where there are some ships and barks. The harbour being thus open without any
