ures. The whole of the province was as pacified as possible, and they carried on their markets and commerce as before. The country was very rich in gold mines, for in his presence they had taken out a sample which was sent to me. Three days before, he had been to the sea, and taken possession of it for Your Majesty, where, in his presence, they had taken out a sample of pearls which he likewise sent to me, and which I sent to Your Majesty, together with the sample from the gold mines.
As God, Our Lord, had well guided this business, and fulfilled my desire to serve Your Majesty on this South Sea, being as it is of such importance, I have provided with so much diligence that, in one of the three places where I discovered the sea, two medium-sized caravels and two brigantines are being built: the caravels for the purpose of discovering, and the brigantines to follow the coast. For this purpose, I sent, under a reliable person, forty Spaniards, amongst whom go ship-masters, ship-carpenters, wood-sawyers, blacksmiths, and seamen; and I have sent to the city for nails, sails, and other things necessary for the said ships, and all possible haste will be used to finish and launch them. Your Majesty may believe that it will be a great thing to accomplish this, and the greatest service since the Indies have been discovered will be thus rendered to Your Majesty.
While I was in the city of Tesaico, before we laid siege to Temixtitan, preparing and furnishing ourselves with
Conspiracy
of
Villafaña
the necessities for the said siege, and entirely unaware of what certain persons were plotting, one of the conspirators warned me that certain friends of Diego Velasquez, who were in my company, had treasonably plotted to kill me, and that amongst them they had elected a captain, an alcalde, and alguacil mayor, and other officials. My informer begged that I should thwart this by all means, for, besides the scandal which would follow, re-
