force it. Your Majesty will provide according to the royal pleasure. In my opinion, the regulations made are moderate, just, and desirable for the royal service.
I also gave information that I had sent a ship to Piru in the year 81. From all that I hear, it is important for the progress of this kingdom that it trade and have commerce with the others; therefore I am sending this year another ship, for private individuals, to Panama. Consequently, I shall have ships sent to the principal kingdoms held by your Majesty in the Indias and the Southern Sea. The ship for Peru carried some artillery to be delivered to the viceroy, among them a piece of eighty-five quintals. I decided to do this, knowing the need there for heavy artillery, as the strait had to be fortified.[1] I think that the artillery arrived at an opportune season, for I have had a letter from the viceroy, Don Martin
- ↑ Thomas Candish, the English navigator, relates in picturesque style the fortunes of the Spanish settlement here referred to, "King Philips citie which the Spaniards had built." Candish halted there in January, 1587; the place was then deserted, and he named it Port Famine. It was located not far from the extreme southern point of the Patagonian mainland, at a point commanding the Strait of Magellan. Candish says: "They had contriued their Citie very well, and seated it in the best place of the Streights for wood and water: they had builded vp their Churches by themselues: they had Lawes very seuere among themselues, for they had erected a Gibet, whereon they had done execution vpon some of their company… During the time that they were there, which was two yeeres the least, they could neuer haue any thing to growe or in any wise prosper. And on the other side the Indians oftentimes preyed vpon them vntill their victuals grewe so short… that they dyed like dogges in their houses, and in their clothes, wherein we found them still at our comming… To conclude, they were determined to haue trauailed towards the riuer of Plate, only being left aliue 23. persons, whereof two were women, which were the remainder of 4. hundred." See Hakluyt's Voyages (Goldsmid ed., Edinburgh, 1890), xvi, pp. 12, 13.
