APPENDIX^ NO. II. 45 



done secretly, and arranged in such a manner that the 

 captams must be commanded not to open their instructions 

 until they have proceeded forty leagues from the land ; be- 

 cause, by means of this precaution, we may deceive the 

 spies, supposing them prepared to observe us ; and if it 

 please God that we should again discover this strait, it is 

 advisable to have it fortified the very next year, because it 

 is utterly impossible that the numerous people who will be 

 necessary for this expedition will all be so silent and so pru- 

 dent as not to make public this voyage and its discoveries, 

 and if it is heard of by our enemies, they themselves may 

 seek, find, and fortify it in such a manner that many men 

 and very great expenses will be necessary to regain it from 

 them ; and therefore it would be advisable to be very cir- 

 cumspect from the moment the expedition shall depart for 

 the discovery. 



Copied from the original 4to. MS. (probably of the Author 

 himself,) in the possession of His Excellency the Due d'ln- 

 fantado : from the same manuscript the map and sketches 

 were also copied ; all of which I have carefully revised with 

 attention. 



Juan Bautista Munon. 



Madrid, Uth March^ 1781. 



