A.D. 



1590. 



A fort upon 

 an hill. 



Five Frigats 

 made at 

 Havana, John 

 de Orimo 

 General of 

 the fleete. 



The excellency 

 of the great 

 Frygates built 

 in Cuba. 



Copper mines 

 neivly found 

 in Cuba. 



THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



sent from Mexico to this place. For it behooveth your 

 majestie not to have them as yet left, till such time as 

 the defences about the forts bee finished, and that which 

 is in building upon the hill, which will be ended very 

 shortly if you send the Negros and yron tooles. 



Likewise I have certified your majestie, that with all 

 speed I am making ready of the five Frigates, that they 

 may cary all the treasure. Also John de Orimo seeing 

 that it is of so great importance to have them dispatched, 

 doeth furnish mee with some money, although somewhat 

 scantly, untill such time as your majestie doth send him 

 some order therefore. I beseech you to command it to 

 bee done ; considering the great charges and expences that 

 we are at here, as by the accounts your Majestie shall 

 more at large perceive, what hath bene spent. These 

 Frigats will be made an end of without all doubt by the 

 moneth of Februarie : but as yet their tackling and sayles 

 are not here arrived : but I doe stay the comming thereof 

 every day, according as the Duke of Medina and John de 

 Ibarra have written unto me, that those ships which 

 should bring the same were ready to depart from thence. 

 All these things it behooveth your Majestie to send in 

 time : for I can assure your Majestie that you shall not 

 have upon the sea such good shippes as these are. For as 

 touching the other ships of the fleete, which are in this 

 harbour, it is not convenient to venture the silver in 

 them. This counsell your Majestie shall not take of 

 mee, for I am a souldier, and have but small skill in 

 navigation. But every day it is tolde me openly and 

 in secret by many of the pilots, captaines, masters and 

 mariners. 



As touching the copper, 1 have put it in practise twise 

 more, and have made proofe thereof: wherein there hath 

 bene more spent, then 1 was willing there should have 

 bene, because I have gotten no fruit thereof: I know not 

 the cause, but that it is not done effectually by those that 

 have the working thereof Therefore I beseech your 

 Majestie to send me that same founder which I wrote to 



160 



