SPANISH LETTERS INTERCEPTED 



keepe your 

 the 20 of 



A.D. 



1590. 



your Majestic heretofore of. Our Lord 

 Majestie many yeeres. From Havana 

 October, 1590. 



Your Majesties servant, whose royall feete I kisse, 

 John de Trexeda governour of Havana. 



A letter sent to Don Petro de Xibar one of his [in. 559.] 

 Majesties privie Counsel of the West Indies, 

 from Don Diego Mendez de Valdes Gover- 

 nour of S. Juan de Puerto Rico the 20 of 

 November 1590, touching the state of that 

 Citie and Island. 



Received your honours letter the 20 of 

 Februarie, whereby I received great con- 

 tent, to heare that your honour is in 

 good health. As touching the imprison- 

 ment of our cousin Don Pedro de Valdes, 

 it doeth grieve me to the very soule. I 

 beseech God to send him his libertie : 

 and likewise the imprisonment of Diego Flores de Valdes 

 grieveth me very much : I pray God to send good 

 justice. The M. of the fielde Juan de Texela, and the 

 M. workeman Juan Baptista Antonio arrived here in 

 safetie, and have viewed this Citie with all the circuite 

 round about and the situation as I have informed his 

 majestie thereof. They have marked a place to build 

 a strong Fort, whereat the countrey remaineth very well 

 contente. And it standeth in a good situation, and in a 

 convenient place on a high mount which doeth lye upon 

 the entering in of the Harbour, & so cutteth over to a 

 point of land, leaving in the Fort as much space as wil 

 containe 3000 persons, without joyning thereunto any 

 part of the coast. So the M. del campo hath named the 

 fort Citadella. He left me great store of yron worke, 

 tooles eight workemen, and 200 Negros, which are the 

 kings. And the Island doth finde 400 pioners which are 

 continually at worke. His majestie hath sent me a 



X 161 L 



Pedro de 

 Valdes, 

 prisoner in 

 England. 



John Baptista 

 Antonio the 

 generall Inge- 

 nour of the 

 West Indies. 



A strong fort 

 newly builded 

 in S. Juan de 

 puerto Rico. 



