A.D. 

 1590. 



THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



Plate, 



A letter of Frier Alonso new elected Bishop of 

 Mechuacan, to the king of Spaine, written in 

 Peru in the citie de los Reyes the first of 

 March 1590, touching the state of Arica a 

 chiefe Haven in Peru. 



Pon Christmas even the yere 1589, I 

 received your majesties commission in 

 Potossi. For which I am and shall be 

 continually bound to pray for your 

 majesties long health, for the great bene- 

 fits which your majestie hath bestowed 

 upon me, in sending me to Mechuacan : 

 whereby my great travell and paines may be recompenced, 

 which I have taken with that ungrateful and desperate 

 The people of people of the river of Plate, which they have bene the 

 p; ^r^^ ^^ occasion of, in dealing so badly with me their Pastour, 

 which have counselled them, that they should have a great 

 care to serve God, and be dutifull to your majestie, accord- 

 ing as every good and true subject ought to do. Now for 

 this gift which your majestie hath bestowed on me, I most 

 humbly kisse your majesties handes a thousand times. 

 Thus presently I departed from Potossi somewhat sickely, 

 to accomplish that which your majestie hath commanded 

 me. So I arrived at Lima in safetie the first of February 

 by the way of Arica, which is an haven towne, where they 

 imbarke all the barres of silver. And there I have scene 

 what is done, & what they have provided against the 

 Englishmen in that haven : which is ; That there is a 

 litle fort made hard by the waters side, with certaine 

 small pieces of ordinance in the said fort to offend the 

 enemie, if occasion should serve that they should 

 offer to come into the harbour and offer any violence. 

 But the principall thing of all that we want is to have 

 souldiers, foote men, and horsemen. For according as I 

 am informed, here want 100 men which should keepe the 

 coast, if they should offer to land and march up into the 



168 



100 men 

 wanting. 



