Diego Flores

Diego Flores had orders to proceed to Seville and procure the necessary vessels. He was to take seven of your Majesty s ships, the galleass San Cristoval four frigates, named the Santa Isabel the Santa Catalina the Guadalupe the Madalena and also the Nuestra Seflora de Esperansa, which Pedro Sarmiento had brought from Peru by way of... 

Fitting out.—Conduct of Diego Flores.—Opening disaster.— Voyage to Rio de Janeiro.— Wintering.—Disgraceful conduct of Diego Flores and the captains. 

Your Majesty for this object, with a lavish and royal hand, ordered a most abundantly supplied expedition as regards both men and supplies, and nominated Diego Flores de Valdes as General of the Sea on the coast of Brazil and in the Strait, ordering him to examine the Strait, and to erect forts in the narrowest part opposite to each other, and not to come away until the said forts were finished and those coasts had been examined. He was to leave 400 soldiers in the forts, with their magistrates and captains, as appears from the third and fourth chapters of the instructions that your Majesty gave to Pedro Sarmiento, and by those of the said Diego Flores de Valdes. 

Your Majesty having ordered, by a special royal letter, that two companies of 500 soldiers should be raised for the forts in the Strait, and that these should be specially selected, in order that the 400 who were to remain might be chosen from them, Pedro Sarmiento showed the letter of your Majesty containing this order to Diego Flores but he would not obey it nor take any steps about it, of which your Majesty was informed. This inconvenient course would have given rise to serious mischief, for if all the soldiers were in a confused body, no account would be taken of their necessities and infirmities, and thus they would die or desert while by taking steps to know them,they would be under inspection in the same way as the settlers. 

Eighteen ships reached Cadiz with much difficulty, but the Gallega was swallowed up, and foundered with all hands at the entrance of the bay, and in the midst of the other ships, with one blow of the sea. P our others were lost off Rota, on the Picacho, and on the Arenas-gordas, with 800 men who were on board. The large galleass would certainly have been lost in the port, if the anchors had been thrown overboard, as Diego Flores desired. 

The fleet having arrived at Cadiz, Diego Flores was in such a state of dismay and perturbation that he was unable to give an order, nor to apply a remedy to any defect. All he could do was to send excuses so as not to have to go on... 

While they were wintering, in order to avoid idleness, which is apt to give rise to evil thoughts rather than to good works, Pedro Sarmiento, with the consent of Diego Flores, made the people construct two portable wooden... 

Diego Flores disliked what Pedro Sarmiento did to preserve the property of your Majesty and to check the proceedings of the thieves and although he made an appearance of doing the same, he dissimulated too much, and in reality did nothing. But he conceived such hatred for Pedro Sarmiento on account of his efforts, that, contrary... 

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