When the boats return I will give the details to your Majesty in the order that the Governor, Friars and other Officers write me, and I shall be careful to aid them in the name of your Majesty with everything that they need, so they may not vex the natives, but give themselves up to friendly intercourse with them, until the time for planting grain. In future it will not be so expensive, the ground being so fertile we can gather large harvests, thus serving and exalting your Majesty and the Catholic faith of Our Lord.
To His Catholic Royal Majesty Pedro Menendez says:
That what he sends your Majesty is what he declares to know of the coast and lands of Florida, and of the corsairs whom it is said have gone to populate it and seize the vessels coming from the Indias--and the damage they may do, and the remedy to be used in cases where they should have settled. Give them no quarter, and appropriate the coast and lands so that they can be the more easily turned out--that your Majesty can send to spread the Gospel, prevent the damages that can be done the vessels coming from the Indias is as follows: That while in Sevilla last May, he knew and understood positively from persons coming from the Canary Islands that they had been on the Island of Teneriffe and Port Garachico with a Portuguese named Mimoso, who is a pilot on the run of the Indias, and has a wife and home in France, that he has become a pirate, seizing the vessels of your Majesty. He carried four men of war, and it was said he was going to settle the coast of Florida; that two other large vessels were awaiting him, as soon as he took on water and provisions in that port, and he saw them there in a small vessel without disembarking for five or six hours, where some of the people who wish to be under them came to speak to them. He then returned to his vessel and set sail to return to the Indias. Also, that he heard in Sevilla and in this court of your Majesty that the English had gone out with a fleet to the coast of Florida to settle and to await the vessels from the Indias--and about a month ago he learned that five large English galleons with heavy artillery had passed about the end of December along the coast of Gaul and the tempest had driven them into the harbor of Ferrol, where they were anchored for a day and a half without landing, but the fishermen had gone on board to speak to them, and he says: If the above be true, and the English, French or any other nation should feel disposed to go and settle any part of Florida, it would be very damaging to these kingdoms, because on said coast of Florida and in said strait of the Bahamas, they could settle and fortify themselves in such a way, that they could have galleons and vessels of war to capture the fleets and other private vessels that came from the Indias, and pass through there, as they would run great risk of being captured.