bildo and that the regidors with great inconvenience and little dignity were going about seeking the houses of citizens for the meeting of the cabildo. At the expense of the city funds I have built some good stone cabildo buildings on the plaza here, and in them is placed the coat-of-arms which your Majesty presented to this city. With these and other buildings which have been built during the time I have been here, or are now being erected, this city is much improved in appearance.
19. That the powder-house being too near and in an unsafe position, a vault was made in the fort of Santiago, where it is now kept.
I found the powder-house in an unsafe place, and as it is so necessary to guard and preserve the powder, I ordered a vault of stone to be made in the fort on the point called Santiago, where it was put and is now kept with entire safety.
20. That it is necessary to establish religious instruction in the Ladrones; and, as it cannot be sent from here, I have written to the viceroy asking him to order the officers of the ships from Nueva España to leave ministers there.
As the royal instruction which I received had not been brought here when I came to serve your Majesty in this government (as I have before explained), what your Majesty ordered in one clause of it, that on the passage by the island of Ladrones ministers for religious instruction to those Indians should be left there—such persons as I might select—has not been executed. Accordingly I have considered it with the royal Audiencia here; and, together with their opinion, the intention of your Majesty was communicated to the viceroy of Nueva España, so that he might
