their sons, relatives, and connections trade very extensively. This is
a cause of very great injury to the poor, and to the inhabitants of
this city; and they are defrauded in the division of the cargo, for
the auditors' freight is better looked after. Hence it follows that
the auditors possess very large estates. They build elegant houses,
at a cost of twelve or fourteen thousand pesos. They generally keep
embroiderers at work in their houses publicly, just as any merchant
keeps them.

6th. Lastly, after the arrival of the governor last year with the
decrees that he brought from his Majesty, if the royal Audiencia was
before a harm or of little use, it is now useless; because then its
possible service was to oppose the said governor and to undo any injury
or violence committed by the governor, but now that is prohibited by
the said decrees of his Majesty. In them his Majesty orders the royal
Audiencia not to contradict their president and captain-general in
whatever the latter wishes to do, but to advise him of the governor's
actions, without opposing the latter, in order to avoid scandals. In
order to give information of the governor's want of prudence, no
Audiencia is needed, for there are enough people here to advise you.

During former years this city petitioned his Majesty that he would be
pleased to order the establishment of an Audiencia, because it was
believed that it would be a check on the governor's actions, which
were not so well considered. Now this ceases with the said precautions
brought by the governor, in which his Majesty orders that the auditors
shall not oppose the governor, but that they only advise his Majesty
of everything. As to the said Audiencia, their hands have not been
tied by these new precautions, nor do the auditors pay any attention
to them, for they have so ingratiated themselves with the governor,