Note 80 — The Pardo Controversy

At this same time poor Don Juan de Vargas finds himself in the fray of his residencia.80 For this investigation the governor named, as associates of the judge, his Majesty’s accountant, Captain Don Juan del Pozo Gattica, and Sargento-mayor Lucas Mateo de Urquiza. The secret inquiry ended a week ago, but they have not made known the findings therein, which are said to be favorable. Only the Dominican fathers, in whom he trusted for this emergency, have aided him by contributing [a document of] fifty-three sections, regarding his entire life and character—many of these concerning the Zambals of Playahonda, whom he had assigned to the Dominicans;81 and the first section goes to show that he “lacked the chief qualifications of a knight”—the way in which they speak of him. The city, through its attorney, made fifty-six charges against him; and among these they demanded from him damages for the losses that this community had suffered from the return to port of the ship or galleon “Santa Rosa”—because instead of ballast they placed in it wax, and for fifteen hundred other articles that were included in the lading of the ship. As soon as the secret inquiry was ended, Admiral Faura was arrested in the fort, and Sargento-mayor Gallardo at the entrance of the bastion; and all their goods were seized—but not much of their property was found; if there had been, it would have showed that they were fools, and certainly they are not of that sort. All agree that six hundred thousand pesos would not suffice Don Juan de Vargas for what they demand from him.82