Page:Vol 3 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/242

222 note occurred during his administration, but the next seven years form an exciting epoch in the annals of the capital.

During this time New Spain was governed by Gaspar de la Cerda Sandoval Silva y Mendoza, conde de Galve, a gentleman of the royal bed-chamber, and knight of the order of Alcántara. He arrived at Vera Cruz, accompanied by his wife, on the 18 th of September 1688, and about two months later took formal possession of office.

One of his first acts was to adopt measures for the extermination of the corsairs, whose increasing numbers and daring kept the coast settlements, both in the North and South seas, in constant alarm. Soon after his arrival he applied to the church authorities for money to aid in making the necessary preparations, to which appeal the archbishop and several of the bishops responded with contributions amounting to nearly eighty-nine thousand pesos. Hardly had he assumed office when news reached the capital of the capture by corsairs of Acaponeta, a small town on the coast of Nueva Galicia. Besides a quantity of silver the enemy carried off many prisoners, including forty women and two friars, an outrage which caused the viceroy at once to despatch an expedition in their pursuit. Troops were sent from Mexico City, and there being no other vessel available, a Peruvian frigate, recently arrived at Acapulco, was ordered to go in search of the enemy. The capture of