To the most excellent and pious Queen Isabella of Castille

VI ABRIL ANNO DOMINI MDIV

1503 I am proud to say is our most successful year yet. Rumors within the Cortes of French and English settlers in our claimed territories proved to be unacceptable to the Crown and members of our most esteemed hidalgos and merchants. A strong response was warranted both to defend our claims and to send a message about who rules these lands. A great armada was mobilized on the coast of Sanlucar de Barrameda. 44 ships, being the largest Western expedition to date, and the most expensive to date. It was commanded by his Most Excellent Nicolas de Ovando and he set sail in late February onwards onto the ocean blue.

The voyage went along swimmingly. Despite being a week behind schedule, the Armada arrived at Pontevedra de San Juan Bautista where hidalgo Juan Ponce de Leon made landfall and established a fortified settlement in the mouth of a natural harbor. The Casa believes further investment in the Pontevedra colony is advisable to shorten the supply routes to the mainland, delivering supplies and additional colonists for settlement. We nevertheless entrust in Ponce de Leon’s abilities.

Nicolas de Ovando then would promptly replace Francisco de Bobadilla as Governor of the Indies as ordered by the Crown. While the Armada prepares for their next voyage and unloaded cargo, Explorer Alonso de Ojeda and famed cartographer Juan de la Cosa sailed to the east to chart any landmasses between the lands of La Española and Venezuela. They discover an archipelago of inhabited and uninhabited islands of varying sizes, forming an island chain towards Venezuela. Alonso de Ojeda decides to establish a settlement on the island known as Santa Lucia de los Halcones. The locals, known as the Carib whom we already had violent encounters in the past, predictably attacked the settlement. Equally as predictably, however, our men repulsed the natives and maintained control of the territory. Reinforcements and more supplies to secure the islands are highly recommended as a base in the sector would be crucial to patrol and secure the area from Caribe raids on nearby settlements like Pontevedra. Due to the small size of the island, however, a sufficiently armed contingent can secure the island for Spain. Despite the fact de Ojeda was forced to leave a ship behind, further cartographic expeditions went along without incident and we now have a clearer perspective of our immediate eastern periphery around Santo Domingo.

The son of a wealthy Sevillan merchant, Juan de Esquivel has been commissioned by Nicolas de Ovando, Governor of Santo Domingo, to subjugate the northern caciques as vassals to Spain. Specifically, the Cacicazgos of Caizcimu. With negotiations useless, Esquivel’s troops marched on the pagan’s territories. The Taino’s defense was fierce, with the rebellion enduring a surprising amount of time. The Caciques nevertheless surrendered to superior Spanish arms and the territories were incorporated into the colony. As for Rodrigo de Bastidas, he sent two expeditions to extend the perimeter of the Guajira colony. His subordinates fail to capture the hostile chiefs of the Anu, but they succeed in adopting the Southern chieftains as loyal allies of Bastidas in exchange for protection against hostile chieftains in the North.

Sebastian de Ocampo would thus begin his expedition up north with his fleet of 23 ships. Due to the location of the French squatters being unknown to us at the time, only vaguely understood its existence due north. It was decided to head due north, then cut west after a few hundred leagues to find a coastline. While on their voyage, strong winds redirected the fleet to the west where they found new lands previously unknown to us. Ocampo named the new strip of land “Santo Matias el Apostol de Tierra Nueva” He however decided to settle instead further north instead of the newly discovered territories, around the northern bank of a large bay, naming the new settlement Cabo de San Brendan el Navegante de la Nueva Tierra. The poor foundation of the area for settlement made construction quite slow. Sebastian de Ocampo and his men exercised caution when it came to the locals, for all we know they could have been allies of the English and French. Fortunately, it seems that is not the case as Ocampo spoke with the cacique of the region, Kiptoteke, who agreed to pay tribute and work with Spain. As he continued the expedition further north up the coast, Ocampo finally found the French. 2 enemy carracks and 6 caravels sailing south. The French fleet attempted to retreat and up the channel with the Spanish fleet in pursuit while coming across a wide fork across the channel southwards in a bid to escape. Ocampo’s fleet however pinned the French down. Unwilling to fight a losing battle, the French fleet sailed north in an attempt to fight alongside the fort and reserve ships in the French colony of Quebec in order to have a fighting chance. Of course, this was all for naught, as Ocampo’s skill in naval tactics and the numerical superiority of our Armada ensured total victory for Spain. The “battle” resulted in the complete surrender of the French colony and Cartier’s fleet. Ocampo would thus promptly return with his bounty and his mission to eliminate the squatters from Spanish-claimed territory accomplished in the name of the Crown.