Series of documents of administrative and financial matters concerning San Blas. Topics include appointments, salaries and payments for expenses of personnel; also cargos, intineraries & freight charges of the fragata Santiago and Paquebot Principe. Completion of construction of new ship to be called la Princesa (Nuestra Senora del Rosario), including details on design of figurehead and whether it should be armoured as fragata or be a Paquebot. F. 376 acknowledges receipt from Neve for food supplies and other provisions ordered for California settlements for 1778. Ff. 379-381 detail 5 yr. Contract with townspeople of Tequepespam for supply of tar for ship maintenance. (J. M. Johnson, October 1988)

Most important documents concern arrival in San Blas of two carriages and four servants for Areche to be shipped to Acapulco (folio 198); and detailed inventory of the Goleta Sonora (N. S. de Guadalupe) including food supplies, its physical structure, rigging and equipment (ff. 199-213). Bausa requests monthly sum sent from royal treasury to Sister in financial need; approved by Hijosa and viceroy (ff. 330-333). Fragata Santiago (Nueva Galicia) and paquebots Concepcion and San Carlos; costs and logistics of transportation of materials to California ports; procurement of supplies and skilled labor for ship repair; appointments of Naval, religious and medical personnel; and reports on departmental personnel, including illnesses and deaths. (J. M. Johnson, September 1988)

Major documents deal with salaries, personnel, appointments, expenses, budgets and pensions for the department; supplies for California presidios and cargos and itineraries for the fragata requirement for monthly reports by Hijosa for personnel in San Blas and California; shipment of carriages for Areche; technical experts in shipbuilding to be sent to San Blas from Spain; ports of Realejo and Sonsonate now belong to district of Guatemala; need to recruit two surgeons for San Blas to fill vacancies. (J. M. Johnson, September 1988)

Index chronologically for year; correspondence numbered from #336 to #458. Very detailed summaries with references by numbers to prior exchanges and official Ordenes, decretos, reglamentos. Some responses to individual entries in margins. Assignments, provisions; construction and repair of ships; schedules of departures/arrivals, destinations of ships; shipments and types of cargo. Some biographical information on visitador general of Peru and maritime personnel. Extensive and la Princesa (Nuestra Senora del Rosario); paquebots el Principe, San Carlos, and la Concepcion; Goleta Sonora. (J. M. Johnson, August 1988)