The Burden of Extra Expenses Maintaining his regular soldiers and their families in the face of difficulties such as these was a heavy burden on the governor, but it was an even heavier one when he had to support soldiers and laborers temporarily assigned to Florida. Until 1739 the problem arose only occasionally. In 1735-1736, for example, Governor Moral had to maintain Felipe de Iturrieta’s company of Cuban infantrymen on detached service in Florida, but this was uncommon, and not until the outbreak of the War of Jenkins’s Ear did the problem become acute. Governor Montiano found this responsibility particularly vexing. Administering Florida’s affairs throughout the years of the War of Jenkins’s Ear, he had to support a great many extra military and naval men and forced laborers sent into Florida to strengthen the fortifications of the province. By 1743 these additional forces numbered over 300; three years later there were over 700 additional military men and forced laborers under Montiano’s jurisdiction. To maintain them, he had received some help from the Governor of Cuba, but for the most part he had provided them with food and supplies out of the subsidy shipped to his regulars from New Spain through Cuba. This meant that many of the established garrison of 350 received neither a regular salary nor a normal ration. (Tepaske GSF)