REPORT OF THE SECRETARY 7 



Portugal, France, and England, and resulted in the discovery of much 

 new material relating to the early history of exploration in America. 

 Besides many letters and short documents containing much interesting 

 information regarding the customs of the Indians of South and 

 Central America and their relationsliip to their Spanish conquerors, 

 the following list gives the titles of some of the principal manuscripts 

 which have been brought to light and wliich would be published if 

 funds were available: 



"Compendio y Descripcion de las Indias Ocidentales", by Fray Antonio 

 Vasquez de Espinosa. 1628-29. Something over 300,000 words. A compre- 

 hensive report on Central and South America, including New Mexico, some of 

 California, a part of the West Indian Islands, and the Philippines. Original in 

 Vatican Library. 



"Apologetica historia summaria, quanto a las calidades, dispusicion, descrip- 

 cion, cielo y suelo destas tierras; y condiciones, naturales policies, republicas, 

 maneras de biuir, y costambres de las gentes destas Indias occidentales y meri- 

 dionales, cuyo imperio soberano pertenece a los Reyes Catholicos." MS. of 216 

 folios. Mentions Hispaniola, New Spain, Vera Paz, Peru. Some interesting 

 notes on Indian customs. In the Vatican Library. 



"Tassaciones de la prouincia de Yucatan, hechas en la Real audiencia de los 

 Conffines que Reside en la ciudad de Sanctiago de Goatemala." 1549-1551. 

 Folios 307 to 401. Part of a document of 400 folios dealing with the assessments 

 of Guatemala, Nicaragua, Yucatan, and Comayagua (Honduras). This is a 

 most interesting tax list of Yucatan and Tabasco, listing many settlements now 

 either abandoned or combined with others; showing the number of adult Indian 

 tax payers in most of the towns; indicating the exact amount to be paid yearly in 

 products of the land — corn, fowls, honey, beeswax, fish, cacao, cloth, etc. In 

 Archivo General de Indias. 



"Relacion historical eclesiastica de la prouincia de Yucatan ..." Written in 

 1635 by the Bachiller Francisco de Cardenas i Balencia, clerigo della. 67 folios. 

 Detailed and interesting description of Merida; lists various towns. In British 

 Museum. 



"Vicita a su Obispado por el lUustrisimo Senor Fr. Don Ygnacio Padilla." 

 1757. Fohos, 36. A report by Bishop Ignacio Padilla of his inspection of the 

 Bishopric of Yucatan. Notes on the towns, distances between them, population, 

 etc. In British Museum. 



Archivo General de Indias. Guatemala 11, Doc. 38 (2). Evidently a report 

 or letter, signed by Dr. Alonso Criado de Castilla, dated May 15, 1600. Folios 

 4 to 6v. A description of the manners and customs of the Indians of Vera Paz. 



Account book of the town of San Juan Amatitlan, Guatemala, 1559-1562. 

 About 72 folios. In Archivo General de Indias. Written partly in Pokonchi, a 

 Maya language, and Pipil, which is a Nahuatl dialect, and apparently by native 

 scribes. A document interesting for its presentation of some of the earliest of 

 this linguistic material. 



A letter from the Adelantado Pascual Aadagoya to King Charles of Spain, 

 dated Gali, Sept. 15, 1540; 21 pages. Treats of his voyage from Panama to 

 west coast of South America to take charge; explorations in the present Ecuador, 

 founding of towns, pacification and conversion of natives, uprisings, etc., quarrels 

 with Pizarro. Madrid, BibUoteca Nacional 19267. 



"Piano sobre a civilizacao dos Indies do Brasil, E principalmente Para a 

 Capitania da Bahia ..." written by Domingos Alvez Munis Barrieto, Lt. 

 Col. of Cavalry at Bahia. In Ajuda (51-IV-41). 122 folios. On the Indians 

 of Brazil, and an indictment of their treatment by the Jesuits. 



