164 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I02 



sesses all the privileges and exemptions of the University of Sala- 

 manca, for it is like it in educational program and in size. 



460. Near the University and its schools there is another very 

 important college called Santos, which has 12 collegians, most of 

 them priests and chosen by competitive examination ; they wear dark 

 gray woolen gowns with rather short scarlet sashes. They choose 

 one of their own number to be Rector ; to enter, they have to be poor, 

 virtuous, and of good family ; they have an income sufficient for 

 their maintenance. Besides these there are other colleges and semi- 

 naries, which illumine the greatness of this imperial city. 



461. They have a Mint for the smelting and coining of metal 

 money, with all the necessary officials and employees. There they 

 coin the money for the whole kingdom and much that goes to the 

 Philippines and to all the Windward Islands, and much that is brought 

 over to Spain ; these are the pieces of eight well known in Spain as 

 Mexican dollars, and in all Europe. They mint coins worth 4 and 

 2 reals, and a few half reals, the smallest coin minted and circulat- 

 ing there ; but for things of small value they make use of cacao beans, 

 which serve as the regular money in that kingdom, and are quite 

 necessary ; it would be a very useful thing to introduce this in Spain 

 in place of the vellon coppers. This would obviate the inconveniences 

 and losses arising from the malice and covetousness of foreigners, 

 who use these coins to withdraw silver from Spain, while cacao beans 

 cannot be counterfeited and are to be found in no other kingdoms 

 than those of His Majesty. In this way the inhabitants of the Indies 

 and of Spain would be relieved and benefited. 



462. His Majesty appoints a Mayor (Corregidor) in this famous 

 city, in consultation with his Royal Council of the Indies. The city 

 has an Exchequer, with three Paymasters (Contadores) and two Audi- 

 tors (Ordenadores de Cuentas). Besides these there are three Royal 

 Officials, Paymaster, Treasurer, and Factor and Supervisor of the 

 Royal Patrimony. There is likewise a Tribunal of the Holy Crusade, 

 under the supervision of its Commissioner General, who resides in this 

 capital city ; and it would be a very valuable and suitable thing for 

 the bull to be published every year, as has been urged by Ensign 

 (Alferez) Mendez de Ocampo, native of Madrid, a man of great 

 experience in this specialty, both through having been for many years 

 in charge of the documents of the Chamber of New Spain and of 

 Peru, and through having traveled about in those kingdoms and 

 provinces; he has been petitioning the Crusade Council for this for 

 many years, to have them printed there or to announce them in ad- 

 vance year by year. That would be very conducive to the service of 



