Authentic Letters of Columbus. 137 



IX. 



Letters from Columbus to Francisco de Morillo, probably 

 Treasurer of the Crown. Originals m the collection of 

 the Duke of Berwick-Alba, Madrid. 



t 



Francisco de Morillo : 



Give Diego Rodriguez, the master of the vessel, as he is called, 

 as many gold dollars as are equivalent to sixteen thousand maravedis 

 in payment of forty hundred weight of hard tack which he sold to me 

 for the crew, at the rate of 400 maravedis the hundred weight. Give 

 him furthermore, eight ducats in payment of two "alnnas," which I 

 bought from him for the sails. Give also the said Diego Rodriguez 

 eighty gold dollars which I must pay him for his fare and that of the 

 twenty-five persons who will go with him from here to Castile. Give 

 him all of this and make him receipt for it on the back of this letter. 



Dated to-day, Friday, the 7 th of September, 1504. 



Xpo Ferens. 



t 



Francisco Morillo: 



Give Rodrigo Viscayno fifty-six reales, in payment of eight 

 "botas" (small wine skins), bought for the caravel at the rate of 

 seven reales each. This makes three dollars and a half. 



Give also Francisco Nino forty-two reales^ in payment of four 

 "botas" and three "fexes de aras y bimbres." This makes in all 

 ninety-eight reales. 



Dated on board the ship of Diego Rodriguez on the 8th of Sep- 

 tember, 1504. 



Two dollars and a half and one tomin. 



Xpo Ferens. 



XL 



t 



Francisco Morillo: 



Give Diego de vSalcedo fifteen gold dollars in payment of fifteen 

 loads of bread which he took at the port in Brazil, when we were 

 coming from Jamaica, to feed the people on board the ship of which 

 he was the master. 



Dated September 9th, 1504. 



Xpo Ferens. 



