Authentic Letters or Columbus. 183 



and mainland, which you, the above said Don Christopher Columbus, 

 shall discover and acquire ; and to treat of whatever regards such 

 things with you, and wath your above said lieutenants, whom you 

 shall place in the said offices of Admiral, Viceroy and Governor, and 

 to exact and cause to be exacted for you, with quittance, the fees and 

 other things annexed and belonging to the said officers, and to 

 observe, and cause to be observed towards you all the honors, graces, 

 favors, liberties, pre-eminences, prerogatives, exemptions and im- 

 munities, and all and every other thing which by right of the said 

 offices of Admiral, Viceroy and Governor you are to have and enjoy, 

 and which are to be maintained to you in all, well and completely, 

 in such manner as not to be diminished in anything, and not place, 

 nor permit to be placed, any sequestration upon, nor offer any oppo- 

 sition to them ; because, We, with this our patent, now and forever, 

 make a grant to you of the said offices of Admiral, Viceroy and Gov- 

 ernor, by right of inheritance forever; and we give you possession of 

 them, and of every one of them, with the power and authority to 

 use and exercise them, and to take the fees and salaries annexed 

 and belonging to them, and every one of them according as has 

 been said. As for such as has been said, if it were necessary, 

 and if you should demand it, we order our chancellor, notaries, 

 and other officers who are employed in the office of ovir seals, 

 to give, expediate and seal for you, our patent to privilege, 

 folded up in the form of a roll ; in the strongest, most firm, and fit 

 manner, and that you may demand of them, what may be necessary 

 for you ; and none of you act, nor let act otherwise in any manner, 

 under the penalty of our displeasure, and of ten thousand maravedis 

 for our chamber, upon any pretense whatsoever. And moreover, we 

 enjoin the individual, who presents to you this our patent, to cite 

 you to appear before our presence in our courts, wherever we may 

 be, within the fifteen days next following the day of the cita- 

 tion, under the aforesaid penalty ; under which we command every 

 public scrivener whatsoever, who for this purpose shall be called 

 upon, to give to him who shall have presented this paper a cer- 

 tificate signed wath his signet, in order that he may know how our 

 command is executed. 



Given in our city of Granada, on the thirteenth day of the 

 month of April, in the year of the nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

 3ne thousand four hundred and ninety-two. 



I, The King. 

 I, The Queen. 



