184 FiKLi) Coi.uMiuAN Museum. 



XXIX. 



Royal letters patent from the vSovereigns ok Spain, command- 

 ing THE INHABITANTS OF PaLOS TO FURNISH CHRISTOPHER CoLUM- 

 BUS EVERYTHING NECESSARY TO EQUIP THE CARAVELS FOR HIS FIRST 



VOYAGE. Original in the collection of the Duke oe Vera- 

 GUA, Madrid. 



Don Ferdinand and Dona Isabella, by the i^race of God, King 

 and Queen of Castile, Leon, Aragon, etc., etc., to you Diego Rodri- 

 guez Prieto, and to all other persons inhabitants of the town of Palos. 

 Greeting: You are well aware that in consequence of some offense 

 which we received at your hands, you were condemned by our coun- 

 cil to render us the service of two caravels armed at your own 

 expense for the space of twelve months whenever and wherever it 

 should be our pleasure to demand the same, this service to be ren- 

 dered under certain penalties as stated inore at large in the sentence 

 given against you. 



And, inasmuch as we have ordered Christopher Columbus to 

 proceed with a fleet of three caravels, as our captain, to certain parts 

 of the ocean, upon a matter connected with our service, and we desire 

 that the two caravels, the service of which you owe us as above said, 

 should be placed at his disposal — we hereby order that within ten 

 days from the sight of this letter, without delay or waiting for any 

 further directions, you have in complete readiness the said two armed 

 caravels for the service of the above said Christopher Columbus in 

 the enterprise upon which we have dispatched him, and that they be 

 placed at his command from that time forth ; and for the crews of 

 the said two caravels we order him to pay you forthwith four months' 

 wages at the same rate with which the crew of the other caravel is 

 paid, being the common allowance for ships of war. 



The vessels thus placed under his direction shall follow the route 

 ordered by him on our part, and obey him in all other orders, pro- 

 vided that neither you nor the said Christopher Columbus, nor any 

 other person belonging to the said caravels, shall proceed to the mine 

 nor to the countries in that neighborhood occupied by the King of 

 Portugal, our brother, as it is our desire to adhere to the agreement 

 existing between us and the said King of Portugal upon that head. 



And having received a certificate from the said captain that he 

 had received the said two caravels from you, and is satisfied with the 



