SPANISH INSCKH'TIONS. I7 



PLATE IV. 



Jii( ) (T;irs(i)a lUc) la Rivas Alc{iil)de Onlynario 



(le prime boto d (e) la V(i)lla de vSaiita Fe a(no) de 17:6 a 26 de Agoslo 



y alguasil mayor del sa(n)to ofisio 



Ju Garcia de la Rivas, Alcalde-Ordinary 



by first choice of the Villa of Santa Fe, year of 1716 on 26 of Angnst, 



and chief algnacil of the Holy Office. 



On his plate No. 67 Simpson .^ives the first two lines of 

 this inscription and a third line of different content and style 

 of writing-, which probabl}' belongs elsewhere on the rock. It 

 certainh^ is not in this position, as the present photograph 

 clearh' shows the third line transcribed above, according in 

 context and handwriting with the preceding lines. At page 

 124 Simpson translates: "Juan Garica de la Revas, Chief 

 Alcalde, and the first elected of the town of Santa Fe, in the 

 year 17 16, on the 26th of Aiigmst. By the hand of Bartolo 

 Fernandez Antonio Fernandez Moro." Besides the omission 

 of the actual and insertion of the erroneous last line, this 

 translation misreads the name and the title in the first line and 

 mistakes the significance of " de prime boto de la Villa." The 

 alcalde-ordinaiy, or inferior alcalde, was chosen by the corpo- 

 ration of magistrates, and the phrase " de prime voto " refers 

 not to the time of election, as if this officer were the first of a 

 series, but to him as the first choice over other possible or 

 actual candidates. "Villa" is a town having certain privi- 

 leges distinguishing it from the ordinary town or aldea ; '^^ but 

 the word may also be applied to the corporation of magistrates 

 governing a villa or pueblo. t The word as here used may 

 therefore be translated with either shade of meaning — "by 

 first choice of the town of Santa Fe," or " by first choice of 

 the magistracN' of Santa F'c." 



■•'La poblacion qne tiene algunos i)ri\ilegios con que se distingue de 

 la aldea, como vecindad y jurisdiccion separada de la ciudad : Dictionary' 

 of the Spanish Academy, snb voce. 



tEl cuerpo de los regidores y jnsticias qne gobiernan la villa 6 

 pueblo : ibid. 



