﻿LAND 
  TITLES. 
  119 
  

  

  Extracts 
  from 
  these 
  grants 
  have 
  been 
  given 
  hereto- 
  

   fore. 
  To 
  each 
  was 
  appended, 
  by 
  a 
  ribbon, 
  a 
  ponderous 
  

   wax 
  seal, 
  some 
  three 
  inches 
  in 
  diameter, 
  the 
  British 
  

   arms 
  being 
  impressed 
  on 
  the 
  obverse, 
  with 
  a 
  landscape 
  

   of 
  forest 
  scenery 
  on 
  the 
  reverse, 
  surrounded 
  by 
  the 
  in- 
  

   scription 
  : 
  " 
  Sigillum 
  provincise 
  nostra 
  Florida 
  occiden- 
  

   talis," 
  with 
  other 
  inscriptions 
  and 
  legends.* 
  

  

  The 
  conditions 
  of 
  these 
  grants 
  as 
  to 
  occupancy, 
  culti- 
  

   vation, 
  and 
  improvement, 
  were 
  such 
  as, 
  if 
  not 
  regarded 
  

   as 
  mere 
  words 
  of 
  form, 
  to 
  render 
  them 
  utterly 
  void. 
  

   Few 
  of 
  the 
  lands 
  granted 
  were 
  occupied 
  or 
  improved 
  to 
  

   the 
  extent 
  required, 
  proof 
  of 
  which 
  was 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  

   made 
  within 
  a 
  stated 
  time. 
  They 
  were, 
  therefore, 
  in- 
  

   choate, 
  if 
  strictly 
  construed, 
  and 
  were 
  never 
  perfected. 
  

   Many 
  of 
  them, 
  however, 
  were 
  nevertheless 
  recognized 
  

   and 
  confirmed 
  by 
  the 
  succeeding 
  Spanish 
  government, 
  

   which, 
  although 
  acquiring 
  the 
  country 
  by 
  conquest, 
  yet 
  

   with 
  great 
  liberality 
  guaranteed 
  these 
  possessions 
  to 
  the 
  

   holders, 
  upon 
  the 
  performance 
  of 
  certain 
  reasonable 
  re- 
  

   quirements, 
  such 
  as 
  presentation 
  and 
  proof 
  of 
  title, 
  ac- 
  

   companied 
  with 
  occupancy, 
  allowing 
  several 
  years 
  for 
  

   this 
  purpose. 
  

  

  The 
  titles 
  derived 
  from 
  the 
  Spanish 
  government 
  were 
  

   of 
  two 
  grades 
  ; 
  orders 
  of 
  survey 
  and 
  complete 
  patents, 
  

   the 
  former 
  being 
  the 
  incipient 
  or 
  incomplete 
  form 
  of 
  the 
  

   latter.f 
  

  

  To 
  procure 
  a 
  grant 
  of 
  land, 
  the 
  applicant 
  addressed 
  a 
  

   Requete 
  (request 
  or 
  petition) 
  to 
  the 
  Spanish 
  governor, 
  in 
  

   New 
  Orleans, 
  and 
  hence, 
  from 
  the 
  corruption 
  of 
  the 
  

   word, 
  the 
  term 
  richet, 
  by 
  which 
  one 
  class 
  of 
  these 
  claims 
  

   was 
  known 
  to 
  the 
  early 
  American 
  settlers. 
  

  

  If 
  the 
  petition 
  was 
  granted, 
  an 
  order 
  of 
  survey 
  was 
  

  

  * 
  See 
  Plate 
  I. 
  f 
  See 
  Appendix 
  F. 
  

  

  