598 THE CORONADO EXPEDITION, 1540-1542 [eth.ann.14 



Pedro Alinidez Cherino, His Majesty's veedor in New Spain, had, 

 among' other things, noted the horses and arms of those who were 

 going, during the review. He had noticed Coronado and Samaniego, 

 and Alonso Sanchez and his wife, whom he did not know to be a 

 citizen, and Domingo Martin, who was away from Mexico during most 

 of the year. All the rest of the force were people without settled 

 residences, who had recently come to the country in search of a living. 

 It seemed to him that it was a very fortunate thing for Mexico that the 

 people who were going were about to do so because they had been 

 injuring the citizens there. They had been for the most part vicious 

 young gentlemen, who did not have anything to do in the city nor in 

 the country. They were all going of their own free will, and were very 

 ready to help pacify the new country, and it seemed to him that if the 

 said country had not been discovered, almost all of these people would 

 have gone back to Castile, or would have gone to Peru or other places 

 in search of a living. 



Servau Bejarano, who had beeu in business among the inhabitants 

 of Mexico ever since he came to that city, added the information that 

 he knew Alonso Sanchez to be a provision dealer, buying at wholesale 

 and selling at retail, and that he was in very great need, having noth- 

 ing on which to live, and that he was going to that country in search of 

 a living. He was also very sure that it was a great advantage to Mex- 

 ico and to its citizens to have many of the unmarried men go away, 

 because they had no occupation there and were bad characters, and 

 were for the most part gentlemen and persons who did not hold any 

 property, nor any repartimientos of Indians, without any income, and 

 lazy, and who would have been obliged to go to Peru or some other 

 region. 



Cristobal de Oiiate had been in the country about sixteen years, a 

 trifle more or less, and was now His Majesty's veedor for New Galicia. 

 He knew the citizens of Mexico, and also declared that not a citizen of 

 Compostela was going on the expedition. Two citizens of Guadalajara 

 were going, one of whom was married to an Indian, and the other was 

 single. As for the many young gentlemen and the others who were 

 going, who lived in Mexico and in other parts of New Spain, it seemed 

 to him that their departure was a benefit rather than a disadvantage, 

 because they were leading vicious lives and had nothing with which to 

 support themselves. 



"When these statements and depositions had all been duly received, 

 signed, and attested, and had been shown to his most illustrious lord- 

 ship, the viceroy, he ordered an authorized copy to be taken, which 

 was made by Joan de Leon, clerk of Their Majesties' court and of the 

 royal audiencia of New Spain, the 27th of February, 1540, witnessed 

 by the secretary, Antonio de Almaguer, and sent to His Majesty, to be 

 laid before the lords of the council, that they might provide and order 

 that which should be most serviceable to their interests. 



