o5'ate's memorial. 119 



niary interest, as well as of honors, the Spanish 

 monarchs sought the " descuhrimiento, padji' 

 cacion y conversion" as they modestly termed 

 it, of the poor aborigines of America. 



The memorial referred to is extremely 

 lengthy, being encumbered with numerous 

 marginal notes, each containing the decree of 

 assent or dissent of the Viceroy. All tliis, 

 however, serves rather to illustrate the an- 

 cient manners and custon-;^ of the Spaniards 

 in those feudal days — the formaUties observed 

 in undertaking an exploring and christianiz- 

 ing enterprise — ^than to afford any historical 

 data of the expedition. 



In every part of this singular document 



there may be ti-aced evidences of that sordid 



lust for gold and power, which so disgraced 



all the Spanish conquests in America ; and 



that rehgious fanaticism — that crusading spirit, 



which mart}Tized so many thousands of the 



aborigines of the New World under Spanish 

 a uthority. 



But to return to Onate : In one article, this 

 adventurer, or contractor, or whatever else we 

 niay choose to call him, inquires, " In case 

 the natives are unwilling to come quietly to 

 tile acknowledgment of tlie true Christian 

 faith, and hsten to the evangehcal word, and 

 give obedience to the king our sovereign, what 

 shall be done with them ? that we may pro- 

 ceed according to the laws of the Cathohc 

 Church, and the ordinances of his Majesty. 

 And what tributes, that they may be chris- 

 tianly borne, shall be imposed upon them, as 



