GRANT OF MONTEJ0- 



55 



golden prospects of the conquest of Mexico, had 

 been entirely overlooked. . 



This grant bears date the eighth day of December, 

 1526, and, among other things, stipulated, 



That the said Don Francisco de Montejo should 

 have license and power to conquer and people the 

 said islands of Yucatan and Cozumel : 



That he should set out within one year from the 

 date of the instrument : 



That he should be governor and captain-general 

 for life : 



That he should be adelantado for life, and on his 

 death the office should descend to his heirs and suc- 

 cessors forever. 



Ten square leagues of land and four per cent, of 

 all the profit or advantage to be derived from all the 

 lands discovered and peopled were given to himself, 

 his heirs and successors forever. 



Those who should join the expedition under him 

 were for the first three years to pay only the one 

 tenth part of the gold of the mines, the fourth year 

 a ninth part, and the per centage should go on in- 

 creasing till it reached a fifth part. 



They should be exempted from export duty upon 

 the articles they carried with them, provided they 

 were not taken for barter or sale. 



They were allowed portions of land, and, after liv- 

 ing on them four years complete, were to be at lib- 

 erty to sell them and use them as their own. 



Also to take rebellious Indians for slaves, and to 



