Francisco de Sandes, 1589 
53 
sideration of the aforesaid, rewarded Pedro de Santillana, their father, 
by confirming a life grant made to him of two hundred pesos annually in 
gold from the mines, as aid in the expense of the properties taken away 
from the grant made to the licentiate Montejo 32 and his wife and children 
by Governor Don Guillen de las Casas, 33 and by ordering that this should 
be paid from the day of the said assignment (which was on September 15, 
of the year ’82), neither did their father enjoy it, partly because there 
were other previous assignments and partly because he died soon after, 
in the following year ’96. All of this appears in the records offered. 
Testimony of Don Guillén de las Casas, governor and captain-general 
for his Majesty in these provinces of Yucatán, Cozumel, and Tabasco: 
Inasmuch as Pedro de Santillana, resident of this city of Mérida, appeared 
before me and made a statement to me, affirming that it was forty-five 
years, a little more or less, since he and Francisco de Santillana, his father, 
came to these parts of the Indies from the kingdoms of Castile, and that, 
being in the City of Mexico of New Spain at the time of the campaign and 
entrance in the new land and Seven Cities of Cibola by order of his 
Majesty, the emperor our lord, Francisco Vásquez de Coronado being 
general in command, Francisco de Santillana his father had gone upon 
the said expedition, to which he was very necessary in his capacity of 
veterinary surgeon and blacksmith. In this office and in his person, with 
servants, arms, and horses, he went in the service of his Majesty, and in 
order to make the journey he spent a considerable sum in gold. In it 
he practised the aforesaid office of blacksmith without receiving any pay 
for it. When the general and his soldiers reached the site of a city called 
Tixu, 34 the natives took up arms and made quite a fight, from which 
Francisco de Santillana came out wounded by an arrow in one of his 
shoulders. From this his right arm was maimed, so that he was never able 
to make use of it while he lived, although he was one of the best workmen 
in the said trade to be found among those who supported themselves by 
it in New Spain. As the land was sterile, it was abandoned by order of 
the general and they left it, Francisco de Santillana being one of the 
soldiers who escaped from it alive. His Majesty, having heard of the 
services he had rendered, had rewarded him with the office of doorkeeper 
( portero ) of the royal Audiencia of Mexico, with a salary of five hundred 
dollars in gold yearly during his life; but as Viceroy Don Antonio de 
Mendoza had bestowed this office upon one Francisco Gentil, the reward 
had not taken effect. 
[Petition of Doctor Francisco de Sandes. 1589?] 
My lord: Doctor Francisco de Sandes 35 says that, having passed with 
entire approbation his studies in the colegio, the university, and the legal 
course, he went to Mexico more than twenty-two years ago as fiscal of 
the Audiencia of that city in company with the licentiates Jaraba, Muñoz, 
and Carrillo, 36 and was engaged upon the business of their commission. 
Being promoted to the office of alcalde del crimen of the same Audiencia, 
he discharged the duties appertaining thereto for only two years but in a 
highly satisfactory manner. Among numerous important services which 
