Land Ordinances, 1567, 1695 
183 
have gone four leagues, because the sitio de ganado mayor measures, 
according to the dimensions given above, one league from east to west, 
and the same distance from north to south, and because three thousand 
paces of Solomon make five thousand yards, which constitute a league. 
Attention is directed to the fact that measurement of caballerías of land 
must be in conformity with the titles and grants which his Majesty has 
given, for in these grants are landmarks such as rocks, hills, cliffs, canyons, 
lakes, and very large stones; and although the level land may be saline and 
unfruitful, the most useful ground level enough to be planted must be 
sought out, although it may be somewhat encumbered with loose stones, or 
on slopes and gentle hillsides, but not steep. No attention shall be paid 
to useless ground if small in quantity, provided such land does not exceed 
the eighth part of the caballería which may have been measured; but if 
the bad or useless land exceeds the eighth part of the caballería which may 
have been measured, it must be compensated for in another place which 
is contiguous and unoccupied. In this compensation attention must be 
given to the priority of the title or grant, for if a grant is more recent than 
another no injustice is done even though much land is taken from the 
more recent one, for in such a case the prior grant is to be preferred, and 
the compensations are to be made seriatim in the order of priority, and 
the most recent of the grantees must be content with what he may find, 
or with what may be left to him, although this may be rough, useless, and 
small in extent. 
When the centre for criaderos , sitios de ganados mayores, and menores, 
and caballerías has been established as prescribed, there shall be measured 
first and with complete compensations for useless land whatever grant or 
title shall be found to be the earliest, even though the priority may be of 
only a day or an hour, after which the others shall come in their turn, and 
the one which is most recent of all must be content with what may be left 
even though the land may be of small extent and poor, for he has no 
other right. 
From the above it is to be inferred and ordered that no person may 
oppose him who has the oldest grant without first showing sufficient legal 
reason; so also no person, although he may be the prior grantee accord¬ 
ing to his title or grant, may take possession, measure, or set up land¬ 
marks, without having previously notified the settlers who have or who 
represent those who have lands contiguous to his, for anyone who does 
to the contrary shall have his actions made of no force or effect. 
It is called to attention and commanded that in the criaderos and sitios de 
ganado mayor and menor the measurements are to be made from east to 
west and from north to south; but if any other agreement is made among 
the settlers concerned, the land may be measured in accord with any com¬ 
pact or agreement which they may make. In measuring these criaderos 
and sitios, the settlers must leave in whatever ones they measure a cross 
with arms, foot, and head; the foot and the head of the cross must have 
the same length as the left arm, and from the extremities or ends of the 
arms of the cross the measurements must be equal, and the cross shall lie 
within a square with four equal corners, and the arms shall radiate from 
the centre exactly toward the east, west, north, and south. 
