Pedro Ponce de León, 1596 
293 
tied, to come away, leaving in his 
place some suitable person. The 
opinion is that he should be granted 
it. 
Also that he shall have the right 
to take thirty servants without evi¬ 
dence submitted, through lack of 
time to do it and accustom them to 
the soldiers. 
Also that he shall have the power 
to take from these kingdoms all the 
arms, offensive and defensive, and 
the powder and ammunition that 
he may wish, besides what is to be 
granted to him. 
Let him be granted also a ship 
of three hundred tons at his ex¬ 
pense upon which to transport him¬ 
self, his servants, and his goods. 
At the same time let him be 
granted fifty slaves without having 
to pay duty. 
If he should have need of more 
powder in Mexico let it be given 
him at the same price as to his 
Majesty. 
The Council of the Indies. April 7, [i”5pd.] Statement of opinion with 
regard to the claim of Don Pedro Ponce de León. 
Sir: In the enclosed memorials of Don Pedro Ponce de León which 
your Majesty ordered to be sent to me, the president, he says that, finding 
himself under greater obligations than any other subject to serve your 
Majesty, with honors and property derived from the kindness and justice 
of your Majesty, it seems to him that he will not be giving a good account 
of himself unless he puts it all in your royal hands; and, as a proof of his 
good intentions, he offers to undertake the exploration of New Mexico, 
presuming that, because of his having been in New Spain—where he went 
with the Count of Coruña 22 and left many friends—he will be able to 
make the expedition without its being necessary for him to take people 
from here. 
Viceroy Don Luís de Velasco wrote that he had made a contract in 
regard to this exploration with Don Juan de Oñate, son of a citizen of 
the city of Zacatecas, and that he is the most suitable of all those there 
who have asked for it. The Count of Monterey states in another letter 
that Don Luis de Velasco made this contract while he [the count] was on 
the way to Mexico and sent him the papers so that he might examine them 
