Pedro Ponce de León, 1596 
313 
struction in Christianity of the Indians; and that you will not interfere 
with the entrance of other religious of the three orders who may wish to 
enter and undertake their conversion. 
27. And you also agree to bind yourself to carry out all the above- 
said by your person, goods, and property, in a public writing executed 
before a clerk. 
28. In order that the said exploration, pacification, and settlement may 
be made with better spirit and comfort by the people whom you may take, 
or who may afterwards go to aid you, and for your support in these new 
countries, I agree to grant the following favors to you and to them: 
29. First, I give you license and authority to explore, pacify and settle, 
in the aforesaid manner, the said provinces and kingdoms of New Mexico 
as far as they extend in those parts—provided that they do not touch 
upon a province, kingdom, or land whose government has already been 
committed to another person—with the title of governor and captain- 
general for all the days of your life, or for the time that you are satisfied 
and wish to occupy yourself in the said settlement and pacification, pro¬ 
vided that it be not less than the six years that I have allowed you for 
your return. With the said offices I grant you a salary of 12,000 ducats, 
which amounts to 4,500,000 maravedís , 29 from the products and revenues 
that may belong to me in the said provinces that you may thus pacify. 
30. Item: I give you license and power to engrave stamps and dies with 
my royal arms and place them in the towns settled by Spaniards and 
stamp the gold and silver and other metals that may be there with them. 
31. I give you license and power to choose the places that seem best to 
you for my royal treasuries, and to name the officials of my exchequer in 
the places that seem suitable and to fix a moderate salary for them in the 
products of the land; and I permit you for this time only, upon your sup¬ 
plication, to divide the Indians among them after they have become dis¬ 
coverers and settlers, so that they may have possession of them together 
with the offices, even though they may be prohibited from doing so. 
32. Item: I give you license and power, in case there shall occur any 
rebellion or uprising in the said provinces against the service of God, our 
Lord, or mine, to give an order for payment, with the agreement of my 
officials or the majority of them, for whatever may be necessary to sup¬ 
press the said rebellion, provided that it does not 30 come from property 
belonging to me in the said provinces. 
33. Item: I give you license and power to pass ordinances for the 
government of the country and working of the mines, provided that they 
are not unjust nor contrary to what I have ordered, nor to the injury of 
the Indians, but rather to their advancement and preservation, and pro¬ 
vided further that they shall receive my confirmation within three years. 
In the meantime you shall wait for it, observing first those ordinances that 
will be delivered to you here, and which have been passed in similar cases, 
so that you may proceed with greater light. 
34. Item: I give you license to divide the said provinces into districts, 
alcaldías mayores, corregimientos, and alcaldías ordinarias, which shall 
elect counsellors, provided also that this also shall not be to the prejudice 
