Juan de Oñate, 1596 
365 
that seemed to need it, as you did. In virtue of the said letter and the 
approval and confirmation of my warrants, titles, and vouchers, made 
afterwards by your lordship, I began to prepare all the necessaries for the 
said expedition, and I have it at the point where it is now without the 
lack of a single thing. 
And since the principal purpose of the coming of Don Lope de Ulloa 
and his attorney was to make a minute account and inspection of the ful¬ 
fillment of my contract, in what was committed to me—not only for its 
importance to the service of his Majesty and my own reputation, but also 
so that your lordship may fulfill your obligation—it will be a singular 
favor to me, which I beg with all due earnestness, if your lordship will be 
pleased to order Don Lope to make the said account and inspection of the 
people, as well as of the arms and ammunition, cattle and provisions, and 
all the rest of the things which, according to the contract that I have made 
with his Majesty, I am under obligation to take. [I desire this] in order 
that his Majesty and all the world may learn of the exactness and liberality 
with which I have carried out my agreement, and that poverty, which 
has been ascribed to me in public talk, in order to break up my business, 
has not caused anything to be lacking, but rather that there are more than 
enough of the most important things. Upon your lordship’s doing me 
this favor depend all my reputation, honor, and credit, and the funda¬ 
mental reason for the right and justification that I have in the said expedi¬ 
tion, so that I may ask for it with the respect that I owe to his Majesty 
and to your lordship, as his royal representative, if fortune fails me to 
such an extent that despite the contract that has been made with me 
another shall come by the fleet to undertake it. Besides, by taking the 
account and inspection which I ask for, the people will be more easily held, 
by believing that their departure is drawing near, and will not perceive 
that the delay is because a new order and change are expected by the fleet. 
At the same time I beg that your lordship will be pleased to send your 
gracious permission for the entire camp to march on to the valley of Santa 
Bárbara, which adjoins [the town of] Santa Bárbara, so that the said, 
inspection may be made there and the army settle down there until such 
time as his Majesty and your lordship order me otherwise. That is the 
best and the most convenient place to support the people at the least cost, 
without touching the cattle and provisions that have been provided for the 
expedition; it is also the best place to hold them and to watch out for any 
suspicion that may disquiet them. I declare to your lordshop, on my 
knightly faith, that I will not go further on from there without a new 
order and mandate from you, and that nothing else moves me but to 
carry out in the best way the will of your lordship in holding and delaying 
the people and all the stores and baggage, so that the delay may not be 
the cause of their being consumed or scattered. Although this will neces¬ 
sarily be at great expense to me, it would be still greater if we should 
not go to the place that I speak of, for, to the expense of the provisions 
of which we would have need for our support, there would have to be 
added that of the portage and freightage to bring them to where we would 
be, which it is reasonable that I should be excused from, even though the 
other arguments and considerations that I have stated did not coincide 
with [this plan]. 
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