Oñate and Ponce de León 
389 
and so unruly that if this force of relatives and friends is lacking to the 
chief he himself is in danger on occasions that may come up. Even if 
this does not happen the excesses of the people are so many that, though, 
it is their duty to reduce and pacify the natives, they irritate them, and 
in place of facilitating their conversion they interfere with it. 
13. Although at divers times such contracts have been made in Spain 
with persons who have come from there to make entrances and new dis¬ 
coveries, poor results have always been experienced, and great loss, and no 
effects have been the outcome. The contrary was experienced in the 
expedition made by the Marquis of the Valley 51 from Cuba for the dis¬ 
covery of this country and City of Mexico, and in those which have been 
made afterwards from here to the other kingdoms and provinces. Done 
in Mexico, November 15, 1596. 
The Count of Monterey. [ With rubric .] 
[Report of the fiscal:'] Statement of what has been done in regard to 
taking the expedition to New Mexico from Don Juan de Oñate and 
giving it to Don Pedro Ponce de León , and of the papers in regard 
to this which were sent by the viceroy on the last despatch-boat. [No 
place; no date.] 
Viceroy Don Luís de Velasco, in virtue of the order which he had from 
his Majesty to make an agreement with some person concerning the ex¬ 
ploration and settlement of New Mexico—in conformity with the ordi¬ 
nances for new discoveries—made a contract with Don Juan de Oñate in 
regard to the expedition to New Mexico. This was at the time of the 
arrival in New Spain of the Count of Monterey, who was requested by 
Don Luis to examine the contract. The Count wrote by the first despatch- 
boat that several difficulties occurred to him which he would decide 
shortly. By the second despatch-boat he again wrote, saying that he had 
re-examined what had been done by Don Luis, and that although Don 
Juan had small means and many debts, yet as some of his relatives pos¬ 
sessed property he had resolved to grant permission to Don Juan de Oñate 
to use the agreement, with some limitations which he placed upon it. 
At this time, after the said agreement, which had been sent here by 
Viceroy Don Luis de Velasco, had been examined, Don Pedro Ponce de 
León offered to make this expedition under much better terms than those 
offered by the contract of Don Juan, and without asking anything for 
himself until the journey should be completed, so that he might then be 
given the reward which he might merit. His Majesty was advised that 
Don Pedro was a much more suitable person for this enterprise than Don 
Juan, as the latter was a man of no rank, and it was understood that he 
owed a large sum of ducats; also that in another expedition which he 
undertook the soldiers had no respect for him and disobeyed him, and 
that it was held to be impossible for him to make the journey, or that if 
he did do it the people whom he would collect would be criminals and high¬ 
waymen, or others of evil life, from all of which some disastrous occur- 
