Juan de Oñate, 1602 
403 
The arms which the maestre de campo, Vicente de Zaldívar y Mendoza, 
intends to take for the expedition to New Mexico: 
Seventy harquebuses. 
Thirty muskets. 
One hundred coats of mail. 
One hundred cuishes. 
Fifty steel helmets with beavers. 
One hundred swords and daggers. 
Fifty leather jackets or skins for making them. 
[Royal cédula. To the viceroy of New Spain. San Lorenzo, July 4, 
1602.'] 
The King. Inasmuch as Don Luís de Velasco, being viceroy of New 
Spain, in virtue of a decree of my lord, the king 55 —may he be in glory— 
made a contract and agreement with Don Juan de Oñate in regard to the 
exploration, pacification, and settlement of the provinces of New Mexico, 
which is in New Spain, in one of the articles of which he grants him 
what is contained in article 145 of the ordinances for new discoveries and 
settlements of the Indies, the purport of which is as follows: The Indians 
who may be reduced to our rule and divided among us shall be persuaded, 
in recognition of the lordship and universal jurisdiction which we have 
over the Indies, to assist us with tributes in moderate quantity of the fruits 
of the land, as is provided in the Título de Tributos 56 which treats of this. 
And we desire that the tributes which they shall thus give us shall be col¬ 
lected by the Spaniards to whom the Indians are allotted, so that they 
may fulfill the duties with which they are charged, reserving for us the 
capital cities and the seaports, and from those that are divided the sum 
that may be necessary to pay the salaries of those who are to govern the 
country and defend and administer our exchequer. 
And inasmuch as on the part of the said Don Juan de Oñate petition 
has been made to me that, notwithstanding the restrictions made in them 
[the contract and agreement] by the viceroy, Count of Monterey, I should 
order that what has been granted to him, as has been said, be approved, 
and having taken advice, I have decided that after the Indians of the said 
provinces have yielded me their submission and have been persuaded by 
fair means to pay me some tribute, as is provided for in the said ordinances 
of new discoveries and settlements, the Indians having agreed to it vol¬ 
untarily, the said Don Juan de Oñate may levy the said tributes, provided 
that they do not exceed ten reales a year for each tributary who has to pay 
them. By the present writing I order the said Don Juan de Oñate to do 
thus and to take no step whatever against it, for this is my will. Done at 
San Lorenzo, July 4, 1602. I the King. Etc. 
