Juan Velarde Colodro, 1612-1614 
471 
In the City of Mexico on the twenty-first day of the month of August 
of the same year, Captain Juan Velarde, I should say Doctor Juan Quesada 
de Figueroa, oidor, caused to appear before him for the purpose of con¬ 
tributing to the formation of the official statement Juan Rangel, a resident 
of this city, and alférez of his Majesty upon the expedition to New Mexico 
made by Don Juan de Oñate. Oath was taken from him, which he made 
before God with the sign of the cross in legal form, promising under the 
obligation of the oath to tell the truth. Then, being questioned in con¬ 
formity with the official interrogatory, he said as follows: 
To the first question he said that he knows the fiscal of his Majesty, 
Vallesido, and the captain, Juan Velarde Colodro. 
To the general legally prescribed questions respecting competence he 
said that he is thirty-six years of age, and that he is not disqualified by 
the general questions. 
To the second question he said that he knows that the contents thereof 
are true, because this witness, being in Zacatecas when Don Juan de 
Oñate was enlisting the men for the expedition to New Mexico by virtue 
of the royal cédula of his Majesty, saw that captain Juan Velarde Colodro 
enlisted and was set down among the first to enlist under the royal stand¬ 
ard, and he was present at the enlistment of all the men in company with 
the general, attending to everything with care and effort throughout the 
entire journey until arriving at New Mexico, providing at his own cost 
arms, horses, servants, and other armed followers. This witness says 
this, because he went on the expedition mentioned as alférez ; and this he 
replies to this question, nothing to the contrary having occurred. 
To the third question he said that he knows its statements to be true, 
because he saw that, when a number of the Indians of New Mexico had 
been pacified and brought to obedience, they rendered their submission 
before the captain as secretary chosen for that purpose because he was a 
trustworthy person; in confirmation of this fact he refers to the title, and 
this he responds, etc. 
To the fourth question this witness said that he saw that, during the 
entire twelve years mentioned in the question, the captain participated in 
all the expeditions which occurred in New Mexico for the purpose of 
exploring all the lands and discovering their secrets; in these expeditions 
he underwent great hardships and misfortunes, all in the service of his 
Majesty. This he responds, etc. 
To the fifth question he said that he knows its contents to be true, for 
this witness went upon the expedition mentioned in the question, and 
Captain Colodro went also, undergoing great hardships, cold, nakedness, 
and exposure, for the whole army was for nearly a week buried in the 
snow. The captain also went upon the expedition to the Gran Ran¬ 
chería, 104 a journey of more than four hundred leagues, when the fertile 
buffalo plains were discovered, these containing many supplies, wild In¬ 
dians, and riches of gold and silver, all of which were of important benefit 
to all the land and to the army. This he responds, etc. 
To the sixth question he said that he knows it to be true because this 
witness saw that Captain Juan Velarde fought valiantly in the fray men- 
