12 Mexico: Archivo General 
gation, but the dates can not always be relied upon. Many of the volumes and 
some of the legajos—in some cases entire sections—have tables of contents 
(indices or inventarios). These when well made enable one readily to ascer- 
tain the contents of a given volume. The indices are usually alphabetical 
rather than logical or chronological. 
While, as has been said, the larger part of the collection falls within the 
period of the Spanish régime, only a relatively small portion of that which 
does not is of special interest for the history of the United States. This por- 
tion however will increase as the papers of the various administrative offices 
are gradually sent to this archive. Eight sections in particular have great 
value for the history of the United States, not to mention the sections impor- 
tant for the general administration of New Spain. The two best arranged, 
and at the same time the most generally important, are those containing 
the royal cédulas and orders to the viceroys (Reales Cédulas y Ordenes) and 
the communications of the viceroys to the court of Spain (Correspondencia 
de los Virreyes). These two sections taken together form the best single 
documentary guide to the history of a given province as well as to the general 
administrative history of New Spain, since most matters of importance 
became subjects of correspondence between the viceroys and the royal court. 
The compilation of these series in their present form was begun about 1773 
by Melchor de Peramas, who became secretary of the viceroyalty in 1772. 
During his long term the arranging of current documents was kept up, and 
when, after an interval, Antonio Bonilla became secretary he went back and 
arranged apparently all of the materials of these and some other classes that 
he could find. Besides these two sections those of Provincias Internas (In- 
terior Provinces), Historia (History), Californias, Misiones (Missions), 
Operaciones de Guerra (Military operations—really a part of Historia), and 
Justicia (Justice) are of primary importance from our standpoint. 
CORRESPONDENCIA DE LOS VIRREYES. 
(CORRESPONDENCE OF THE VICEROYS. ) 
SCOPE AND IMPORTANCE. 
This section consists of communications from the viceroy of New Spain 
(or his substitute) to the royal court.” The regular file does not begin, 
unfortunately, until 1755, in the administration of the Marqués de las Amaril- 
las. From that time to 1821 it is fairly complete, filling 344 volumes. These 
communications are even more important than the royal cédulas and orders, 
next described, for they not only present the cis-Atlantic view-point of affairs, 
but, being based on detailed reports of provincial governors, missionaries, 
military officials, and other local authorities, they are much nearer than the 
royal orders to the spirit of provincial matters. 
One reason no doubt for there being no earlier files of the viceroy’s corre- 
spondence with the home government is the fact that previous to the adminis- 
tration of Amarillas the Secretaria de Camara del Virreinato, through which 
the correspondence was conducted, had no formal organization, but consti- 
tuted in effect a private secretariat of the viceroy. Formerly the force had 
consisted of only an oficial mayor (chief clerk) and amanuenses removable 
by the viceroy. But in response to a proposal by Amarillas the Secretaria 
™ There is of course a great deal of viceroy’s correspondence with the royal court in 
the expedientes filed in other sections of the archive, but most of it consists of duplicates 
or copies of the documents in this regular file. See A. G., Historia, vol. 332. 
