011r Catholic Heritage in Texas
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in that coast there is a strait that leads to the South Sea." If this could be discovered, he observed, the distance to the Spice Islands would be greatly shortened and the whole route would lay through lands now under the dominion of Spain. It was his purpose, therefore, in the fall of I 524, to dispatch, as soon as possible, two expeditions, one to consist of five vessels to explore the coast along the South Sea, and the other of two vessels to trace the coast along the gulf region from Panuco to Florida and hence north to Labrador.i• Cortes plans to settle Rfo Grande. In connection with the proposed search for the mythical Strait of Anian, Cortes was seriously contem- plating at this time the actual occupation of Rio de las Palmas ( the present Rio Grande) in accord with the agreement made with Garay before his death. In a memorial sent to the king at the close of I 524, he declared that he had married his daughter to the son of Garay as promised and that he had given her a town named Chinanta as her dowry. 75 The reconquest of Panuco entrused to Sandoval was a necessary step in the ultimate accomplishment of his end. But other matters in the South soon absorbed the attention and energies of Cortes, who tried, nevertheless, not to lose sight of his intention to take possession of the Rio de las Palmas and the lands to the north temporarily occupied a few years before by Camargo, the acting lieutenant of Garay. Defining tlze jurisdiction of Cortes. Both before the appearance of Garay and after his death, Cortes had repeatedly remonstrated to the king that the Panuco region as far as Rio de las Palmas should be under the jurisdiction of New Spain and subject to him. It is to be remembered that just as he was about to set out in person to cope with the situation created by the arrival of Garay and his men, he received a royal cedula confirming him in his jurisdiction over this area and ordering Garay not to disturb in any manner the settlements established there by Cortes. Early in 1525, Juan de Rivera, his secretary, went to Spain. While there he pointed out to the king that the frequent incursions of Garay in the Panuco region had caused much embarrassment and concern to Cortes and had been the cause of native revolts and the loss of many lives. In "Cortes to the King, October 13, 1 524, in Gayangos, op. cit., 314-31 5. 75 Memorial de Hernan Cortes sobre cosas de Nueva Espana, refiriendo los pueblos que habla conquistado, 1525. In Pacheco y Cardenas, Coleccion de Documentos lneditos, relativos al descubrimiento, conquisra y organizacion de las antiguas -pos- siones es,Paiiolas de America 'Y Oc,ania, XII, 277-285.
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