Early Exploration of tlee Coast of Texas
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the man who, late in r 525, became Governor of the Panuco-Rio Grande region. 81 According to the terms of the appointment he was ordered to leave without delay for Seville, where he was to present his commission to the royal officers of the Casa de Contratacion. He was to make all haste possible for his departure with the Flota (official Spanish fleet which escorted expeditions to America) which had been delayed in port for the purpose. He was not to stop or linger in any of the islands on the way. Upon his arrival in New Spain, he was directed to go by the shortest route to Santiestevan on the Panuco River, or to any other settlement in its vicinity, where he was told to present his commission and instructions. He was advised to acquaint himself with the state of affairs in the province and to make a detailed report of such conditions as he found . He was particularly instructed to cooperate in every manner possible with the recently appointed Juez de Residencia, Luis Ponce de Leon, who was authorized to investigate the actions of Cortes. He was requested to give him assistance if called upon. He should try to settle in an amicable manner the question of the limits of their respective jurisdictions and under no circumstances should he allow differences to arise which might prevent their full cooperation in all matters pertaining to the interests of the king. Upon his arrival he was to find out how many Indian pueblos were in the land, to whom they had been granted, how they had been admin- istered, and how their condition might be improved. He was instructed to ascertain as far as possible the extent of the province and the character of the land and its resources. He should look after the welfare of the Indians and make such recommendations as he thought advisable for the amelioration of their hardships. Chapters four, five, six, seven, nine, and ten were to be the same as chapters four, eleven, thirteen, and fourteen of the grant made to Juan Ponce de Leon for the discovery, conquest, and settlement of Florida. According to these he was commissioned to be governor and chief justice of all the lands discovered and settled in accord with the provisions of the grant. All settlers who accompanied him were to enjoy the ten-year privilege granted to first settlers, in virtue of which they were to possess the gold and other precious metals discovered without paying any clues the first year, and only one-ninth the second, one-eighth the third, one-
81 Mota Padilla, Co11quista de Nueva Galicia, 105-106; Herrera, Hisloria, Dec. iv, Lib. iii, Cap. vii, pp. 48-49.
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