(Undated, probably 1494)

Most High and Mighty Sovereigns,
In obedience to your Highnesses' commands, and with submission to superiorjudgment, I will say whatever occurs to me in reference to the colonizationand commerce of the Island of Espanola, and of the other islands, both thosealready discovered and those that may be discovered hereafter.
In the first place, as regards the Island of Espanola: Inasmuch as thenumber of colonists who desire to go thither amounts to two thousand, owing tothe land being safer and better for farming and trading, and because it willserve as a place to which they can return and from which they can carry ontrade with the neighboring islands:

1. That in the said island there shall be founded three or four towns,situated in the most convenient places, and that the settlers who are there beassigned to the aforesaid places and towns.
2. That for the better and more speedy colonization of the said island,no one shall have liberty to collect gold in it except those who have takenout colonists' papers, and have built houses for their abode, in the town inwhich they are, that they may live united and in greater safety.
3. That each town shall have its alcalde [Mayor] ... and its notarypublic, as is the use and custom in Castile.
4. That there shall be a church, and parish priests or friars toadminister the sacraments, to perform divine worship, and for the conversionof the Indians.
5. That none of the colonists shall go to seek gold without a licensefrom the governor or alcalde of the town where he lives; and that he mustfirst take oath to return to the place whence he sets out, for the purpose ofregistering faithfully all the gold he may have found, and to return once amonth, or once a week, as the time may have been set for him, to renderaccount and show the quantity of said gold; and that this shall be writtendown by the notary before the aIcalde, or, if it seems better, that a friar orpriest, deputed for the purpose, shall be also present
6. That all the gold thus brought in shall be smelted immediately, andstamped with some mark that shall distinguish each town; and that the portionwhich belongs to your Highnesses shall be weighed, and given and consigned toeach alcalde in his own town, and registered by the above-mentioned priest orfriar, so that it shall not pass through the hands of only one person, andthere shall he no opportunity to conceal the truth.
7. That all gold that may be found without the mark of one of the saidtowns in the possession of any one who has once registered in accordance withthe above order shall be taken as forfeited, and that the accuser shall haveone portion of it and your Highnesses the other.
8. That one per centum of all the gold that may be found shall be setaside for building churches and adorning the same, and for the support of thepriests or friars belonging to them; and, if it should be thought proper topay any thing to the alcaldes or notaries for their services, or for ensuringthe faithful perforce of their duties, that this amount shall be sent to thegovernor or treasurer who may be appointed there by your Highnesses.
9. As regards the division of the gold, and the share that ought to bereserved for your Highnesses, this, in my opinion, must be left to theaforesaid governor and treasurer, because it will have to be greater or lessaccording to the quantity of gold that may be found. Or, should it seempreferable, your Highnesses might, for the space of one year, take one half,and the collector the other, and a better arrangement for the division be madeafterward.
10. That if the said alcaldes or notaries shall commit or be privy to anyfraud, punishment shall be provided, and the same for the colonists who shallnot have declared all the gold they have.
11. That in the said island there shall be a treasurer, with a clerk toassist him, who shall receive all the gold belonging to your Highnesses, andthe alcaldes and notaries of the towns shall each keep a record of what theydeliver to the said treasurer.
12. As, in the eagerness to get gold, every one will wish, naturally, toengage in its search in preference to any other employment, it seems to methat the privilege of going to look for gold ought to be withheld during someportion of each year, that there may be opportunity to have the other businessnecessary for the island performed.
13. In regard to the discovery of new countries, I think permission shouldbe granted to all that wish to go, and more liberality used in the matter ofthe fifth, making the tax easier, in some fair way, in order that many may bedisposed to go on voyages.

	Prepared in HTML-format byW.B.Leemhuisfor The American Revolution - an .HTMLproject.
© 1995 on the HTML-version by Dep. Alfa-Informatica University ofGroningen.

Back to Historic Documents