ect from you.

You shall fill the vacant posts of the said islands, as aforesaid,
with the most worthy men, and those who have served me best. They
shall be appointed with the obligation to send within a certain period,
fixed by you, to obtain my confirmation. Then you shall advise me of
the nature and character of the offices filled. For, although the said
offices be of such a nature that they could be sold, as is done in the
other parts of the Yndias, yet I consider it best not to discuss this
at present, but only to have you dispose of them freely, in my name,
to those who deserve them most, and who will prove of the greatest
utility for the public benefit.

I have received a report from the said islands, that in so far as the
nature of the country and the settlement of the Indians may permit,
it would be advisable to order that no encomiendas of less than eight
hundred or one thousand Indians be granted, in order that they might
furnish tithes for religious instruction and a livelihood for their
owners; and that those having but few Indians be allowed, if they so
wish, to transfer or sell them to a neighboring encomendero, so that
by uniting the two encomiendas a greater one would result, from which
it would be possible to furnish the tithes and a livelihood. I ordered
Gomez Perez in his instructions that, in matters touching the sale,
exchange, or transfer of the said repartimientos, he should not permit
this, as it is contrary to my laws. I ordered him, however, to exercise
great care, so that the repartimientos might prove sufficient for
the instruction and the livelihood of the said encomenderos; and also
to continue the endeavor to settle the said Indians in fixed abodes,
where they should be provided with ample instruction. Inasmuch as this
is the most important matter there, and one to which you must attend
with special care and attention, as it concerns the welfare of souls
and the Christianity of the Indians--and it is fitting that you give
it preference over all other things--you shall note that when these
small encomiendas fall vacant, you shall unite them, if possible, in
order that the above petition may have effect. Whenever the products
and revenues of any encomienda do not suffice for the encomendero and
for the instruction, you shall give the preference to the instruction,
even though the encomendero be left without resource. In accordance
with the above, I have sent my decree, of which a duplicate