he
Conquistadores, though their conduct was rather harsh towards the Indian
population. However, these auditors were very soon deprived of all
power, by the disputes in which they became involved with Cortes, and
the abuse they made in the marking of slaves.

In the following chapter I will give some further account of the
question respecting a distribution of the Indians in perpetuity.

CHAPTER CCXI.

_The deliberations which took place at Valladolid in the year 1550,
in the royal council of the Indies, respecting the distribution of
Indians in perpetuity._

In the year 1550, the licentiate De la Gasca came from Peru to the
court, which was then residing at Valladolid. He was accompanied by a
monk of the Dominican order, named father Martin, who was regent of his
order, and whom his majesty soon after appointed to the bishopric of las
Charcas. At the same time there appeared at the court the bishop of
Chiapa, Don Bartolome de las Casas; the bishop of Mechoacan, Don Vasco
de Quiroga, and other cavaliers, who came as the representatives of New
Spain and Peru; and also certain hidalgos, against whom several
accusations had been brought. To this meeting I was also cited, as the
oldest of the Conquistadores. The reason for assembling this council was
as follows: De la Gasca, and those who accompanied him from Peru, had
brought along with them a large quantity of gold, partly their own, and
partly belonging to the crown. This gold was forwarded to Augsburg, in
Germany, where his majesty was then staying with our present most
fortunate king Don Philip, his beloved son, to whom God grant a long
life. Several cavaliers repaired with this gold, in order at the same
time to present themselves to his majesty as deputies from the Spanish
settlers in Peru, and also to beg of him to grant us commendaries in
perpetuity, in reward for the services we had rendered to the crown. A
petition to the same effect had been laid before his majesty by Gonzalo
Lopez, Alonso de Villanueva, and other cavaliers, who had purposely been
deputed from New Spain.

Shortly after the arrival of the licentiate De la Gasca in Spain, the
see of Palencia became vacant, and the emperor, it was said, had given
it to this licentiate in remuneration for his having restored
tranquillity to Peru, and for his having regained possession of the gold
and silver which had been stolen by the Contreras.

With respect to the petition of distributi