ed towards them with much civility and attention, keeping open
table for all who chose to visit him. This was at the royal expence; as
the president had stipulated for all his expences being defrayed by his
majesty, before leaving Spain on his mission to Peru. In this he acted
with much and prudent precaution; considering that the former governors
had been accused of living penuriously in proportion to their rich
appointments, and being satisfied that the administration in Spain would
not allow him a sufficient income to defray the great expences he must
incur in a country where every thing was enormously dear, he declined
accepting any specified salary, but demanded and obtained authority to
take from the royal funds all that was necessary for his personal
expence and the support of his household. He even used the precaution to
have this arrangement formally reduced to writing; and in the exercise
of this permission he employed a person expressly for the purpose of
keeping an exact account of all his expences, and of every thing that
was purchased for his table or otherwise, which were all accordingly
paid for from the royal coffers.

SECTION VII.

_Insurrection of Ferdinand and Pedro de Contreras in Nicaragua, and
their unsuccessful attempt upon the Royal Treasure in the Tierra Firma._

At this period an extraordinary attempt was made to intercept the
president in his passage through the Tierra Firma, and to gain
possession of the royal treasure under his charge, which will require
some elucidation for its distinct explanation. When Pedro Arias de
Avilla discovered the province of Nicaragua, of which he was appointed
governor, he married his daughter Donna Maria de Penalosa to Rodrigo de
Contreras, a respectable gentleman of Segovia. Some time afterwards,
Pedro Arias died, after having appointed his son-in-law to succeed him
in the government, and this appointment was confirmed by the court in
consideration of the merits and services of Contreras, who accordingly
continued governor of Nicaragua for several years. On the appointment of
a royal audience on the confines of Nicaragua and Guatimala, Contreras
was displaced from his government; and, in pursuance of the ordinance
which had occasioned so much commotion in Peru, both he and his wife
were deprived of their repartitions of lands and Indians, and the grants
which had been made to their children were likewise recalled. Contreras
went in consequence to Spain,