be
a matter with a religious order. Your royal Majesty, as so Catholic
and most Christian, sent a command to the royal Audiencia resident in
these islands to gather information of the details of this matter,
and to redress it, and not allow injuries to be inflicted on us. We
have heard that the royal Audiencia has advised your Majesty; but
we do not know what they have advised, for nothing was told us. Now
this present year, I, who am the chief, and claim that the lands which
are in dispute with the fathers are of greater extent, built a house
in my fields. One of the fathers [_i.e._, Jesuits], named Brother
Nieto, came with a numerous following of negroes and Indians, armed
with halberds and catans; and of his own accord, and with absolute
authority, razed my house to the ground. This caused great scandal to
those who saw a religious armed for the purpose of destroying the house
of a poor Indian--although, after seeing his intention to seize all my
property and bind me, I did not raise my eyes to behold him angered,
because of the respect that I know is due the ministers who teach us
the law of God. Although the alcalde-mayor of our village (namely,
the master-of-camp, Pedro de Chaves) was angry, as was proper, at the
little attention they paid to the royal justice of your Majesty and of
your servants; and went immediately on that same day to the destroyed
house, and did not leave the village until he knew that another small
house had been rebuilt for me in place of the one destroyed--yet, as
all the fathers had threatened me that, as often as I should build
a house there, they would return to raze or burn it (and this they
have declared before the alcalde-mayor himself and the canon Talavera,
our minister), and as I am a poor Indian, I fear the power of the said
fathers. For I fear that I can find no one to aid me in the suits that
the fathers are about to begin against me, or who will appear for
my justice, since I have even been unable to find anyone who dared
to write this letter for me. This letter is therefore written by my
own hand and in my own composition, and in the style of an Indian
not well versed in the Spanish language. But I confide my cause to
your royal Majesty's great kindness, and, prostrate at your Majesty's
royal feet, implore you to protect me with your royal protection, by
ordering the royal Audiencia and the archbishop to inform your royal
Majesty anew, and to summon me in order that I may infor