ristobal Colon, after you have discovered and acquired the said islands
and mainland in the said ocean, or any of them whatsoever, shall be our
Admiral of the said islands and mainland which you may thus discover and
acquire, and shall be our Admiral and Viceroy and Governor therein, and
shall be empowered from that time forward to call and entitle yourself
Don Cristobal Colon, and that your sons and successors in the said office
and charge may likewise entitle and call themselves Don, and Admiral and
Viceroy and Governor thereof; and that you may have power to use and
exercise the said office of Admiral, together with the said office of
Viceroy and Governor of the said islands and mainland which you may thus
discover and acquire, by yourself or by your lieutenants, and to hear and
determine all the suits and causes civil and criminal appertaining to the
said office of Admiralty, Viceroy, and Governor according as you shall
find by law, and as the Admirals of our kingdoms are accustomed to use
and exercise it; and may have power to punish and chastise delinquents,
and exercise the said offices of Admiralty, Viceroy, and Governor, you
and your said lieutenants, in all that concerns and appertains to the
said offices and to each of them; and that you shall have and levy the
fees and salaries annexed, belonging and appertaining to the said offices
and to each of them, according as our High Admiral in the Admiralty of
our kingdoms levies and is accustomed to levy them. And by this our
patent, or by the transcript thereof signed by a public scrivener, we
command Prince Don Juan, our very dear and well beloved son, and the
Infantes, dukes, prelates, marquises, counts, masters of orders, priors,
commanders, and members of our council, and auditors of our audiencia,
alcaldes, and other justices whomsoever of our household, court, and
chancery, and sub-commanders, alcaldes of castles and fortified and
unfortified houses, and all councillors, assistants, regidores, alcaldes,
bailiffs, judges, veinticuatros, jurats, knights, esquires, officers, and
liege men[82-1] of all the cities, towns, and places of our kingdoms and
dominions, and of those which you may conquer and acquire, and the
captains, masters, mates, officers, mariners, and seamen, our natural
subjects who now are or hereafter shall be, and each and any of them,
that upon the said islands and mainland in the said ocean being
discovered and acquired by you, and the oath and