ures. In Castile
the corresponding official was the _contador mayor_, chief auditor or
steward. Navarrete, I. 167.

[272-5] No longer extant. These lines are a memorandum appended to the
text by Santangel or the printer, and might have been used as a title, as
the similar memorandum was used in the publication of the Latin letter.
The Admiral's name is spelled as in the Articles of Agreement "Colom."

LETTER FROM COLUMBUS TO FERDINAND AND ISABELLA CONCERNING THE
COLONIZATION AND COMMERCE OF ESPANOLA[273-1]

MOST HIGH AND POWERFUL LORDS: In obedience to what your Highnesses
command me, I shall state what occurs to me for the peopling and
management of the Spanish Island[273-2] and of all others, whether
already discovered or hereafter to be discovered, submitting myself,
however, to any better opinion.

In the first place, in regard to the Spanish Island: that there should go
there settlers up to the number of two thousand[274-1] who may want to go
so as to render the possession of the country safer and cause it to be
more profitable and helpful in the intercourse and traffic with the
neighboring islands.

Likewise, that in the said island three or four towns be founded at
convenient places, and the settlers be properly distributed among said
places and towns.

Likewise, in order to secure the better and prompter settlement of the
said island, that the privilege of getting gold be granted exclusively to
those who actually settle and build dwelling-houses in the settlement
where they may be, in order that all may live close to each other and
more safely.

Likewise, that in each place and settlement there be a mayor[274-2] or
mayors and a clerk[274-3] according to the use and custom of Castile.

Likewise, that a church be built, and that priests or friars be sent
there for the administration of the sacraments, and for divine worship
and the conversion of the Indians.

Likewise, that no settler be allowed to go and gather gold unless with a
permit from the governor or mayor of the town in which he lives, to be
given only upon his promising under oath to return to the place of his
residence and faithfully report all the gold which he may have gathered,
this to be done once a month, or once a week, as the time may be assigned
to him, the said report to be entered on the proper registry by the clerk
of the town in the presence of the mayor, and if so deemed advisable, in
the presence of a friar or priest sel