Page:Vol 2 History of Mexico by H H Bancroft.djvu/669

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ANNALS OF YUCATAN.

649

to west, including all the peninsula, together with Tabasco, and narrowing to twenty-five leagues in width in the south-western part.^[1]

The civil government, after Adelantado Montejo's departure for Spain, and the discontinuance of his privileges, was in charge of alcaldes mayores provided first by the audiencia of Mexico, next by that of Los Confines, and then again by that of Mexico, embracing the period between 1550 and 1561, till the arrival of Doctor Quijada^[2] on the 10th of January, 1562, commissioned direct from the crown. The rule of this official was one of continued trouble with his subjects and the church about encomiendas and alleged ill treatment of the Indians by the friars. Complaints were lodged against him at court, and though he had been appointed for six years, a successor presented himself in Mérida when Quijada least expected him. History has no great virtue nor vice to attach to his name. He was succeeded by Luis

↑ There were in it, toward the end of this period, five towns of Spaniards, namely, the city of Mérida, the capital of the civil and episcopal governments, with from 300 to 400 vecinos, a cathedral, and a Franciscan convent; the villa de Valladolid, or Vallid, with some 50 vecinos, a parish church, and a convent of Franciscans. In this and the preceding there were some Mexicans that came with the conquerors; the villa de San Francisco de Campeche, with about 80 vecinos; the villa de Salamanca, near the gulf of Honduras, with about 20 vecinos; and Victoria de Tabasco, with about 50 vecinos. The number of principal Indian towns was about 200, besides the smaller ones under them. In 1563 the total number of tribute-payers was officially computed at 50,000. Quixada, Carta al Rey, in Cartas de Indias, 386-7. Tabasco's large population at the time of the conquest had become reduced to about 1,000 tributaries in the latter part of the century. Mex. Informes, in Pacheco and Cárdenas, Col. Doc., xv. 453-7.
↑ The following were the alcaldes mayores, in the order given: 1. Gaspar Juarez de Ávila, sent out about 1552 from Mexico, who ruled some two years. During his term there came from Peru a number of Gonzalo Pizarro's rebels, who committed some depredations, but were finally captured and punished. 2. Álvaro de Caravajal, appointed from Guatemala, served from 1554 to 1558. 3. Alonso Ortiz de Argeta, or Argueta, who ruled about 18 months. 4. Juan de Paredes, who governed two years. Jofré de Loaisa came from the Audiencia de Los Confines as visitador, and the government reverted to the alcalde of Mérida in 1562. There are a few discrepancies in the authorities about the respective periods of service, which are of no special importance. 5. Doctor Diego de Quijada. Paredes, Rel., in Pacheco and Cárdenas, Col. Doc., xiv. 201; Cogolludo, Hist. Yuc., 322; Castilla, Dicc. Hist. Yuc., i. 69. Tabasco was many years governed directly from Yucatan, till the king appanes an alcalde mayor for that district; but even then the governor of Yucatan retained a certain authority over that officer. Cogolludo, Hist. Yuc., 225; Ponce, Rel., in Col. Doc. Inéd., lviii. 453.

[1] There were in it, toward the end of this period, five towns of Spaniards, namely, the city of Mérida, the capital of the civil and episcopal governments, with from 300 to 400 vecinos, a cathedral, and a Franciscan convent; the villa de Valladolid, or Vallid, with some 50 vecinos, a parish church, and a convent of Franciscans. In this and the preceding there were some Mexicans that came with the conquerors; the villa de San Francisco de Campeche, with about 80 vecinos; the villa de Salamanca, near the gulf of Honduras, with about 20 vecinos; and Victoria de Tabasco, with about 50 vecinos. The number of principal Indian towns was about 200, besides the smaller ones under them. In 1563 the total number of tribute-payers was officially computed at 50,000. Quixada, Carta al Rey, in Cartas de Indias, 386-7. Tabasco's large population at the time of the conquest had become reduced to about 1,000 tributaries in the latter part of the century. Mex. Informes, in Pacheco and Cárdenas, Col. Doc., xv. 453-7.

[2] The following were the alcaldes mayores, in the order given: 1. Gaspar Juarez de Ávila, sent out about 1552 from Mexico, who ruled some two years. During his term there came from Peru a number of Gonzalo Pizarro's rebels, who committed some depredations, but were finally captured and punished. 2. Álvaro de Caravajal, appointed from Guatemala, served from 1554 to 1558. 3. Alonso Ortiz de Argeta, or Argueta, who ruled about 18 months. 4. Juan de Paredes, who governed two years. Jofré de Loaisa came from the Audiencia de Los Confines as visitador, and the government reverted to the alcalde of Mérida in 1562. There are a few discrepancies in the authorities about the respective periods of service, which are of no special importance. 5. Doctor Diego de Quijada. Paredes, Rel., in Pacheco and Cárdenas, Col. Doc., xiv. 201; Cogolludo, Hist. Yuc., 322; Castilla, Dicc. Hist. Yuc., i. 69. Tabasco was many years governed directly from Yucatan, till the king appanes an alcalde mayor for that district; but even then the governor of Yucatan retained a certain authority over that officer. Cogolludo, Hist. Yuc., 225; Ponce, Rel., in Col. Doc. Inéd., lviii. 453.

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