Don Juan De Onate's Letter To The Spanish Viceroy

Don Juan de Onate wrote a letter to the Spanish viceroy describing his travels in this first dispatch after he had begun to colonize New Mexico. In this descriptive letter he explains how he crossed the Rio Grande (Rio del Norte) and secured the land for Spain. He also describes how he warned his soldiers to prevent mistreatment of the Indians. He wanted a more peaceful relationship with the Indians despite what his crew preferred. “.. And offended because I would not permit them to maltreat these natives, either in their persons or in their goods, became disgusted with the country, or to be more exact, with me, and endeavored to form a gang in order to flee to that New Spain..” (Don Juan de Onate, Letter from New Mexico to the Viceroy) He