[XVIII‑29] At a special meeting held on the 27th of September, 43 citizens were present, making with the authorities 55 persons in all. Of these 43 voted for removal, five against it, and seven were without choice. Juarros, Guat., ii. 263.
[XVIII‑30] Remesal, Hist. Chyapa, 366. Bishop Marroquin was at first in favor of removing to some high plains two leagues off, but for the reasons above stated and also in order to lessen the labor of the Indians he changed his opinion. Pacheco and Cárdenas, Col. Doc., xiii. 370-1.
[XVIII‑31] At an open meeting held on the 2d of October, at which 78 persons were sworn in to vote without fear or self-interest, 49 voted for removal to Chimaltenango and 29 to the valley of Alotenango, and the former place was formally declared the future site of the city. At this juncture Juan Bautista Antonelli, a royal engineer, arrived with instructions to superintend the laying out of towns. He made an examination of various localities and gave in a full report upon the valleys of Las Vacas, Chimaltenango, Alotenango, Melpas de Luis de Alvarado, and the valley of Tuerto or Panchoy, and strongly recommended the selection of the latter. Juarros, Guat., ii. 263-6. Helps suspects that Antonelli's report had reference to some other occasion and discredits it. Sp. Conq., iii. 390. For general map of Guatemala see [p. 110] this vol.
[XVIII‑32] Juarros, ubi sup. Bernal Diaz considered that either the valley of Petapa or Chimaltenango would have been a more favorable situation on account of the frequent overflowing of the river and the earthquakes experienced at Panchoy. Hist. Verdad., iv. (ed. Paris, 1837), 467.
[XVIII‑33] The cabildo considered it their duty more than once to pass laws to prevent the Indians from being overloaded. Remesal, Hist. Chyapa, 367-8. Every month the Cakchiquels of the dependency of the Ahpozotzil were compelled to furnish 1,000 laborers of both sexes to aid the prisoners of war in the building of the city. Cakchiquel, MS., Brasseur de Bourbourg, Hist. Nat. Civ., iv. 790. The audiencia and viceroy of Mexico ordered the Indians of Alvarado's estate to be employed in the erection of the new city. The bishop appealed against this order on the ground of the distribution which he had made already, the annulling of which would cause great dissatisfaction. Carta, in Pacheco and Cárdenas, Col. Doc., xiii. 276.
[XVIII‑34] On November 18, 1541, the cabildo issued a decree ordering lots to be enclosed with adobe walls before St John's day, June 1542, under penalty of forfeiture. The time given being found to be too short, it was extended on May 21, 1542, to easter in the following year. Remesal, Hist. Chyapa, 365-7.
[XVIII‑35] Helps, who is given to looseness in his statements, without quoting any authority in this instance boldly states that 'the 4th of December 1543 was the day on which the Spaniards took possession of their new quarters.' Sp. Conq., iii. 390.
[XVIII‑36] Remesal asserts that the entry in the books of the cabildo on that date is the first to indicate a session held in the new city; 'es el primero que se escriue en esta forma. En la ciudad de Santiago de Guatemala, en el asiento nueuo della,' etc. Hist. Chyapa, 368.
[XVIII‑37] Called henceforth Ciudad Vieja.
[XVIII‑38] Remesal, Hist. Chyapa, 368. This author was presented with a painting of the city, executed by Captain Miguel de Ortega at the request of the authorities. He describes it as representing a scene truly beautiful.