Having had his siesta, the Captain assembled the Master of the Camp, Admiral, Royal Ensign, Sergeant-Major, and Captains, and said to them that, possession having been taken of that land, and the city having received the name of the New Jerusalem, with their concurrence, he would elect a municipality and such officers as is usual in a city that was the capital of a province. As they expressed their concurrence, it was agreed among all that the elections should be made in the manner following:—
| Magistrates | Don Diego Barrantes y Maldonado. | |
| Luis de Belmonte Bermudez. | ||
| The Licentiate Alonzo Sanchez deAranda. | ||
| The Captain Manuel Noble. | ||
| Francisco de Medina. | ||
| Francisco de Mendoza y Sarmiento. | ||
| Francisco de Zandategui. | ||
| Antonio Francisco Camiña. | ||
| Juan Ortiz. | ||
| Alonso Perez de Medina. | ||
| Juan Gallardo de Los Reyes. | ||
| Pedro Carrasco. | ||
| Gil Gonzalez. | ||
| Secretary to theMunicipality | Santiago de Iriarte. | |
| Justices of the Peace | Don Alonzo de Sotomayor. | |
| Captain Rodrigo Mejia de la Chica. | ||
| Chief Constable | Captain Gaspar de Gaza. | |
| Royal Officers: | ||
| Accountant | Don Juan de Iturbe. | |
| Treasurer | Don Juan de la Peña. | |
| Factor | Juan Bernardo de Fuentidueña. | |
| Registrar of Mines | Don Antonio de Chaves. | |
| Store-keeper General | Don Diego de Prado y Tovar.[1] | |
| Overseer | Don Juan de Espinosa y Zayas.[1] | |
As soon as the elections were completed, all the officials took the oath, placing the right hand on a breviary, which the Father Commissary held; swearing that they would be loyal to His Majesty, in whose name the different offices had been given to them; and with this the proceedings terminated.
Afterwards, the municipal officers formed in order, and accompanied by the rest of the people, went to the church. Within was the Father Commissary, who, pointing to the upraised cross, said, “Here, gentlemen, you have the Holy Cross, the semblance of that which, by the mercy of God, secured all our remedy and all our good;” but such were the tears he shed that he could not proceed.
The Captain embarked, taking with him the same cross, the standard and banners; and, on arriving on board, he ordered that block on the yard-arm to be taken down, where it had been placed to punish crimes. For the Captain could not believe that persons with such an honourable destiny would do things the punishment of which would be the rope. The Captain ordered the Master of the Camp to take an armed party, and penetrate further into the interior than he had done before. They saw more and better farms and villages than before, and at one village they found the natives much occupied with their dances. When they saw us they began a flight to the mountains, leaving strewn about as they fled, bows, arrows, and darts. Our people found two roast pigs, and all their other food, which they ate at their ease. They carried off twelve live pigs, eight hens and chickens, and they saw a tree which astonished them, for its trunk could not have been encircled by fifteen or twenty men; so they returned to the ships.
[1] Not in Leza’s list.
Chapter XXVII.
Relates how they sowed some land; the entry into a valley; capture of three boys, and what happened with the natives.