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King Ferdinand and Queen
Isabella, Agreements with AGREEMENT OF The things supplicated and which your
Highnesses give and declare to Christopher Columbus in some
satisfaction...for the voyage which now, with the aid of God, he is about to
make therein, in the service of your Highnesses, are as follows: Firstly, that your Highnesses as Lords
that are of the said oceans, make from this time the said Don Christopher
Columbus your Admiral in all those islands and mainlands
which by his hand and industry shall be discovered or acquired in the said
oceans, during his life, and after his death, his heirs and successors, from
one to another perpetually, with all the preeminences
and prerogatives belonging to the said office.... Likewise, that your Highnesses make the
said Don Christopher your Viceroy and Governor General in all the said
islands and mainlands and islands which as has been
said, he may discover or acquire in the said seas; and that for the government
of each one and of any one of them, he may make selection of three persons
for each office, and that your Highnesses may choose and select the one who
shall be most serviceable to you, and thus the lands which our Lord shall
permit him to discover and acquire will be better governed, in the service of
your Highnesses.... Item, that all and whatever
merchandise, whether it be pearls, precious stones, gold, silver, spices, and
other things whatsoever, and merchandise of whatever kind, name, and manner
it may be, which may be bought, bartered, discovered, acquired, or obtained
within the limits of the said Admiralty, your Highnesses grant henceforth to
the said Don Christopher, and will that he may have and take for himself, the
tenth part of all of them, deducting all the expenses which may be incurred
therein; so that of what shall remain free and clear, he may have and take
the tenth part for himself, and do with it as he wills, the other nine parts
remaining for your Highnesses.... Item, that in all the vessels which may
be equipped for the said traffic and negotiation each time and whenever and
as often as they may be equipped, the said Admiral Don Christopher Columbus
may, if be wishes, contribute and pay the eighth part of all that may be
expended in the equipment. And also that he may have and take of the profit,
the eighth part of all which may result from such equipment.... These are executed and despatched with the responses of your Highnesses at the
end of each article in the town of AGREEMENT OF Forasmuch as you, Christopher Columbus,
are going by our command, with some of our ships and with our subjects, to
discover and acquire certain islands and mainland in the ocean, and it is
hoped that, by the help of God, some of the said islands and mainland in the
said ocean will be discovered and acquired by your pains and industry; and
therefore it is a just and reasonable thing that since you incur the said
danger for our service you should be rewarded for it...it is our will and
pleasure that you, the said Christopher Columbus, after you have discovered
and acquired the said islands and mainland in the said ocean, or any of them
whatsoever, shall be our Admiral of the said islands and mainland and Viceroy
and Governor therein, and shall be empowered from that time forward to call
and entitle yourself Don Christopher Columbus, and that your sons and
successors in the said office and charge may likewise entitle and call
themselves Don, and Admiral and Viceroy and Governor thereof; and that you
may have power to use and exercise the said office of Admiral, together with
the said office of Viceroy and Governor of the said islands and
mainland...and to hear and determine all the suits and causes civil and
criminal appertaining to the said office of Admiralty, Viceroy, and Governor
according as you shall find by law,...and may have power to punish and
chastise delinquents, and exercise the said offices...in all that concerns
and appertains to the said offices...and that you shall have and levy the
fees and salaries annexed, belonging and appertaining to the said offices and
to each of them, according as our High Admiral in the Admiralty of our
kingdoms levies and is accustomed to levy them. Credits: King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, "Agreements
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