Page:Jesus Maria letter (1651).djvu/5

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Jesus Maria

Lord Governor, who is here in place of the King, we come to Your Grace to speak. Having mercy upon us, we beseech him that he may hear us.

The Lord Benito Ruíz, who came in place of the King, said this to me. "Lend me a piece of land. Being in this place, I will help you and you will help me. I will make the people, who have gone from here to Apalachee, return here." But he did not comply. Also, he said to me that when the ship from Spain came here, this place of Asile would be mine. Also, he said to me that all the time he will be in San Agustín, I would be assisted with axes and hoes, and throughout all the years he would give me garments for me to clothe myself. I have been serving and obeying him, but he did not comply with this. To Your Grace, who is in place of the King, I humbly say this. You will know, Your Grace, that when the Captain Agustín Pérez came, he said to me that the people that the Lord Governor had spoken of shall gather. I said to him that I did not have anything to give them to eat, that nothing was being offered that they would gather or not, and that if they were to be runaways, the fault would be mine and not his. The Captain Agustín Pérez responded that the Lord Governor said he wanted that the place of Asile be the place, that if he did not want, that he would not be saying this to me. I said yes, at the right time. But this I said alone. "This belongs to my brothers, and nephews, me, and the olatas and principal men; without all of us being gathered, I cannot do anything." This would be known, Your Grace. It will also be known, Your Grace, that the Captain Agustín Pérez asked me to give him a piece of land. I, understanding that he said this by the land of San Luis, told him yes, that under no circumstances would this be sold nor delivered, but only lent; Sir, you will know this, Your Grace.

Your Grace will know