By way of “History of Juan Ponce de Leon’s Voyages to Florida: Source Records” By T. Frederick Davis THE PATENT The agreement that was made by Our command with you, Juan Ponce de Leon, for the expedition to colonize the island of Beniny [Bimini] and the island of Florida which you discovered by Our command, in addition to the articles and agreement that were made with you when you took action for discovery, is as follows: First, whereas, in the said articles and agreement made with you by Our command, concerning the discovering and colonizing of the said islands, I gave license and authority, for the time and limitation of three years to commence from the day of delivery to you of the said articles, to conduct at your cost and charge the vessels that you might wish, provided that you stood obligated to begin the expedition of discovery within the first year; and because until now you have occupied yourself in matters of Our service and you have not had time to start the voyage of discovery, it is My will and pleasure that the said three years may commence to run and be reckoned from the day you may embark on your voyage to the said islands. Item, that as soon as you embark (sic) at the said islands you may summon the chiefs and Indians thereof, by the best device or devices there can be given them, to understand what should be said to them, conformably to a summons that has been drawn up by several learned men, the which will be given to you signed by the Very Reverend Father in Christ, the Bishop of Burgos, Archbishop of Rosario, Our chief chaplain and one of Our council, and by Lope Conchillos, Our secretary and one of Our council and attorneys, by all the ways and means you may be able to devise, that they should come into the knowledge of Our Catholic Faith and should obey and serve as they are bound to do; and you will take down in signed form before two or three notaries, if such there be, and before as many witnesses and these the most creditable, as may be found there, in order that it may serve for Our justification, and you will send the said document; and the summons must be made once, twice, thrice. And if after the aforesaid they do not wish to obey what is contained in the said summons, you can make war and seize them and carry them away for slaves; but if they do obey, give them the best treatment you can and endeavor, as is stated, by all the means at your disposal, to convert them to our Holy Catholic Faith; and if by chance, after having once obeyed the said summons, they again rebel, I command that you again make the said summons before making war or doing harm or damage. Furthermore, whereas in the said articles and agreement that I commanded to be made with you at the time that you were setting forth to discover the said island, I made a grant to the persons who should go to discover the said island of all that might be discovered therein; and that they should pay only a tax of the gold and other metals and things of profit they should find on the islands-the first year a tenth, the second a ninth, the third an eighth, and the fourth a seventh, and the fifth a sixth part, and the other years following a fifth, according to and as it is paid in the island of Espanola; therefore, by these presents I confirm and approve the aforesaid and it is My wish. that it shall have effect for the time of the said twelve years, beginning as soon as they begin to colonize the said island. Furthermore, that I shall give license and I do hereby give it to the said Juan Ponce de Leon to make and build houses in the said island, and villages of habitations of the sort that are made and built in these realms, provided the foundations of such may be with one tapia height of stone and another of earth; and likewise to make whatever provision he sees fit for the raising of corn and grapes and fruit-bearing and non-fruit-bearing trees and whatever other things there may be afforded in the said region. Item, that, after you may have made war on the said Caribs or protected the chiefs and Indians and, brought them peace, you can go or send with the vessels and people of the said expedition to visit the said islands of Beniny [Bimini] and island of Florida, where there may not be need of your presence, and do concerning it what shall seem best for Our service. Item, for surety that you, the said Juan Ponce, and the members of your expedition are now doing and will fulfill, and that there will be fulfilled, looked after, and paid all that is contained in these articles which it belongs to you to look after and to fulfill, before you make the said voyage (you may give) full and approved guaranties to the satisfaction of Our officials residing in the said island of Santiago (sic).* *Should be island of San Juan—Scisco. For which, you, the said Juan Ponce, fulfilling all that which is stipulated and each feature and part of it, and having given the said guaranties and looking after and paying the things aforesaid, I promise you and I swear to you by these presents to command and look after and fulfill all that which is contained in these articles and each feature and part of it; and I command Our officials in the island of San Juan [Puerto Rico] that in our name, conformably to the aforesaid, they maintain with you the said agreement and articles and receive the said guaranties; and for your despatch I command Don Diego Colon [Columbus], Our admiral, viceroy governor of the island of Espanola [Hispaniola], and our judges of appeal there, and our officials in the said island of San Juan [Puerto Rico], and all the justices, that they give you all favor and aid of which you shall have need, without there being put upon you any hindrance in it or in any manner or part of it. Done in Valladolid on the twenty-sixth [or twenty-seventh] of September, one thousand, five hundred and [fourteen.] I, The King