habitantes pacificos cristianos e industriosos, que aumentando la poblacion de vuestros reydos, fomenten la agriculturo y el comercio, y por consiguiente hagan immensos los ingresos de vuestro real herario. Esta empresa dirigida por persona que al conocimiente del pays reune las circumcias de poder comparer los progresos que han hecho por este medio otras naciones, como la de los Estados Unidos, que en una epoca muy limitida ha elevado su poder a un grado extraordinario, distinguiendose la Mobile adyacente a la Florida, que en los seis anos ultimos aprovechandose de la emigracion se ha convertido de un pays inculto y desierto, en una provincia rica y comerciante, cultivada y poblada com mas de 300,000 habitantes. Esto mismo debe suceder a la Florida en el corto tiempe de diez y ocho o veinte anos si se adoptan las medidas conducentes a ello, y si al exemplo del exponente avandonan otros la apatia y se dedican a labrar so furtuna individual; y por consiguente la del estado. Confiados pues en lo recomendable de esta empresa, en los vivos deseos que animan a V. M. por la prosperidad de la nacion, y en los servicos y sacrificios del exponente, se atreve a suplicar a V. M. que en remuneracion de ellos se digne concederle en plena propriedad y con arreglo a la leyes que rigen en la materia, todas las tierras incultas que no se hallen cedidas en la Florida, comprehendidas entre el rio perdido al occidente del golfo de Mexico, y los rios Amaruja y el Sn. Juan, desde Popa hasta su desague en el Mar por la parte de Oriente, por el Norte la linea de demarcacion con los Estados Unidos, y al sur por el golfo de Mexico, incluyendo las yslas desiertos en la costa. Por tanto, a V. M. rendidament suplica, que en atencion a lo expuesto, y a las includables ventajas que resultan a la nacion, se sirva acceder a esta solicitud y mandar al mismo tiempo se comuniquen las correspondientes ordenes a las autoridades del pays, prebiniendoles presten al exponente todos los auxilios y protecion necesaria, asi para la designacion de los terrenos, como para llevar a efecto la empresa en todas sus partes: gracia que espera de la munificiencia de V. M. Enterado del contenido de esta exposicion, y atendiendo al distinguido merito de este sugeto, y a su acreditado celo por mi real servicio, como tambien a las ventajas que resultaran al estado del aumento de poblacion de los citados paises que pretende, he tenido a bien acceder a la gracia que solicita en cuanto no se oponga a las leyes de esos mis reynos, y comunicarlo al mi consejo de Indias para su execucion en real orden de deiz y siete de Deciembre, del referido ano. En su consecuencia os mando y encargo por esta mi real cedula, que con arreglo a les leyes que rigen en la materia auxilieis eficazemente la execucion de la espresada gracia, tomando todas las disposiciones que se dirijan a su debido efecto, sin perjucio de tercero, y para que al espresado conde de Punenrostro pueda desde luego poner en execucion su designio, conforme en todo con mis beneficos deseos, en obsequio de la agricultura y comercio de dichas posesiones que claman por una poblacion proporcionada a la feracidad de su suelo, y a la defensa y seguridad de la costas; dando cuenta succesivamente de su progreso; que asi es mi voluntad, y que de esta cedula se tome razon en la contaduria general de Indias,

Fecha en palacio, a seis de Febrero, de mil ochocientos dies y ocho.

Por mandado del Rey Nuestro Senor:

ESTEBAN VAREA."

YO EL REY.

Y para que conste firmo esta certification en Madrid, a quince de Octubre, de mil ochocientos y veinte. ANTONIO PORCEL.

Don Evaristo Perez de Castro, Cabellero de numero de la orden de Carlos 3, del Consejo de Estado, y Secretario del Despacho de Estado, &c.

Certificio que la firma que antecede del Exmo. Sor. Don Antonio Porcel, Secretario del Despacho de la Gobernacion de Ultramar, es la que acostumbra poner en todos sus escritos. Y para los efectos convenientes doy el presente certificado, firmado de mi mano y sellado con el escudo de mis armas, en Madrid, a veinte y uno de Octubre, de mil ochocientos y veinte. EVARISTO PEREZ DE CASTRO.

memorialist, of converting a small portion of those deserts into the abode of peaceable Christians and industrious inhabitants, who will increase the population of your kingdoms, promote agriculture and commerce, and thereby add immensely to your royal revenues. This enterprise should be conducted by a person who, with a knowledge of the country, would combine the intelligence necessary for comparing the progress made by other nations in similar situations, and particularly by the United States, which, within a very recent period, have advanced their power to an extraordinary height, and especially in the instance of the Mobile country, adjoining Florida, which, in the last six years, has received such an influx of emigrants, as to be converted from a desert waste into a rich commercial province, highly improved, and peopled with more than three hundred thousand souls. A similar change would be effected in Florida within eighteen or twenty years, by the adoption of judicious arrangements, and by those exertions which your Majesty's memorialist proposes to employ for the promotion of his personal interest, and consequently that of the state. Relying on the merits of the case, and the lively interest felt by your Majesty in the national prosperity, and in the services and sacrifices of your Majesty's memorialist, he humbly requests your Majesty, that, taking them into consideration, you would be graciously pleased to grant and cede to him, in full right and property, and the mode and manner required by law, all the waste lands, not heretofore ceded, in Florida, lying between the river Perdido, westward of the Gulf of Mexico, and the rivers Amaruja and Saint Johns, from Popa to the point where it empties into the Ocean, for the Eastern limit; and, for the Northern, the boundary line of the United States; and, to the South, by the Gulf of Mexico, including the desert islands on the coast. He therefore humbly prays, in consideration of the premises, and the unquestionable advantages to be derived by the nation, Y. Majesty will be pleased to grant this his petition, and thereupon direct the necessary orders to be given to the local authorities to afford him all due aid and protection, as well in designating the territory referred to, as in giving full effect to the whole enterprise. All which he hopes from the munificence of your Majesty.

Having taken the premises into consideration, and bearing in mind the distinguished merits of the memorialist, and his signal zeal for my royal service, as well as the benefits to be derived by the state from an increase of population in the countries, the cession whereof he has solicited, I have judged fit to grant him the same, in so far as is conformable to the laws of these my kingdoms, and to make it known to my council of the Indies, for its due execution, by a royal order of the seventeenth of December, in the year aforementioned; wherefore, I charge and command you, by this, my royal cedula, with due observance of the laws to such cases pertaining, to give full and due effect to the said cession, taking all requisite measures for its accomplishment, without injury to any third party, and to the end that the said Count of Punonrostro may forthwith carry his plans into execution, in conformity with my benefi cient desires in favor of the agriculture and commerce of the said territories, which require a population proportioned to the fertility of the soil, and the defence and security of the coasts, he giving regular accounts of his proceedings, for such is my will; and that due note be taken of the present cedula in the office of the Accountant General of the Indies.

Dated at the palace, the sixth of February, one thousand eight hundred and eighteen. I THE KING. By command of the King our Lord:

ESTEBAN VAREA.

And I confirm this exemplification, at Madrid, the fifteenth of October, one thousand eight hundred and twenty. ANTONIO PORCEL.

Don Evaristo Perez de Castro, knight of the order of Charles 3rd, of the council of state, and secretary of state, &c.

I certify that the foregoing signature of his excellency Don Antonio Porcel, secretary of despatch, of the ultra marine government, is that which he is accustomed to put to all his writings. And, for the proper purposes, I give the present certificate, signed by my hand, and sealed with my seal of arms, at Madrid, the twenty-first of October, one thousand eight hundred and twenty. EVARISTO PEREZ DE CASTRO.

GRANT TO DON PEDRO VARGAS.

[COPIA.]

Don Antonio Porcel, Cabellero pensionista de la real y distinguida orden de Carlos tercero, del Consejo de Estado, y Secretario de Estado y del Despacho de la Gobernacion de Ultramar, &c.

Certificio que con fecha de nueve de Abril, de mil ochocientos diez y ocho, se espedieron por el extinguida Consejo de las Indias reales cedulas de igual tenor al Gobernador Capitan General de la isla de Cuba y su distrito, al Intendente de exercito y Real Hacienda de la Habana y su distrito, y al Gobernador de las Floridas, para que cada uno en la parte que le tocase dispusiera lo conveniente a que tubiese efecto la gracia concedida a Don Pedro de Vargas, de varios terrenos situados en las Floridas; cuyo contenido es el siguiente:

EL REY. Mi Gobernador y Capitan General de la isla de Cuba y su distrito. Confecha de veinte y cinco de Enero ultimo, me hizo presente Don Pedro Vargas lo que sigueSenor: Don Pedro de Vargas, Caballero de la real orden militar de Alcantara, Tesorero General de la Real Casa y Patrimonio de V. M. con el mas profundo respeto a V. R. M. espone: Que hay una porcion de tierras vacantes y despoblades en el territorio de las Floridas, y deseando que si V. M. se digna premiar sus tales cuales servicios y las pruebas de lealtad que le tiene dadas, sea sin el mas minimo grabamen del Erario, ni perjuicio de tercero, como puede en el dia verificarse con algunas tierras de aquel pais a V. M. suplica que por un efecto de su soberana piedad se digne concederle la propiedad del terreno que esta comprehendida en la siguiente demarcacion, a saver; Desde la embocadura del rio Perdido y de su bahia en el Golfo de Mexico, siguiendo la costa del mar, subir por la habia del Buen Socorro, y de la Mobila, continuar por el rio de Mobila hasta tocar la linea Norte de los Estados Unidos, y baxar por ella con una recta al origin del rio Perdido y siguiendo por el rio de la Mobila abaxo y la habia de su nombre volver por la costa del mar acia el Oeste, con todas las calas entradas e islas adyacentes que pertenecen a la Espana en la epoca presente hasta llegar a la lienea del Oeste de los Estados Unidos y volver por la del Norte, comprehendiendo todas las tierras baldias, que corresponden o puedan corresponden a la Espana y estan en disputa o reclamacion con los Estados Unidos, segun el tenor de los tratados, y asi mismo el terreno baldio y no cedido a otra particular que hay entre el Rio Hijuelos en la Florida Oriental y el rio Santa Lucia tirando una linea desde el nacimiento del uno al del otro y siguiendo por la costa del golfo de Mexico, des dela embocadura del rio Hijuelos, hasta la punta de Tancha, y doblando esta por la costa del Golfo de Florida hasta la embocadera del rio Santa Lucia con las islas y cayos adyacentes.

Enterado del contenido de esta esposicion, y atendiendo al merito de este sugeto y a su acreditado celo por mi real servicio como tambien a las ventajas que resultaran al estado de la poblacion de los citados paises, he tenido a bien acceder a la gracia que solicita, en cuanto no se oponga a las leyes de esos mis reinos, y comunicarlo al mi Consejo de las Indias para su complimiento en real orden de dos de Febrero proximo pasado. En su consequencia os mando y encargo por esta mi real Cedula, que con arreglo a las leyes que rigen en la materia y sin perjucio de tercero auxilicis eficazmente la execucion de la expresada gracia, tomando todas las disposiciones que se dirigan a su debido efecto, como tambien al aumento de poblacion, agricultura y commercio de las referidas posesiones; dando cuento succesivamente de su progreso: que asi es mi voluntad, y que de esta Cedula se tome razon en la Contaduria General de Indias.

Fecha en Palacio, a nueve de Abril, de mil ochocientos diez y ocho.

Por mandado del Rey Nuestro Senor:

ESTEBAN VEREA."

YO EL REY.

Y para que conste firmo esta certification en Madrid, a quince de Octobre, de mil ochocientos y veinte. ANTONIO PORCEL.

Don Evaristo Perez de Castro, Cabellero de numero de la orden de Carlos 3, del Consejo de Estado y Secretario del Despacho de Estado, &c.

Certificio que la firma que antecede del Exmo. Sor. Don Antonio Porcel, Secretario del Despacho de la Gobernacion de Ultramar, es la que acostumbra poner en todos sus escritos. Y para los electos convenientes doy el presente certificado, firmado de mi mano y sellado con el escudo de mis armas en Madrid, a veinte y uno de Octubre, de mil ochocientos y veinte. EVARISTO PEREZ DE CASTON.

GRANT TO DON PEDRO DE VARGAS.

[TRANSLATION.]

Don Antonio Porcel, Knight Pensioner of the royal and distinguished order of Charles 3, of the council of state, and secretary of state and of despatch, of the ultra marine government, &c.

I certify that, under date of the ninth of April, one thousand eight hundred and eighteen, royal letters patent of the same tenor were sent by the late council of the Indies to the governor general of the Island of Cuba and its dependencies, to the intendant of the army and royal business of the Havanna and its district, and to the governor of the Floridas, that each should do his utmost, in his particular department, to give effect to the grant made to Don Pedro de Vargas, of various lands situated in the Floridas, of the following tenor:

THE KING. My governor and captain general of the Island of Cuba and its dependencies: under date of the twenty-fifth of January last, Don Pedro de Vargas manifested to me as follows: "Sire: Don Pedro de Vargas, knight of the royal order of Alcantara, treasurer general of the royal house and patrimony of your majesty, with the most profound respect, at your royal feet, exposes-That there is a quantity of vacant and unpeopled land in the territory of the Floridas, and desiring that, if your majesty shall deign to reward his passable services, and the proofs which he has given of his loyalty, it may be without the least burthen on the public treasury, or in prejudice of any third person, as may be done at present by some lands of that country, he beseeches your majesty, that, by an effect of your sovereign goodness, you would deign to grant him the property of the land which lies comprised within the following limits: that is to say-from the mouth of the river Perdido, and its bay in the Gulf of Mexico, following the sea coast, to ascend by the Bay of Buen Socorro, and of Mobile, continuing by the river Mobile, till it touches the northern line of the United States, and descending by that in a right line to the source of the River Perdido, and following the River Mobile in its lower part, and the Bay of that name, returns by the sea coast towards the west; comprehending all the creeks, entries, and islands, adjacent, which may belong to Spain at the present time, till it reaches the west line of the United States, then, returning by their northern line, comprehending all the waste lands which belong, or may belong, to Spain, and are in dispute or reclamation with the U. S., according to the tenor of the treaties, and also all the waste land not ceded to any other individual, which is between the river Hijuelos, in East Florida, and the river St. Lucia, drawing a line from the source of one river to the source of the other, and following by the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, from the mouth of the Hijuelos to the point of Tancha, and doubling this, by the coast of the Gulf of Florida, to the mouth of the river Saint Lucia, with the islands and keys adjacent."

Considering the contents of this exposition, and attending to the merit of the individual, and his accredited zeal for my royal service, as also to the advantages to result to the state from the peopling the said countries, I have thought proper to accede to the favor which he solicits, in as far as it be not opposed to the laws of these, my kingdoms, and communicated it to my council of the Indies, for its accomplishment, in a royal order of the second of February last. Consequently, I command and charge you, by this my royal cedula, that, conforming to the laws which regulate in these affairs, and without prejudice to third persons, that you efficaciously aid the execution of the said grant, taking all the measures which may conduce to its due effect, as also to the augmentation of the population, agriculture, and commerce, of the aforesaid possessions, giving account, from time to time, of the progress made, for this is my will; and that due notice shall be taken of this cedula in the office of the accountant general of the Indies.

Dated at the palace, the ninth of April, one thousand eight hundred and eighteen.
I THE KING,

ESTEBAN VAREA.

By command of the King our Lord: I confirm this exemplification, at Madrid, the fifteenth of October, one thousand eight hundred and twenty. ANTONIO PORCEL.

Don Evaristo Perez de Castro, knight of the order of Charles 3d, of the council of state, and secretary of despatch of state, &c.

I certify that the foregoing signature of his excellency Don Antonio Porcel, secretary of despatch of the ultra marine government, is that which he is accustomed to put to all his writings; and, for the proper purposes, I give the present certificate, signed by my hand, and sealed with my seal of arms, at Madrid, the twenty-first day of October, one thousand eight hundred and twenty. EVARISTO PEREZ DE CASTRO.

SURRENDER OF THE FLORIDAS BY SPAIN.

Copy of the paper in the English Language, signed by the Commissioner on the part of the United States, and the Commissioner on the part of his Catholic Majesty, upon the delivery of possession of the province of EAST FLORIDA to the United States.

In the place of St. Augustine, and on the 10th day of July, eighteen hundred and twentyone, Don Jose Coppinger, colonel of the national armies, and Commissioner, appointed by his excellency the captain general of the Island of Cuba, to make a formal delivery of this said place and province of East Florida, to the government of the United States of America, by virtue of the treaty of cession concluded at Washington on the 22d of February, eighteen hundred and nineteen, and the royal schedule of delivery of the 24th of October, of the last year, annexed to the documents mentioned in the certificate that form a heading to these instruments in testimony thereof, and the adjutant general of the southern division of said states, colonel Don Robert Butler, duly authorized by the aforesaid government to receive the same; we having had several conferences in order to carry into effect our respective commissions, as will appear by our official communications; and having received by the latter, the documents, inventories, and plans, appertaining to the property and sovereignty of the Spanish nation held in this province and its adjacent islands depending thereon, with the sites, public squares, vacant lands, public edifices, fortifications, and other works, not being private property, and the same having been preceded by the arrangements and formalities that, for the greater solemnity of this important act, they have judged proper, there has been verified, at four o'clock of the evening of this day, the complete and personal delivery of the fortifications, and all else of this aforesaid province, to the commissioner, officers, and troops of the United States; and, in consequence thereof, having embarked for the Havana the military and civil officers and Spanish troops, in the American transports provided for this purpose, the Spanish authorities having this moment ceased the exercise of their functions, and those appointed by the American government having began theirs; duly noting that we have transmitted to our governments the doubts occurring whether the artillery ought to be comprehended in the fortifications, and if the public archives, relating to private property, ought to remain and be delivered to the American government by virtue of the cession, and that there remains in the fortifications, until the aforesaid resolution is made, the artillery, munitions, and implements, specified in a particular inventory awaiting on these points, and the others appearing in question in our correspondence, the superior decision of our respective governments, and which is to have, whatever may be the result, the most religious compliance at any time that it may arrive, and in which the possession that at present appears given shall not serve as an obstacle.

In testimony of which, and that this may at all times serve as an expressive and formal receipt in this act, we, the subscribing commissioners, sign four instruments of this same tenor, in the English and Spanish languages, at the abovementioned place, and said day, month, and year. ROBERT BUTLER. JOSE COPPINGER.

[To the original act there is a certificate in the Spanish language, of which the following is a translation.]

"In faith whereof, I certify that the preceding act was executed in the presence of the illustrious Ayuntamiento, and various private persons assembled, and also of various military and naval officers of the government of the United States of America.

ST. AUGUSTINE, 10th July, 1821.

JUAN DE ENTRALGO, Notary of the Government and Secretary of the Cabildo.”