Spanish Luxury Goods to the Spanish Settlement of New Mexico

Dedie Snow – May 24, 2010

Juan de Onate and the Spanish Settlement of New Mexico

* Upon his appointment as governor, captain general and pacifier of New Mexico, Juan de Onate was required to comply with the Royal Ordinances of 1573 regarding settlements in the New World.

*Onate was also required to supply “the people, arms, munitions, supplies and other goods for the proper success and management of the expedition.”

*Upon inspection in 1596, the personnel and goods amassed by Onate were found to be wanting and not in compliance with his orders.

*The second inspection was held in Santa Barbara in December of 1597. On completion, the inspectors found Onate more or less in compliance with his orders and he was authorized to proceed to New Mexico.

The Camino Real, or Royal Road from Mexico City to San Gabriel de Yunque

*When Juan de Onate left Santa Barbara in 1598 he traveled north over what would become known as the Camino Real, the Royal Road or King’s Highway to the interior of New Mexico.

*More than 1800 miles in length from Mexico City Ohkay Owingeh, formerly San Juan Pueblo, the Camino Real was the major route for travel to the interior of Spanish New Mexico.

*Between Santa Barbara and El Paso del Norte, the Camino extended through the Chihuahua Desert to El Paso del Norte after which it paralleled, more or less, the Rio Grande as it flowed south.

*At La Bajada the Camino diverged since the large two-ton supply wagons or carros could not traverse the basaltic cliffs; those on horseback followed a route along the Galisteo that passed San Marcos Pueblo.

Juan de Onate and Spanish settlements in New Mexico: San Gabriel

*On June 30, 1598, Onate and those on horseback reached San Felipe and then Santo Domingo where the convent de Nuestra Senora de la Asumpcion was to be located (Santo Domingo would become the ecclesiastical center of New Mexico).

*On July 11, 1598, Onate finally reached “the pueblo of Caypa, which we called San Juan.” The carts containing the supplies did not reach San Juan until August 18, 1598.

*After visiting nearby pueblos and marveling at the hot springs in the Jamez, on August 11., Onate and his followers, assisted by some 1,500 Indians, began work on the irrigation ditch for the “city of our father.”

*By August 23, the church was started…”it was large enough to accommodate all the people of the camp.”

Juan de Onate and the Spanish settlement of New Mexico: Luxury Goods Transported over the Camino Real

Among the goods declared by Onate were:

“4,890 horseshoes for horses, mules and asses, and 79,000 horseshoe nails…”

“Thirty-two arrobas [an arroba was equal to 25lbs.] and twelve pounds of iron made into small

sledge hammers, bars, picks and mallets…appraised at 4 reals per pound, 406 pesos.”

“114 arrobas and 15 pounds of iron for making into sheets, rods, and barrel hoops…”

“35 plowshares…three hoes…ten adzes…eight small saws…one dozen chisels…seventeen

augers large and small…thirty-nine axes…”.

“13,000 short nails…”

“251 pairs of cordovan leather shoes…”

“forty-one reams of paper of twenty quires each, and thirteen additional quires…”

“four barrels of wine…15 jugs of half an arroba each…that…contained oil, and because they

were sealed and there was risk of loss…they were not opened…”

Juan de Onate and the Spanish settlement of New Mexico

*Onate brought quantities of medicines with him…including…”fourteen and one-half pounds of sarsaparilla…five pounds of green ointment…one pound and two ounces of rose extract…four pounds of balsam…half a pint of rose water…one pound and two ounces of Toledo treacle…fifteen and a half ounces of alum…three ounces of mastic [an aromatic resin used for making varnish or adhesives]…Fifteen and a half ounces of verdigris [a highly toxic , vibrant blue-green pigment produced from copper acetate; the most vibrant green available before the 19^th century]…”.

*In addition Onate came prepared for barter with “three bunches of glass beads, blue, black and other colors, each one containing 10,000 beads…nine lots of Bohemian knives…nineteen small Flemish mirrors…7,250 shoemaker’s needles…eighty-two and one half dozen glass earrings…900 glass beads called aquamarines…nineteen and a half dozen hawks-bells…six hundred and eighty medals…six dozen jet rings…twenty thimbles…thirty -one rosaries of glass beads…twenty-three other rosaries…twenty-two necklaces of glass beads…forty-four throat-bands of glass beads…forty-five hundred small glass beads called half aquamarines…seven small bunches of little white beads called Indian barley…forty-six bunches of small glass beads of 1,000 beads per bunch…four and a half dozen amulets made of badger bone…eight pairs of whistles of Texcoco clay…thirty-one tin images resembling an Agnus Dei…sixteen tin medals…” among other goods.

Juan de Onate and the Spanish settlement in New Mexico. Luxury Goods Transported over the Camino Real by the reinforcements of 1600

*In 1600 the Onate contract was modified and reinforcements were authorized to assist with the conversion of the Natives and settlement of New Mexico.

*Among the goods sent to Juan de Onate were “two cast iron beds; four pieces of artillery with six chambers; twelve muskets, twelve fork rests, twelve powder flasks and twelve small powder flasks.”

* Also included were dozens of pairs of cordovan shoes, boots and buskins, horse gear and a wide variety of cloth and clothing.

*Six reams of paper were among the supplies sent to the colony along with numerous “fine hats, presumably for trade. One of the hats sent to “Don Cristobal” was described as: [a] fine brown hat with braid of gold and large pearls and set with stones of various colors an brilliancy.” The hat was valued at 130 pesos!

Juan de Onate and the Spanish settlement in New Mexico: Reinforcements of 1600

*Among the new colonists were Captain Antonio Conde de Herrera with his wife Dona Francisca Galindo, their children, brothers and sisters-in-law.

*Antonio brought with him five horses with complete armor; a coat of chain mail, beaver and helmet; an harquebus and accessories, tow gilded swords and dagger,; a leather shield; three sickles; half an arroba of power; seventeen men’s suits of wool mixture course cloth and silk; and three fine hats; eighteen pairs of cordovan shoes, two pairs of buskins; [thick-soled laced boots], four pairs of cordovan boots; some additional buskins [and] two pairs of house slippers; four pairs of fine woolen stockings; and two pairs of taffeta garters…

*One woolen field tent with ridge pole; one camp bed; eight small chairs; one Michoacan table; two large water barrels; one tub for washing…

*One barrel of wine of two arrobas; another of vinegar; two jars of olives, one of lard and one of honey; one arroba of sweetmeats; one arroba of sun-dried raisins; half an arroba of almonds…five hundred walnuts; ten boxes of a confection of nuts and honey; one kettle of refined sugar…

*Two carts, one very large, both covered in sackcloth; and twenty-two draft oxen…”

Juan de Onate and the Spanish settlement in New Mexico: Reinforcements of 1600

“Dona Francisca Gallindo, is taking:

Nine dresses, two of brown and green cloth, trimmed; another of velvet adorned with velvet belts and gold clasps; another of black satin with silk gimps; another of black taffeta, trimmed; another of green coarse cloth with sashes embroidered in gold; another of crimson satin embroidered in gold; another of red satin with red satin with sashes an gold trimmings; another of tawny color with a white China embroidered skirt; further, two silk shawls with bead tassels; four pairs of thin wool sleeves; one damask and velvet hoopskirt; four ruffs, four gold coiffures; twelve plain bonnets…three pairs of fancy cuffs; one necklace of pearls and garnets, with a large gold cross; a headdress of pearls with a gold image of Our Lady; some rings set with rubies, two pitchers, a small pot and saltcellar of silver, with six small and one large spoons, three pairs of new clogs; eight pairs of slippers and two pairs of high shoes…one bedspread of crimson taffeta trimmed with lace; eight sheets; six pillows…two fine women’s hats with gold ribbons…and many other things suitable for the adornment of women and the home…”

Juan de Onate and the Spanish settlement in New Mexico: San Gabriel

*For reasons we don’t understand, with the exception of the jars used to transport oil, vinegar, olives and similar items to New Mexico, none of the ceramics recovered from the excavations at San Gabriel the Chinese porcelains, Spanish lusterwares and other non-local earthen wares were mentioned in any of the inventories of the Onate expedition or those of the reinforcements of 1600.

*In fact, it was not until 1630 and the inventory of the Mission Supply Service when each mission was to receive a “box of loza de Puebla,“ Mexican majolica, every three years, that ceramics were mentioned in the documents on a regular basis.

Juan de Onate and the Spanish settlement in New Mexico: San Gabriel

*Even though chocolate had become extremely popular in Mexico by the late 16^th century, there is only one mention of it in any of the Onate inventories.

*Still given repeated mentions of sugar and the presence of shards of small handless cups of Chinese porcelain, we surmise that chocolate was consumed by at least some of the settlers at San Gabriel.

*By the late 17^th century and throughout the 18^th century chocolate and sugar were mentioned on a routine basis.

Luxury Goods transported over the Camino Real: Instructions to Peralta, 1609

*Having spent more than 6000,000 pesos in the settlement of the colony, and in the face of growing unrest over his lack of leadership, Juan de Onate sent a letter of resignation to the viceroy in August of 1607. Onate’s resignation was accepted February 27, 1608 and Juan Martinez de Montoya was appointed governor; however, the cabildo, town council of San Gabriel, refused to accept Martinez’s leadership, preferring that of Cristobal Onate instead.

*Finally, on March 30, 1609, Pedro de Peralta was appointed governor and issued instructions to “settle the villa that has been ordered built so that they may begin to live with some order and decency.”

Luxury Goods transported over the Camino Real: Fray Alonso de Benavides, 1626

*Fray Alonso de Benavides was appointed custodian of Franciscan New Mexio in 1623 and immediately began to prepare for the journey to the colony.

*When Fray Alonso de Benavides finally arrived in Santa Fe on January 24, 1626, he brought with him the bulto known today as La Conquistadora or Our Lady of Peace along with an altar screen for La Parroquia, the parish church.
*Benavides also brought two crucifixes, eleven missals, eleven pairs of brass candlesticks and snuffing scissors and many other items for the missions.

Luxury Goods transported over the Camino Real: Fray Alonso de Benavides, 1626

Because he was the custodian of the New Mexico Missions, Benavides brought much needed supplies with him. Some of those supplies were:

“Eleven frontals of Chinese damask with the brocatel and the fringes of silk, lined with Anjou

linen at 35 pesos each…

Half an arroba of incense; half an arroba of copal…five oil-painted images, with gilded and

ornamented frames 2 ½ yards [varas] high by 2 wide;

Eleven Turkish carpets at 13 pesos each…”

Luxury Goods transported over the Camino Real: Fray Alonso de Benavides, 1626

*In addition to La Conquistadora and supplies for the missions, Benavides also brought quantities of spices, herbs and other things for the missions including “fourteen arrobas of [hard] cheese…six arrobas of [dried] shrimps…ten arrobas of [dried] haddock…one one-hundred weight barrel of fleshy native olives…two arrobas of capers…six pounds of lavender…twelve pounds of rosemary… twenty arrobas and 20 pounds of white sugar and nine pounds and 1 ounce of cinnamon.

*Finally, the Benavides’ inventory included “five pounds and 3 ounces of saffron, at 17 pesos and 4 tomines per pound.”

Luxury Goods transported over the Camino Real: a slight digression

*A small bottle contains two grams of saffron

*The current market value of saffron ranges from $171 to $175 per ounce.

*At today’s prices not accounting for inflation, the saffron brought to New Mexico by Fray Alonso de Benavides would have cost in excess of $14,000!

Luxury Goods transported over the Camino Real: Spanish majolica

La Traza Polychrome is a Spanish majolica that was made during the latter part of the 16^th century into the first decade of the 17^th century. Some sherds were recovered from San Marcos Mission south of Santa Fe. Ironically, San Marcos was the last mission founded in the Galisteo Basin.

Luxury Goods transported over the Camino Real: Chinese porcelain

*There were sherds of Cobalt blue Chinese porcelain recovered from Room 5 in the end of the Palace of Governors in 197.

*Originally the vessel, a small handleless cup, had a design in gold leaf over the surface.

*Subject of an on-going debate, some scholars believe these cobalt blue vessels were made in Japan rather than China.

*Regardless, the type was rare and unusual around 1650 when it was made in China or Japan.

Luxury Goods transported over the Camino Real: Iron

*”Iron tools for cultivating and ploughing the land are especially needed…in particular iron for horse shoes, for without it is not possible to make any punitive expedition, as the enemy lives in rough mountainous country and on stony mesas; but no iron has been sent since the year 1628. Consequently, we are perishing, without a pound of iron or a plough. For the love of God, your excellency, do us the favor and charity to order this assistance to be sent…” (Report to the viceroy by the cabildo of Santa Fe, February 21, 1639).

*It is ironic to think of iron as a precious metal; however, the production of iron for tools and everyday objects was a monopoly controlled by Spain until Mexican Independence in 1821.

*Iron was so precious in Spanish Colonial New Mexico, scraps of worn out tools were horded until sufficient amounts could be saved to be reworked into horseshoes and a variety of tools. Such collections of scrap iron appear again and again in wills and inventories of all classes of New Mexicans.