As it is reasonable that those who have served as explorers of the said Indies, and those who have helped by settling in them and have their wives there, should have preference in the benefits, we order that in making appointments to magistracies and other positions of advancement our Viceroys, Presidents, and Judges of our said _Audiencias_ shall prefer the first _conquistadores_, and after them the married settlers, provided that they are persons competent to fulfil the duties; and until these are provided for, no other person be considered. As the hearing of lawsuits brought by Spaniards claiming Indians has been followed by serious objections, it is our pleasure and we direct that from now forward such suits shall not be heard either in the Indies or in our Council of the Indies, whether in respect of Indians under our Royal Crown or in the possession of another third party; but that every claim that may be preferred upon this subject shall be submitted to Us, in order that after obtaining the information proper to the case we may order it to be settled. Any suit that is now pending, whether before our Council in the Indies, or in any other place, we order to be suspended and not heard further, the case being referred to Us. As one of the things wherein, as we are informed, irregularities have occurred, and may again arise in the future, is the manner of conducting explorations, We order and command that in such service the following procedure be observed:--he who desires to make discoveries by sea shall apply to the _Audiencia_ of that district and jurisdiction for a Permit, and having obtained it he may proceed to explore, provided that, on pain of death, he do not take any Indian either from islands or mainland, even though he say that they sell them as slaves and this be so, or even though they wish to come voluntarily (excepting as to three or four as interpreters), nor may he seize or be in possession of anything against the will of the Indians, unless by way of barter and in presence of the person appointed by the _Audiencia_. The explorer shall observe the rules and comply with the instructions that the _Audiencia_ may give him, on pain of forfeiture of all his goods and [arrest of] his person, at our discretion. He shall be instructed to take possession in Our name of all the places he may reach, and record all the latitudes.