Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 4).djvu/334

298 fabulous city of Cibola. When Pedro de Alvarado died on an expedition against the Indians of New G-alicia, who had revolted, Mendoza, alarmed at their success, left the capital on 8 Oct., 1541, found- ed the city of Val- ladolid (now Mo- relia), and, after defeating the In- dians, returned to Mexico in Febru- ary, 1542. During his reign Bartolo- me de las Casas {q. V.) came to Mexico to protect the Indians, who had been great- ly abused by the Spaniards, but the Indian slavery, remained without effect. In consequence of the deplorable state of affairs in Peru that had resulted from the rebellion of Gonzalo Pizarro, the emperor ordered Mendoza to take pos- session of that vice-royalty. He accepted the place with reluctance, and arrived in Lima, 23 Sept., 1551. Not being able to inspect the state of the country for himself, he commissioned his son. Francisco, for the purpose, and in 1552 sent him to Spain with a re- port to the council of the Indies. During his admin- istration the University of Lima was founded, and the first provincial council assembled. In 1552, with the audiencia, he formed the first code for Peru.

MENDOZA, Juan, Mexican clergyman, b. in the city of Mexico about 1540 ; d. in Guatemala, 2 Aug., 1619. He entered the order of San Fran- cisco in Guatemala about 1565, and went to study in the province of Santo Evangelio, whence he re- turned to Guatemala as a professor of theology. He wrote many books in the Mexican and Guate- maltee languages. Arochena, in his " Catalogo," gives the titles " Doctrina cristiana en Lengua Mexicana," "Flos sanctorum 6 Vida de Santos," and "Platicas doctrinales sobre los Evangelios de todo el aiio," in the Kachiquel language, and also several others in Latin.

MENDOZA, Juan Suarez de, clergyman, b. in Mompox, in the diocese of Carthagena, Spanish America ; d. in Seville, Spain, 18 March, 1681. He was educated in the University of Salamanca, and appointed judge of the royal court of Seville for hearing appeals in Indian affairs. He after- ward became a priest. He wrote " Ad titulum Di- gestorum " (Salamanca, 1640) and " De Hispano- rum Monarchia, rebus gestis, moribus, politica."

MENDOZA, Lorenzo Suarez, viceroy of New Spain, b. in Spain ; d. in Mexico in June, 1583. He belonged to a wealthy and distinguished family that furnished the first and noblest of the viceroys of New Spain. Mendoza was the fifth viceroy, and exercised fiower from October, 1580, till his death. He established the royal tribunal of commerce of Vera Cruz in 1581, which was subsequently an im- ?ortant feature in Spanish colonial administration. »uring the time that he held office the coinage amounted to $9,000,000.

MENDOZA, Pedro de, soldier, b. in Cadiz, Spain, about 1487; d. at sea in 1536. He was a wealthy gentleman of Cadiz, belonging to a dis- tinguished family, and, while holding a post at the court, made an offer to Charles V., in 1534, to complete, at his own expense, the discovery and conquest of Paraguay and the countries on the Rio de la Plata, and extend the Spanish explorations to the southern extremity of South America. He was named by this monarch adelantado. or mili- tary chief, of these countries, and sailed, 24 Aug., 1584, with fourteen vessels and 3,000 men. The emperor had given him 2,000 ducats, and advanced 2,000 more, on condition that he should transport to the new country, within two years, a thousand colonists and a hundred horses, build a road to the- Pacific ocean, erect three forts, and take with him eight monks, a physician, a surgeon, and an apothe- cary ; but he was forbidden to introduce a lawyer into the colony. Mendoza was made hereditary chief judge and constable of the countries that he should discover, and given the right to retain half the treasures of the caciques who might be killed in the wars that he should wage, with nine tenths of the ransoms of prisoners. He landed on the- coast of Brazil, after a terrible tempest had dis- persed the fleet, where, falling sick, he intrusted the command of his ships to Juan de Osorio, his lieutenant. Having had reason to suspect this of- ficer of treachery, he caused him to be assassinated a short time afterward. As soon as Mendoza recovered he continued his voyage, sailed up the Rio de la Plata as far as the island of Saint Ga- briel, reconnoitred the southern coast opposite, and founded there the city of Buenos Ayres, 2 Feb.,. 1535, with two forts to defend it. Soon after the arrival of the expedition the provisions began to fail, and the aborigines attacked the foraging par- ties that were sent in quest of supplies. The Querandis, a tribe nnmbei'ing about 3,000, at first furnished them with food, but, in consequence of ill treatment, ceased to frequent the camp. Don Diego, a brother of the commander, led a force against them, but was killed with more than two thirds of his men. After this the colonists were attacked by the Querandi Indians frequently, but repelled them till, in December, 1535, the new city was captured by the Indians and burned. Mendoza retired to the fort of Sanctus-Spiritus, whence he despatched Juan de Ayolas {q. v.) to explore the upper course of the river. Disheartened by his failure, he sailed in the summer of 1536 for Spain and died during the long vovage.

MENDOZA Y LUNA, Juan de, Marquis of Montesclaros, Viceroy of Mexico and Peru, b. in Spain about 1560 ; d. in Madrid about 1625. Nothing is known of his early life. He was appointed viceroy of Mexico in 1603, and entered the capital on 23 Oct. with his wife. In the first year of his- government the capital was inundated in consequence of the rains of August, 1604, and some parts remained under water till the following year. It was proposed to remove the city to the slopes of Tacubaya, but this was given up on account of the value of the buildings that would have to be abandoned, and Mendoza thought of constructing a canal at Huehuetoca, but the immense amount of native labor that was needed for the work forced him to leave the project to his succes.sor. He repaired the dam that had been built by Luis de Velasco fifty-one years before, and began to build the highways of Guadeloupe, San Cristobal, San Antonio, Chapultepec, and others. During his administration the paving of the capital and the construction of an aqueduct to conduct the water from Chapultepec was also begun, but before it was finished Mendoza was appointed viceroy of Peru. He entered Lima, 21 Dec, 1607, and received the government from the audiencia. His administration was beneficial to the country. He organized in 1608 an army to defend the Chilian frontier against