VELASCO, Luis de, Count of Santiago, viceroy of Mexico, born in Toledo, Spain, about 1500; died in the city of Mexico, 31 July, 1564. He was descended from the noble family of the constables of Castile, and had acquired such fame as a just and impartial magistrate, that Charles V., when he ordered Antonio de Mendoza to Peru, resolved to send Velasco, to Mexico as his successor On 5 December, 1550, he arrived in VeraCruz, and, after conferring with Mendoza at Cholula, began his administration by emancipating 150,000 Indians, who until then had been no better than slaves. When he was remonstrated with about this measure, which his counsellors said would ruin the mines, he answered that the liberty of the Indians was more valuable than the mines of the whole world. In 1553 the University of Mexico was founded, and he also instituted a hospital for the natives. When the Chichimec Indians revolted in 1555, Velasco founded the towns of San 5Iiguel el Grande and San Pelipe de Ixtlahuaca, and sent Captain Francisco Ibarra to the north, who founded the towns of Durango and Nombre de Dios. He sent in 1,558-'9 expeditions under Guido de Labezares and Tristan de Luna y Arellano to explore and conquer Florida, but without favorable results, and in 1564 he was preparing an expedition under Miguel L. de Legazpi for the conquest of the Philippine islands, when he was overtaken by death. He was greatly mourned by the people of Mexico, who called him " father of New Spain."--His son, Luis, Marquis de Salinas, born in Madrid, Spain, in 1535; died in Seville in 1614, came to Mexico with his father in 1550, occupied several posts in the municipality of the capital, and was mayor of Zempoala. About 1586 he returned to Spain and was appointed ambassador in Florence, but continued to consider Mexico his country, and when the differences between the viceroy (the Marquis de Villa-Manrique) and the audiencia of Guadalajara occurred, Philip II. thought Velasco the Inost appropriate person to re-establish order. He sailed for Mexico in 1589, with orders to land in Panuco, where he arrived in December, as it was feared that the deposed viceroy's partisans in Vera Cruz might oppose him. He took charge of the government, 5 February, 1590, and one of his first measures was to open factories of woollen cloth. In 1591 he received a deputation of the bellicose Chichimecs, with whom he adjusted a treaty, and, to secure their subjugation, he established around Zacatecas four colonies of Tlaxcaltec Indians, the constant allies of the Spaniards. In 1593 he laid out the public walk or alameda, and in 1595 he was preparing an expedition under Juan Ofiate for the fabulous kingdom of Quivira, or New Mexico, when he was promoted to the viceroyalty of Peru, and, on the arrival of his successor, Count de Monterey, left Mexico in November, 1595. He arrived in Lima on 24 July, 1596, and took charge of the government, which he administered for eight years with ability. At last, weary of the cares of office, he repeatedly solicited his relief, and delivering up the government on 8 November, 1604, he retired to his commanderies of Teutitlan and Azcapotzalco in Mexico, to live with his family. But in June, 1607, he received the royal order to assume again the government of Mexico, to succeed the Marquis de Montesclaros, who had been promoted to Peru. Notwithstanding his age and desire for retirement, he obeyed, and o, 1 20 July took charge of the executive. In the same year continued rains threatened to inundate the capital again, by the rising of the lakes, and the viceroy determined to execute the plan of Enrique Martinez (q. v.), of draining the valley by a cut through the hills of Nochistongo. The work was begun 28 November of the same year, and on 7 May, 1608, the first section of the canal was completed. He sent an embassy to Japan in 1611, and, being promoted president of the council of the Indies in the same year, left Mexico on 17 June for Spain, where he died. He is esteemed one of the principal benefactors of Mexico.--The younger Luis's nephew, Pedro de, clergyman, born in Mexico in 1581 ; died there, 26 August, 1649, became a Jesuit in 1596, and labored among the Indians for fourteen years. He was then professor of sacred scripture, held several high offices in the order, was procurator for Mexico at Rome and Madrid, and was made provincial of Mexico in 1646. During his term occurred the troubles between Bishop Palafox and the Jesuits of Puebla, 1647. He wrote " Varias cartas y representaciones sobre los ruidosos asuntos de los Jesuitas con el Sr. Palafox" ; "Apologia por las Doctrinas y Curatos de los Religiosos"; and "Arte de una de las lenguas de Cinaloa."