I obtained two passports; one from the Secretary of State, the otherfrom the Council of the Indies. Never before had such concessions beengranted to a traveler, and never had the Spanish Government shown suchconfidence in a foreigner. To waylay all the possible reservations that the viceroy's and captain-generalsmight raise concerning the nature and finality of my work, it said in mysafe conduct from the First Secretary of State that 'I was authorized tofreely use my physical and geodesical instruments, that in all the Spanish possessions I could make astronomicalobservations, measure the height of mountains, collect whatever grew on theground, and carry out any task that might advance the Sciences.