all men who wounded, killed or mistreated "infidel" woman and boys, fining them with 300 silver pesos and six years in exile. However, this law was impossible to carry out, especially due to the distance between the capital at Santa Fe and Taos. During Mendoza's administration, many children were captured, especially children who belonged to the Navajo, Utes, Comanche and Apache peoples. Later, a group of seven Comanches traveled to Taos Pueblo to trade tobacco and they explained to Mendoza that their people would visit the valley when the snows abandoned the mountains. However, they also said them the French armed them with muskets and that later they had traveled to some unknown direction beyond their lands (colonial New France). However, they indicated also that two French traders would go to visit New Mexico in the spring. When the news reached to Mendoza, he decided to establish a presidio (fort) in the north to protect the population of Taos from the possible French invasion, and did so in the Jicarilla Apache's abandoned settlement. The presidio used many shelters that had been built in the place. Despite this (and for some reason), when the French traders visited Santa Fe, Mendoza accepted them and gave them a map showing the Spanish settlements in Santa Fe de Nuevo México. Later, the traders brought the map back to the French Louisiana colony in New France, where they were based, causing the repentance of Mendoza for having given them the map. The trade with the French traders allowed the Spanish obtain French guns. Mendoza was replaced by Joaquín Codallos y Rabal as colonial governor of Santa Fe de Nuevo México province in 1743. Personal life Mendoza married María Ferreras de la Torre. They had three children — Francisca Micaela (born 1731), María Manuela (born 1733) and Hermenegildo (born 1736). Having left the charge of governor in 1743, Mendoza apparently lived in Santa Fe de Nuevo Mexico for a while longer. One of his daughters, Francisca Micaela, around 14 years old at that time, married Joaquín Codallos y Rabal after he assumed the governor office of the province. See also List of Spanish governors of New Mexico References External links Carta de Gaspar Domingo de Mendoza y Delgado (Letter of Gaspar Domingo de Mendoza y Delgado)— Colonial governors of Santa Fe de Nuevo México Spanish military personnel of the War of the Spanish Succession Spanish soldiers