 The richer lands of Mexico engaged the main attention of the conquistadors for some years, then in 1526 Francisco de Montejo (a veteran of the Grijalva and Cortés expeditions) successfully petitioned the King of Spain for the right to conquer Yucatán.On 8 December of that year he was issued with the hereditary military title of "adelantado" and permission to colonise the Yucatán Peninsula.In 1527, he left Spain with 400 men in four ships, with horses, small arms, cannon and provisions.