Career
A native of the Terceira Island of the Azores, to an established and noble family. During the colonization of America, del Canto explored the northeastern part of Mexico, and founded several cities, such as Saltillo, of which he was the first mayor (1577). He was one of the main enemies of the native Chichimeca peoples.
He took numerous prisoners to work as slaves in the mines of Santa Lucia, Monterrey, and San Gregorio, Cerralvo, Nuevo León.
This resulted in his arrest in 1578 by the Inquisition for slavery. He escaped and was able to hide out, among the same Chichimecas that he was charged with enslaving, until the charges were dropped.
In 1585, del Canto married Estefanía de Montemayor daughter of de Montemayor and Porcallo (his former lover), and had three children: Miguel (born 1587), Diego (born 1589), and Elvira, whose birth date is unknown.