The correct answer is c. To pay for the entire cost of the expedition. Don Juan de Oñate needed a lot of money to finance the expedition, which involved acquiring supplies, hiring soldiers, and funding the exploration and settlement of New Mexico. The goal was to establish Spanish presence in the region and expand Spanish colonization. While searching for gold and silver and building a church might have been eventual objectives, the immediate need for a lot of money was primarily to cover the expenses of the entire expedition.
