107

tCross,

,Stam.p, One Quartillo

FOURTH STAMS' I ONE QUARTILLO

,Stamp, YEARS OF ONE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED

FIFTY-SIX AND FIFTY-SEVEN

ReportMost Excellent Sefior.:

In answer to a letter from Your Excellency

addressed to the missionary fathers of this

mission of Orcoquiza asking them to give you a report on

the needs and the progress of.these Indians and on all

other matters considered worthy of Your Excellency

decisions, I must say that the needs are no less and the

progress is no greater than they were at the time this

mission and this presidio were established. The reason

for this condition, Most Excellent Seiorl is that, al-

though it was:the duty.of those men.who are the superior

officials and leaders of this government to execute

your superior orders relative to matters of so great im-

portance to the glory of God and the royal service vour

superior orders relative to matters of so reat imaortance

to the 1̂ orv of God and the ro al s rv c.sic, and to

devote the greatest attention and care in the discharge

108

of this obligationi they have directed as little effort as

possible toward this objective and have pursued their

own private interests to the detriment of our Christian

religion and the loyalty that we should profess as the

vassals of such a Catholic monarch.

Most Excellent Seftor l the fact is that if a little

diligence had been employed in the assignment of land

when this presidio and mission were founded it.would have

been possible to avoid the many mistakes which have been

discussed in previous reports and which have been so

diverse that they have greatly retarded the progress of

the said establishment. Recently, while the Sefor Governor,

Don Angel Martos de Navarrete was again reconnoiteringlv

this region //with me, it appears that he reported that

he found a place commonly called los'Orconsitos which is

desirable, excellent, and unique among all other places.

It is true, Most Excellent SePior^ that this place deserves

to be thus described because of its extensive lands, its

good water, and other characteristics. But there is

reason for doubt about the aforesaid place because the

people of this region have no practical ability in these

matters and also because those who explored Santa Rosa de

la Alcdzar were so manifestly deceived by similar appear-such

ances as a result of their inexperience in/aase:s. For the

lQg

Iabove-mentioned reasons-I believe it necessary to explain

to Your Excellency the objections to moving the presidio

and the mission from this place.

The first is that, although this-place where the

presidio was established was undesirable because of the

abundance of ants and mosquitoes (a.general plague in all

these lands), today these inconveniences have diminished

as a reauit of the work done by the people., cattle, and

horses, and they are not one-third as bad as they were

at the time this place was settled. Even if the land were

all swampy, experience itself would keep one from mis-

judging the outward appearance; and these Indians will

leave the mission and town and moveto some place where

they will not be seen as they themselves have insinuated

several times. This was one of the reasons that compelled

me, Most Excellent Sefior, to construct the mission and thus

keep them occupied and relieve ourselves from the annoy-2

ances and the repeated requests they made to us //daily.

And although we relieved their anxiety by telling them

that we would soon know Your Excellency's decision in

tegard to fulfilling their wishes, we were unable to con-

vince them by these and other assurances. Therefore,

fearing the possible consequences, I was compelled, as I

have said,to begin the aforementioned construct;`ton, but

110

Iat all times I was entirely obedient to the major suggestions

and subservient to the slightest wit^h contained in Your

Excellency's superior orders.

After having explored and examined the whole extent

of land as diligentlyand carefully as possible, we two

ministers did not find a place more:-.suitable for the pur-

pose or nearer to the presidio; and there was a little

hill less than a quarter of a league from this presidio

toward the east on the same bank of the laguna. From this

place, Most Excellent Senor, because of its altitude, can

be seen the site of the presidio and also the surrounding

territory toward the west and the south (where this Trinity

River makes a turn) as far as the eye can see. Toward the

east the land is proportionately less high, and at a

distance of less than a quarter of a league it is possible

to plant enough corn to supply and maintain a town with a

large population. However, for the supply of the mission

there is more than enough land closer by. As soon as all

these advantages were observed and studied,.Most Excellent

Seflor, on this site the mission was constructed of hewn

lumber and clay mixed with hay with four gateways in a

circle arourid, it. Because of its stability and arrangement

this structure is the most attractive and pleasing in all2v

these Spanish //and French lands. If perchance it meets

11

with Your Excellency's approval and convenience to continue

the construction, which has been suspended for the present,

I earnestly solicit the help of at least ten soldiers until

the construction is completed in due form for I cannot

expect any official action here for this work. Furthermore,

as the third and last objection to the said removal, I

wish to call to Your Excellency's attention the fact that

these Indians are well-situated here in this mission be-

cause of the proximity of the laguna which affords a supply

of fish, alligators, turtles, and many clams - their most

ordinary sustenance -:-and that as soon as they are removed

from this location they will come back here constantly

to look for-the food to which they have become accustomed

and also because of the natural.affeetion they will have

for the place where some of them were born, others were

reared, and all have lived for so long. Consequently, the

said removal will create restlessness among the Indiins and

anxiety among the missionaries. Finally, Most Excellent

Seor, I inform Your Excellency of all these reasons and

objections in compliance with the dictates of my duty and

in fulfillment of Your Excellency's superior order contained

in the letter to which I have referred above. I do not wish

to be a further cause of annoyance to Your Excellency, but

in spite of the dire needs of this mission it is an un-

112

3deniable fact that for four //years after its establish-

ment we have not failed to cultivate lands that have:

yielded abundant crops; and there are- other.lands that

would also yield crops if cultivated, thus proving con-

clusively the falseness of this charge to the contrary,

and at the same time verifying that the land is suitable

and adequate, for cultivation. And although it is true

that the land is not very extensive, there is enough for

the presidio, the mission, and the town; and there would

be quite enough for cu1_tivation, that is, of the land ad-

joining the presidio, because the fields can be moved

slightly less than a league to the east-north east where

there are high and superabundant lands (adjoining the pr

idio, for by moving the farm lands sli.ghtlv less than a

league) esic, of the same. quality as those that are now

under cultivation. The reason this presidio is suffering

from so much poverty and hunger, Most Excellent Sefior,, is

due, not to the poorness ofthe land, but to t he failure to

cultivate as much land as possible and also to neglect and

carelessness in making use of the Droduce from scant culti-

vation and to the wastefulness incurred by trading the

harvest to the Indians for fruits and chamois. Nothing is

done to prevent this, and nothing ever will be done unless

a respectable and noble man who can com.mand^.the respect of

the,soldiers is stationed here, for when these soldiers and

113

their jefe or lieutenant are of the same kind, there is no3v

fear of punish//ment nor any reason for good conduct in

many cases, some of which are serious matters and all of

which are,pertinent to the good government and welfare of

this presidio which is so distant from the other presidios,

so defenseless, aid so isolated from every settlement and

all trade and communication that, more than all other

presidios, it is in need of special-ability and judgment

in the management of its affairs in order to avoid the

mockery and slander of alien tongues..

To the second charge I say that, although there are

many true reports in circulation about the scarcity of

water at the presidio because people frequently have found

it salty as a result of the tide from the sea in this

Trinity River on the margin of which the presidio is located.

Notwithstanding the truth of this accusation there is fresh,

clear, and fine water so near the.surface of the earth that

.even the women have dug many wells with only the slight

discomfort of scratching their hands. This water has

served the.troops satisfactorily and.the governor himself

has considered it good and wholesome, having used it all the

time he was here. So it is understood that the opening

of a real well, as has been done in this mission, will

provide an abundance of water for drinking purposes and

111

for other needs of the said mission. The presidio of los

Adais and many other places have no supply of water other

than wells of this kind. The cattle and horses have super--

abundant watering places and pasture lands,and they %/show

the effects of this water and excellent pasture by early

fattening and the short recuperation period required by

horses and mules that arelleft there in a worn out and

exhausted. condition. With regard to the irrigation of

cr®PS; any drawing of water or expense to -te royal treas-

ury is unnecessary since past experience has constantly

revealed that in these lands the said crops are never lost

for lack of rainfall but that they suffer frequently-

because of the continual excess of water.

The third charge is that the location of this

presidio and-mission of Qrconsitas has no timber except

evergreen oaks with an occasional cypress and kp:.i n oak

scattered among them, a nd.I say that this region abounds

in oaks of all kinds, pines, live oaks, cypresses, cedar,'

sassafras, okote pine, laurel,- cottonwood, willow, ash,

etc.,. of all species, and many other kinds- of timber -as ...

well as fruit trees and medicinal shrubs that are very

beneficial, all in abundance and immediate to the presidio.

In view of all the dforesaid it should be pointed out, Most

Excellent SeYlor, t hat these Orcoquisas Indians are patriots

115

of this land and they must°have definite knowledge of

its entire extent, its climate, its characteristics,

and consequently, the ability to choose the part, place,

or site that is best suited to their needs and habili-

tation. Then, -vihen it is known that.the Indians occupy

only this place or location where the presidio and mis-

sion are established, it is a necessary conclusion that+v

this exact spot was chosen by them for their //dwelling

and all this land must be the best, and most suitable,

and adequate for the habitation, stability,and perma-

nent establishment of the people. If, on the contrary,

this land was considered uuninhabitable it would be neces-

sary to abandon this presidio as a vain and superflous

thing because what is bad for the Spaniards must not be

good for the French nor is it necessary to fear that --

these will settle7and which is uninhabitable and finally,

the very fact that Lampen and his companions extablished

themselves here and at no other place proves its superi-

ority and at the same time that it is the perpetual home

of the Indians whom they kept her•e-for their commerce and

tra de .

Now, Most Excellent Sefior, the following disadvan-

tages may result if the presidio and mission are moved.

116

First, it will be difficult to accomplish the principal

purpose for which this presidio and mission were pl.anned

- which was to prevent the French from entering these

lands they have settled to the detriment to the detri-

ment sic of the Royal and Catholic Crown which,graces

the august brow of our sovereign monarch; and we must

recognize the fact that the French or any other nation

will take possession of the same place (since it the

key for entrance), and it would be poorly protected

from los Orconsitos which is three leagues distant5

unless //the measure or plan of daily or weekly in-

spections if adopted for this place; and since it is

eurrently,believed that these said Frenchmen intend

to enter again if the Spaniards abandon this post, the

possibility must not be ignored even though it may not

be a matter entirely agreed upon.

The second disadvantage that may develop is the

delay or failure in achieveing the secondary objective

of this establishment, which is to exalt and spread

His holy-name among these barbaour nations, to rid

them of their blindness and supplant paganism with the

sacred inspiration of the gospel, and it is the reason

why these Orcoquizas Indians are already untied and

congregated in this new mission which was founded and

117

constructed at enormous expense.and by prodigious labor

and to which the Indians themselves contributed with

great zeal and determination; and it is justly feared

that, on seeing the destruction or abandonment of the

result of this labor, they will be confirmed in the

idea they have.formed'that the fathers and the Span-

iardsaare deceiving them because they have yearned

for this mission so long, aid they will say "that some-

times they give security, sometimes they take it away,

instead of seeing that all their desires are fulfilled

by the formal establishment of this mission for its due

effect and ultimate completion, which is sufficient

vcause, //^Most Excellent Se"or, for the very necessary

action of providing people and other necessities for

the maintenance and equipment of these Indians, and

this is the reason they are not yet believers in the

doctrine; and during all this time that these have

been seeking political sacction, Most Excellent SeYor

,ythe mission hasbem suffering and exhausting its subsid

for expenses by remedying some of its many well known

privations and needs, taking from its herd of cattle,

Se2lor,Governor, a large number of breeding cows, one

for our use.and the others for gifts to the Indians in

order to satisfy and attract them all at the price of eight

pesos each, and this fact should convince Your Excellency

118

Sthat these setbacks along with consumption of supplies

make it impossible to attain the qualifications re-

quired for our formal establishment. Now, Most Excellent

S'eftor, for the general welfare it is necessary to stop the

lawless acts of the French who supply these Orcoquizas

.Indians, the Ataca-paz Vidais, the Piluras, and other

nations of the north with ammunition, guns, and other arms

for offense in exchange for other commercial items, among

which are. buffalo hides; and this infamous traffic, Most

Excellent SeY^or, is a disease that has infected the province;

the insolence of the Indians and the loss of so many souls6

has resulted in disregard for //Spanish arms and lack of

respect for the missions; this trade, is the cause of the

rabid hostility of these barbarians, the perpetration of so

many past insults, and at present,'of so many sacrileges

and deplorable sins over which we weep while this damage

goes on without correction. Most Excellent Se.or, the

boldness of these heathens will eventually result in the

irremediable loss of their souls and the impossibility of

their conversion, but Your Excellency shall make the final

decision in this affair and in all others that you may con-

sider important, and always it will be the most wise choice

because I am confident that it will be dictated by the

119

great Christian zeal of Your Excellency, whose important

life I wish God to protect for many yeras. Mission of Nuestra

Sefiora de la Lu., de Orcoquizas, twenty-seventh of Novem-

ber of the year one thousaM seven hundred and fifty-nine.

Most Excellent S or, Your humble servant and devoted

chaplain kneels before you.

Fray Joseph Abad Most Excellent SeElor Viceroy

de Jesds r7aria Don Agustin de. Ahumada

120

S

0

Deepee Cuernavaca, on the tenth of January of

one thousand seven hundred and sixty. To the

Seftor-- Fis-ca-1 for review -so -that_ with - the -great-

est possible brevity he may make his recommendation in

consideration of the fact that this and other plie&os have

so indreased His Majesty's mail. Signed with the rubric

of His Excellency.

Decree

Fiscal ReplyIn conse.quence of Your Excellency's

superior decree of the twelfth of

February of the year of one thousand6v

seven hund.red, fifty-six and //in accord with the Junta

de Guerra y Hacienda, I have resolv-ed-that-on the margins

of the Trinity River in the province of Texas a presidio

shall be established with a garrison of thirty soldiers,

and in that place a mission shall be founded for the

religious instruction and conversion of the Orcoquisas

Indians who'by petitions have requested and solicited it;

and that, likewise, at the mouth of the aforementioned

river, a town shall be founded, and the families who settle

there shall be furnished with all that is necess§Lry for

their establishment.

121

Successive difficulties arose in connection with

the previous reconnaissance made in person by the governor

of the said province who at that time was Don Jazinto de

el Barrio y Jaurdgui. He explained these to Your Excellency

in a consulta on the twentieth of October of the year one

thousand seven hundred, fifty-seven, revealing therein

the misunderstanding that occurred when his lieutenant, Don

Bernardo de Miranda, had informed him that the place called

Santa Rosa de el Alcasar was an advantageous location for

the settlement and the presidio and that north of this

place was another site by the name of el.,Atascosito y las

Tranquillas which was suitable for the settlement and the

presidio which he institued by executing the original

7measures in the affair. But at the same time in the //said

consulta the aforesaid governor did not report-whether

moving the presidio and settlement to the places he

designated as suitable and appropriate would accomplish

the purposes for which the establishment was intended, which

was to convert the Vidais and Orcoquisas Indians and to

prevent the passage and entrance of the French. By Your

Excelleney's superior decree of the fourth,of.March of

the year Cone thomsand seven hundred,:^'`fifty-eight the order

was given for a formal reconnaissance of the lands and

122

8

0

places which he considered advantageous and he was to

report whether the object of the foundation of the settle-

ment and presidio could be achieved in those places. Be-

fore this report was made in the consulta of the second of

May of the year one thousand seven hundred, fifty-eight,

the governor himself presented the advantages.found in

another location on the San Jacinto River, but he did not

then explain whether the purpose for which the presidio

and mission were intended could be accomplished there. He

had not received Your Excellency's superior order which

4ppears to have been missent, and thus it was necessary

that it.be repeated to,effect the report which his successor

in the aforementi-oned government has finally made, explain-

ing in his preceding consulta of the twelfth of last December

all the advantages and accomodations of the place known as

los'Horconsitas of which he made a formal reconnaissance,

but he has not enclosed the proceedings which he executed,7v

and he proceeds to propose other means //or practical

methods which should be properly presented after it has

been decided whether the said presidio and settlement

should be moved.from the location which was_first agreed

upon for its establishment. At the same time and on the

same subject, under date of the twenty-seventh of November,

Father Fray Joseph Abad de Jests Maria, residencer in the

123

8

mission of Nuestra Seftora de la Luz de Horcoquisa, makes

a report and encloses therewith a list containing the names

of one hundred and sixteen persons of the Orcoquisa nation

who are living in that mission and are happily situated

there; he sets forth the advantages of the tract, also

stating that the labor of the people, cattle,,and horses

has overcome the difficulties created by the abundance

of ants and mosquitoes to the extent that one third of

the hardships first experienced there at the time of settle-

ment have been removed and that other defects and incon-

veniences, unfavorable to the existence of the mission,

settlement, and town, have been alleviated; he proceeds

to consider the difficulties that would result from the

removal, among which is the desertion of the Indians; and

,,he sa^d, their instruction has been delayed for these

reasons and because the mission has not yet been legalized

nor p8o.vided with stock and the necessary}equipment.

So //after havimg received the context of both reports,

and as seemingly sufficient reports were taken at the beginn-

ing.;and there was no diversity of opinion, the difficulties men-

tioned have since developed with regard to the establishment of

the presidio, mission, and settlement in the place that.was then

considered suitable, and it can be assumed that the growth of

124

the opposition indicates that new difficulties and obstacles

have arisen which may delay the execution of the said projects.

So we proceed at once to a final decision without clarify-

ing this point and determining the greatest advantage offeredthe

for the accomplishment of/main objective by locating the

presidio, settlement and missions in one place or another

but that can be obtained when the governor is informed of8v

explanation made by the said //missionary father and of the

solution of the problems and difficulties which have mo-

tivated the removal of the presidio from its location at

Santa Rosa to one of those suggested. I shall report what-

ever he considers advisable and this agreeable procedure is

made more necessary when it is considered that the said

removal is undertaken only because of the °_ixnavoidable ne-

cessity that'has been created by t he existing d3s.advantages and

when he is assured that these have ceased there is no other

course to decide upon especially when elsewhere it is noted

that the reconnaissance of-the other places that have been

considered suitable is presented iki:thout duly formalizing

the proceedings of the reconnaissance.

For these reasons you will plaase order that a cer-

tified copy of the aforementioned report of the said

missionary Father be sent to the said governor in oi°der

that when he is informed of all the statements therein and

125

has closely noted the objections which he says will ensue,

he shall state whether he yet considers the removal

necessary and expedient and all the.rest that is relevant

to this affair. Mexico, on the fifth of February of one

thousand seven hundred sixty.

sMarq. de Aranda

9//Note: Most Excellent Sefiors In this letter the

governor of the province of Texas states to Your Excellency

that he has no one whom he considers qualified to make the

purchase of the cattle and effects which are to be distri-

buted to the families who are are to settle and establish

themselves on the margins of the Trinity River and He will

not be able to attend personally to this or the recruiting

of the said families. For this reason he is apprehensive

of unfortunate results and to free him of this responsi-

bility he asks you to relieve him of thischarge and confer

it upon someone who can guarantee its fulfillment. Although

the establ'ishment of the settlement was agreed upon by the

Junta de Guerra y Hacienda on the third of March of the

year of one thousand seven hundred3fifty-seven, it has

126

been delayed up to the present time because of difficulties

and nmpediments that have occurred and they have been pre-

sented in conjunction with the places considered for the

prospective location; from the last reports made on this

affair by the present governor and the Father president

of that mission'it is evident that they do not concur in their

opinions; and in view of the aforesaid reports, the Fiscal

in a separate reply on this date requests the expedient measure

which will enable him to make the most suitable decision in

regard to the selection of the place where the settlement shall

be located and also decide whether the mission is to remain9V

in the place-//where the Indians are congregated or whether it

is to be moved on the basis of the governor's report.

For this reason the immediate purchase of cattle and

effects and the conveyance of the families who are to settle

.become less urgent. In fact, it is preferable that they be

deferred until the location of the establishment is decided

upon and announced. So there is now no objection to the ad-

mission of the excuse of the aforesaid governor and the

appointment by Your Excellency of a person to make the pur-

chase of the said cattle and effects and to recruit the

fifty families: twenty-five who are Spanish and twenty-five

who are Tlascaltedesl in the manner.that was decided upon _the

in the said Junta, and/pre-enactment of this measure may

127

hasten the ultimate selection of the site. The families

who are to settle can be transported more promptly, they

can be recruited with greater ease and opportunity, and it will

be possible to select those who are deszrable and have the

necessary qualifications for the growth and permanence of

the settlement. Therefore, in consideration of the just

causes which excuse the aforementioned governor from the10

proposed du//ty,, Your Excellency will kindly relieve him

of the commitment and entrust it to the person whom hethe purchase of

considers qualified to make the the said

cattle and the recruitment of the families, giving orders

to the effect to the one whom he shall designate for this

commi.ssion, and in execution thereof the appointee shall be

governed by the resolutions of the said Junta. And in order

that the distribution be made with impartiality and the

avoidance of discord, injury, and dissatisfaction ori the

part of those interested, you will please order that when

the case has reached the stage of actual execution after

completion of the causes in the preceding representation,

it shall be executed by the governor as he proposes. Mexico,

on the fifth of February of one thousand seven hundred

sixty.

Marquez de Aranda

128

SMexico, fifth of March of one thousand seven

Decree.hundred sixty, according to the recommendation

of the Setor Fiscal in his preceding reply, the

purchase of the cattle and effects which are to be distri-

buted to the families who will settle on the margins of

the Trinity River is not urgent until the location of the

establishment has been determined, and in order that the

presentation of the excuse by the governor of the province

of Texas should not require official action, for the

present I suspend the resolution which must be taken on

this point, and when the said governor considers it ne-

cessary,.he shall be responsible for the purchase of the

cattle, and effects and the rest that is assigned to him.

Prepare and send to him a certified copy of the preceding

reply, of this decree, and of the explanation made by

the Sefior Fiscal in answer to the report of the governorlOv

wherein he states that the place //called los Horconsitos

has $ll::the advantages and accommodations necessary for

the settlement, the presidio, and the missions, and with

which I am in agreement. Let these be written and sent to

the governor, for his information and for his execution.

Signed with the rubric of the Sefior Captain General.

129

It agrees with the originals in the ficio de Gobierno

de Guerra which is in my charge and to which I remit, and

I give the present in due evidence thereof. Mexico,

fourteenth of March of one thousand seven hundred and sixty.

Interlined: - the purchase of - valid.

Joseph de Gorraez.

Official ..Rubric,

,C.C.1 November 277 1759,-14arch 5, 1760, pp. 1-10v,