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,