Escandon and Settlement of Lower Rio Grande, 1738-1779
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combined to bring about the reduction of the Cujanes, a generic term applied, it seems, to at least four tribes of the Karankawa family, namely, the Cujanes, Guapites, Copanes, and Carancaguaces (Karankawas proper). It was the result of the combined but rival efforts of the zealous mis- sionaries of the Colleges of Queretaro and Zacatecas, which after more than twenty years made possible the congregation of these Indians at La Bahia and made it necessary at last to found a new mission authorized by the viceroy on April 7, 1755. But even before the official stamp of approval was given to the venture the new mission had been actually established, so that Mission Nuestra Senora Maria Santisima del Rosario may truthfully be said to have been founded in fact in November, 1754. 51 Early in 1750, Fray Mariano de los Dolores, President of the Queretaran missions in San Antonio, conceived the idea of refilling the depleted ranks of the neophytes of his missions, decimated by a recent epidemic, with Indians from the coast. The Cujanes (spelled also Coxans, Cojanes and Cujan), a numerous tribe that lived in the vicinity of the old site of La Bahia on the Guadalupe, were friends of the Cocos and had been visited by Queretaran missionaries in the past. This nation had refused, however, all efforts to be congregated at Mission Nuestra Senora de la Bahia del Espiritu Santo. The zealous friar could see no objection to their conversion by his college in view of the failure of the Zacatecans. He, therefore, sent a Coco messenger with presents and invitations to the Cujanes to come to live in San Antonio. The Indians seem to have welcomed the invitation and late in March or early in April, 1751, fifty-five warriors started for San Antonio by way of Santa Dorotea. On April 8, two neophytes from Espiritu Santo Mission discovered the party in the vicinity and noted that they had killed some mission cattle. They reported the matter to the captain of the presidio, who sent out his lieutenant with five soldiers and fourteen mission Indians to ascertain the intentions of the Cujanes. When they were found, the Cujanes discharged two arrows and surrendered. They were taken to the Presidio of La Bahia, now at Santa Dorotea, where they explained they were going to the San Antonio missions. Both the captain and Father Fray Joseph Gonzalez treated them with great kindness and told them they could go on to San Antonio if they wished, or stay at La Bahia. According to Father Gonzalez and Captain Ramirez de la Piszina, they decided to stay at Mission Espiritu Santo of their own free will. But Fathers Fray
58 Ramirez de la Piszina to the Viceroy, January 15, 17 55. A. G. M., Historia, vol. 287, pp. 71-74.
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