011r C atl1olic Heritage in T e:xas
Guapites, and Karankawas and that the time had come for the erection of a new mission for them with royal aid. Father Camberos went to Mexico City early in 1754 to present the case of the new mission. In April he appeared before the viceroy and explained that for two years the Indians recently congregated had waited patiently for the establish- ment of a mission for them, and that of late they had become more insistent. The Cujanes, Guapites, Copanes, and Karankawas spoke a different tribal language, had different customs, and were not on good terms with the Xaranames and Tamiques at Mission Espiritu Santo. He had come to request, therefore, the accustomed aid for the establish- ment of a new mission. This should entail no expense on the royal treasury. He pointed out that five missionaries from the College of Zacatecas were assigned to Missions Nuestra Senora de los Dolores de los Ais, San Miguel de los Adaes, and Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe de los Nacogdoches. In his opinion there was no need for two missionaries at Dolores de los Ais. One of those assigned to this mission could be transferred with all the ornaments and mission equipment to La Bahia to found the new establishment for the Cujanes. The other could move to Guadalupe de los Nacogdoches to join the missionary there, and from this location take care of its former wards among the Ais, who were fourteen leagues from Nacogdoches. If the plan suggested met with the approval of the viceroy, he should instruct the governor of Texas to furnish the necessary escort for the removal of the mission property at Los Ais to La Bahia. 63 This proposal, which amounted to the suppression of the old Mission of Nuestra Senora de los Dolores de los Ais in East Texas, was not viewed favorably by the Fiscal. He questioned the advisability, and asked for a more detailed report as to the number of families at Los Ais and the actual distance to Nacogdoches. On May 6, Fray Camberos replied. He declared that there were some thirty or forty families with about two hundred persons. But these had been indifferent for more than thirty years. They could be induced perhaps to move to the rancherias of their kinsmen, the Ahijitos, who lived only two leagues from Nacogdoches. On the other hand the Cujanes, Guapites, and Karankawas numbered five hundred warriors without including the women and children. It was a matter of neglecting in part the few and indifferent Ais for the more numerous and willing Cujanes. He urged, therefore, the approval of his
63Piszina to the Viceroy, December 30, I 7 53; Fray Camberos to the Viceroy, April 29, 1754. Historia, v. 287, pp. 36-40.
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