01'r Catliolic Heritage in Texas
end of July, 1746. Impatiently he exclaimed: "A thing most unnatural, it seems, that the missionaries should have to exhaust themselves in securing permission to undertake that which the king our lord ardently desires and all Christians pray to His Divine Majesty for, the conversion of the gentile to our holy faith." He declared that there were more Indians gathered at San Xavier already than in all the missions at San Antonio. Furthermore several chiefs had recently gone to their country to bring their respective nations, who were probably there by now. In addition to the Yojuanes, Mayeyes, and Yerbipiames there were Indians from the Tlacopieles, Nacogdoches, Ancoses, Tops, Cacaos (Cocos?). A thias, Apapaxes, Cancepnes, Arayamis (Aranames?), Nadacos, Tancaguas {Tonkawas), Hiscas, Casos, Quisis (Quitseys), Athanacaguas, Athas- acmeas, Pataises, Geotes, Athiasnogues, Taguacanas {Tawakonis). Tanicos, Tahuais (Taovayas ?) , Aguites, Deadoses, Bidais, and Ainais. Many of these had come to see how the neophytes would be treated in the new missions in order to go and bring their families also. The corn, pumpkins, and other things planted were doing well, but no crop would be harvested, because the multitude gathered, urged by hunger or impelled by their natural appetites, had already eaten all the pumpkins, having discovered that they were g?od when roasted. They would doubtless do the same with the corn as soon as the roasting ears were ready, leaving none to mature. Consequently supplies for the fall and winter should be provided now. Everything that could be spared in San Antonio had been sent. In order to obtain some more, Fray Mariano now presented an account of the expenses incurred for this purpose up to the present. He urged the Guardian of Queretaro to request that the viceroy reimburse the College for this amount, regardless of the final approval or disapproval of the projected missions. The amount would serve to secure new supplies in the meantime. Should a favorable decision be reached soon, adequate provisions for the first year should be requested to avoid the necessity of allowing the new converts to forage in the woods. This practice taught them bad habits in the beginning which were difficult to break. He concluded by saying that all the pertinent information to justify the founding of the proposed missions had been submitted and that to add to this was superfluous. The establishment of a presidio in connection with the missions was indispensable to their success. Granting that the presidio should result in no material advan~ages to the king, if it did nothing more than make possible the conversion of the numerous Indians
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