Establislmrent and Early Progress of San Xavier iJfissions
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such as the lands of the Apaches, who had recently begun to solicit missions in their country for their people.I• Having made an effort to win the approval of the Auditor for the San Xavier project, and having suggested two plans by which the same results could be accomplished, Fray Ortiz made an earnest entreaty that the project be officially approved and ordered put into execution. Further delay might defeat the whole purpose. He explained that the College of Queretaro, trusting that the project would be approved, had spent considerable amounts in providing all the supplies possible to keep the Indians that had gathered at San Xavier congregated. He now presented a detailed account of the expenses and begged the viceroy to order the payment of this amount by the royal treasury to enable the missionaries in San Antonio to continue to keep the Indians together at San Xavier until the matter was definitely decided.I' Provisional approval of t/1-e mission project on the San Xavier, February z4, z747. Slowly the contradictory evidence concerning the proposed missions on the San Xavier River had accumulated. In view of the opinions and evidence submitted as to the advisability of erecting new missions, the fitness of the site chosen, and the needs for the new establishments, the viceroy finally gave his official but temporary approval to the project in so far as the missions were concerned, on February 14, 1747. In an order issued to the Governor of Texas and the captain of the Presidio de Bejar he instructed the former to detail at once ten soldiers from Los Adaes to the San Xavier River to defend and protect the Indians gathered there and the missionaries against the Apaches. The men were to be instructed to cooperate with the missionaries in every particular and to help them erect the necessary buildings for the mission or missions to be founded. The governor was further instructed to choose the ten men with special care, appointing those of good moral character, known to be zealous in the performance of their duties, intelligent, industrious, and willing. They should be ordered strictly to respect the missionaries and to help them in the instruction of the new converts in the various tasks. The captain at 18As early as 1743, the missionaries at San Antonio began to sponsor the founding of missions for the Apaches. At this time ( 1746) the petitions for such missions were being pressed insistently. This movement, which eventually resulted in the founding of San Saba Mission, is discussed in a subsequent chapter. 19 Memori~l of Fray Francisco Xavier Ortiz presented to the Viceroy, October Io, 1746. Arcluvo del Colegio de la Santa Cruz (Dunn Transcripts, 1716-1749). Cf. Bolton, Te:eas in tire Middle Eighteenth Century, 171-173.
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