273
Establishment and Early Progress of San Xavier Missions
New disappointments. Misfortune seemed to haunt the newborn mission. Hardly had the work begun in earnest when Fray Mariano, who had labored incessantly for years, was overtaken by sickness, weakened and worn-out with fatigue. In April he was obliged to retire to San Antonio, where he remained ill for several months. When he withdrew he left Fray Francisco Cayetano Aponte to carry on the work. This friar seems to have been the first regular minister in charge of the first per- manent mission on the San Xavier River. On May 4, he wrote Fray Mariano that two days before more than sixty Apaches had attacked the! establishment, ransacked the houses, and attempted to stampede the horses. The soldiers and about two hundred Indians had succeeded in driving away the enemy. As they left, a Yojuane Indian who had been a captive among the Apaches, overheard them say they would return in greater numbers to destroy the entire settlement. A short distance away the retreating Apaches met two mission Indians who had gone to get buffalo. They not only killed them, but with their accustomed ferocity, cut them to pieces and cleaned their bones. Fray Aponte said that this incident and the small number of troops had greatly discouraged the mission Indians who were seriously contemplating abandoning the site. 36 The threat was fulfilled the next day, whe'n they succeeded in taking the horses when they deserted the mission. Fray Mariano was in San Antonio at this time. Early in April, shortly after the establishment of Mission San Francisco Xavier, the zealous missionary appears to have suffered a serious accident that forced him to abandon the work and to seek treat- ment and rest in San Antonio. Although confined to bed, he appealed by petition to Captain Urrutia for aid. Urrutia expressed his regret on May 7, explaining that the only sixteen men he could spare had gone to La Bahia to escort the new governor, to whom he was forwarding the petition.' 1 Rumblings of the controversy over the San Xavier missions had evidently prejudiced Governor Pedro del Barrio y Espriella before he arrived in Texas. To the communication of Urrutia, he replied sh_arply reprimanding him for having forwarded the petition and telling him that the king was more in need of his sword than of his pen. At the 16 Memorial of Fray Mariano, May 7, 1748, in o,;. cu. 11 Urrutia to the Governor, May 7, 1748. Arcliivo a,l Col,gio (Dunn Transcripts, l 7 l 6-17 49), Opposition of Governor Barrio.
Powered by FlippingBook