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01'r Catliolic Heritage in Texas
The Guardian definitely assigned Frays Giraldo de Terreros and Juan Hernandez to Mission Valero. Father Benito was to use his judgment in assigning the others. Two of the new missionaries might require special direction, Fray Mariano Anda and Fray Salvador de Amaya, who were young and inexperienced. Fray Mariano de los Dolores could take as many Indian families as were necessary from the established missions at San Antonio or the Rio Grande to help the Pad,-es at San Xavier in erecting the new missions and instructing the neophytes in the manual tasks of mission life. Such stock and supplies as were needed should be taken from the same source and paid back when possible in any form. The new missionaries appear to have set out for Texas soon after the new Guardian informed Fray Benito of their appoint- ment. On June 13, 1748, they arrived in San Antonio, but it seems the supply train did not leave Queretaro or the Rio Grande on time, for which reason they could not proceed to San Xavier. Father Benito wrote to the viceroy on June 24, to inform him of these facts. He remonstrated that it would be impossible, therefore, to carry out the decree of December, 1747, in which it was ordered that three missions be founded within eight months. The required supplies would not arrive now until October or November. At least six hundred fanegas of corn and the corresponding allotment of cattle, sheep, and goats would be needed for each mission. He assured the viceroy he would gladly carry out the order received at the first opportunity .u Unavoidable delay. Reason for the need of a ,Presidio. Fray Benito took occasion at this time to explain why the missionaries had originally asked for only thirty men to guard the missions and why he now desired a regular presidio with a garrison of not less than fifty soldiers. At first it was the intention of the friars to found the new missions in the land of the Indians to be congregated; that is, in the country along the lower Trinity, the Brazos, and the Gulf coast. These regions had never been frequented by the Apaches. But a reconnaissance had disclosed that there was no suitable site for missions in that area. It was then that the missionaries had induced the various tribes to congregate at San Xavier by offering them - here are taken from a letter of Fray Francisco Xavier Castellanos to Fray Benito, 'March JI, 174 g_ A,divodel Colegio (Dunn Transcripts, 1716-1749), and Schmidt, Franciscan Mi.ssionarus in Te:cas, 7• B I F , d de Santa Anna to the Viceroy, Arclsivo del Colegio (Dunn
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"Fray en to eman ez Transcripts, 1716-1749).
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