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Ottr Catlzolic Heritage in Texas
soldiers made the natives impudent. The failure of the garrison to per- form their duty was the "reason which has caused the heathen to be living in the missions as if they were in the woods, since it is impossible for the Fathers, unless the natives have respect for arms, to check them in their abominable rites or dispo5e them to the labor indispensable to the preservation of life. Therefore, we have been caused excessive trouble. The very little that has been accomplished has been effected through the force of persuasion, unaided by the least respect for the soldiers. Thus it is that up to the present the Indians have recognized no authority." 16 Second desertion of Mission San lldefo11so, August, I750. "A more pernicious pest [than smallpox]," says Fray Arricivita, "were four Indians sent by the Tejas and the Nabeclaches, who came to convoke all the nations [to join] in a general campaign against the Apaches." It seems that these evil emissaries, whose presence in San Ildefonso was destined to result in such dire consequences, came with Carbajal from Los Adaes in June, when this officer was sent to replace the guards from that post. There followed secret meetings, long vigils, and general unrest among the neophytes. On August 2, the Ais and Asinais (Tejas tribes) arrived and were joined by the Cadodachos, Nabedaches, and Yojuanes shortly afterwards. They declared that the "capitan grande" (big chief) Sanchez Teja was on the way with the Tawakoni, Yatasi, Kichai, Naconi, Tonkawa, and many other tribes who were on the warpath. Meetings were held by day and by night and gradually the unrest among the neo- phytes of San Ildefonso grew. The throb of the war drums was too much. They quietly left in August for the woods in a body. Some of the women and children, the ,padre wrote, had told him not to worry, that they were not angry with him or dissatisfied with the mission, that they would return in two months. "I do not doubt it," he says, "because necessity will force them to seek the comforts of mission life." 17 The same missionary observes that among the Indians who came to arouse the neophytes there was one who looked very much like a French- man; who wore a three-c.ornered hat and who refused to speak to him in spite of four distinct attempts to engage him in conversation. "He was 16Fray Mariano to Francisco de la Cerda, October 14, 17 50. Arcl,ivo del Co/egio, 6 (D Tr) Pp I 1 I 5 • Morli Memorias, Ms., Book 8, paragraph 48 • 1750-17 7 unn . , - , , . , Fray Mariano to Galvan, April 12, 1750, in Arc/1ivo del Coleg,o, 1750-1767, pp. 4-6. 17Letter quoted by Arricivita in his Ckronica, 329.
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