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Our Catholic Heritage m Texas
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Captain Urrutia explained that he had no experts, but that he was sending Joseph Flores, Geronimo Flores, and Antonio Ximenez, who were the best men he had for the purpose. The men must have arrived in San Xavier on or before December 22, for on that day and the next they went with Rabago y Teran, the missionaries, and soldiers of the garrison to explore both banks of the river as far as Santa Maria and Paso de los Apaches. A hill located a short distance from the river and not far from Paso de los Apaches, near which there was a small lake or large pool, was thought suitable, since it dominated the surrounding country and had convenient timber nearby. It was, therefore, chosen for the erection of the presidio. On December 24 the hill was surveyed and the plan brought by Rabago for the presidio was laid out on the ground with stakes. Everything looked promising. But before beginning the actual construction, Rabago suddenly ordered an investigation and requested nine witnesses to give testimony. Among those who testified between December 27 and January 14 were Geronimo Flores, Antonio Ximenez, Juan Joseph Flores, Diego Ramon, Manuel de la Garza, Manuel de Barreda, and Joseph Guerra. They all declared in varying terms that the land in the vicinity was not irrigable, that the river in times of flood covered all the arable lands, that in time of drought the river almost dried up, and that dry farming had been found impracticable. They further declared that it offered no facilities for the maintenance of a presidio or civil settlement, there being neither appropriate land, nor water, nor stone, nor lime, nor timber, nor pastures for the horses and the raising of stock. On January 16, 1752, Rabago formally informed the viceroy of the adverse conditions he had found for the establishment of the presidio and a civil settlement on the banks of the San Xavier River. In his opinion the missions themselves, already established, could not be main- tained in this locality. Thus the painstaking investigation of Eca y Musquiz was discredited and the whole question reopened. The testimony secured by Rabago, however, is highly questionable in view of his unfavorable attitude towards the project and his public animosity against the missionaries, as will be shown in the course of this chapter. Returning to the report sent to the viceroy, Rabago explained that in accord with his instructions he had made a careful examination of conditions and found that the permanent occupation of the San Xavier was impractical. There was no hope of ever raising sufficient corn to feed the Indians of the missions. The interest of the natives in the
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