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111issionary Activity Among tlze Apaches, I743-I758
after had dispatched two missionaries to look after them. He felt confident that if the new mission was approved all the former neophytes of San Francisco Xavier would join it. But it was necessary that royal support should be given to this enterprise to purchase food, clothing, and other things sorely needed for the formal establishment of the mission.'° On January 22, 1757, Fray Mari.ano again appealed to Ortiz Parrilla, who three days later visited the Congregaci6n de San Francisco Xavier on the Guadalupe River accompanied by Fray Mariano, Manuel Antonio Bustillo y Ceballos, Diego Ramon, and Antonio Rivas. He found four Spanish families living there in jacales. The Indians, forty-one in num- ber, were being instructed by Fray Miguel de Aranda and Fray Francisco Aparicio, formerly stationed on the San Xavier. A Mayeye Indian named Pablo was the governor of the Indian pueblo. Upon being questioned by Ortiz Parrilla, he declared that the Guadalupe River was not his country nor that of the other Indians gathered at the site, but that they were satisfied to live here; that the padres furnished them food and clothing and taught them the Christian doctrine. The land was good and there was sufficient water for irrigation. They had come here at the request of the missionaries, whom they knew when they were at San Xavier. Mar,y others of their people now roaming in the woods would come to live in the mission when this was formally established. In making his report, Ortiz Parrilla testified that the site was fifteen leagues from San Antonio, that the river ran from north to south, that the water was abundant, and that there were a number of springs nearby at the foot of a rocky range of hills. He had explored the river for two leagues and found excellent timber as well as good land for cultivation and pastures. Encouraged by the favorable opinion of Colonel Ortiz Parrilla, Fray Mariano decided that the best way to secure official approval and aid to insure the success of his long cherished mission on the Guadalupe, was to include it in the number of new missions to be founded under the terms of the Romero de Terreros gift. 71 . He therefore immediately petitioned Father Fray Alonso Giraldo de Terreros, now in San Antonio making arrangements to proceed to found Apache missions on the San Saba. Fray Alonso denied the request. He justified his refusal by saying that the intention of the contemplated missions he was to found was to care for 70EJ P. Fr. Mariano pidio a Parrilla Missn. en Guadalupe con los Yndios de las Miss. de San Xavier. In Ibid., pp. 184-188. 71For the terms see page 38:1 et seq.
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