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Our Catlzolic Heritage in T e:xas
Progress made by missions from 1731 to 1740. Undaunted by their severe trials, the missionaries never lost heart. Even before the rigors of the epidemic abated, they began to go out into the woods, escorted by soldiers, to induce the runaways to return and to attract others to come to live in the missions. Their efforts proved successful. By the close of 1740 San Antonio de Valero had again two hundred and thirty-eight Indians; Concepcion had two hundred and ten; San Francisco de la Espada one hundred and twenty-one; and San Juan Capistrano one hundred and sixty-nine. Between the four Queretaran missions and San Jose, they had nine hundred and eighty-seven Indians congregated, many of them baptized and the others being instructed both in the tenets of our faith and the manners and habits of civilized life. 70 In his report to the viceroy, Urrutia, who had lived in San Antonio since its establishment, gave a detailed account of the work and policies of the missionaries up to this time. He declared that he had observed the great care exercised by the Padres in all matters both spiritual and temporal. He explained how the zealous missionaries instructed the neophytes in the doctrina twice a day, in the morning and in the afternoon; how they taught them to plant and harvest their crops by personal example; how they were ever solicitous that the Indians in the missions should want for nothing, either in food or in clothing; how the surplus grain raised was exchanged for clothing, tobacco, implements for the fields, household utensils, and tools; how they gave very light tasks at first to the Indians just brought into the missions to incline them gradually to work and to accustom them to systematic effort; and how the patient sons of Saint Francis showed them great love and kindness at all times. He pointed out that frequently the royal allowance of four hundred and fifty ,pesos given to each missionary for his personal needs, was used to secure things for the comfort and welfare of the Indians. He said that the missionaries had medicine chests, that they administered those that were needed to the sick, and that there was a missionary who looked after the afflicted. In summing up their work, he assured the viceroy that the Padres did everything in their power to make the neophytes satisfied and contented. Provincias lnternas, vol. 32; Prudencio Orobio y Basterra to Fray Benito de Santa Ana, July 8, 1740, Archivo del Colegio de la Santa Cruz, 1716-1749 (Dunn Tran- scripts, University of Texas). Fray Benito de Santa Ana to Fray Pedro del Barco, February 20, 1740. A.G. M., Historia, vol. 28. 71 Toribio de Urrutia to the Viceroy, December 17, 1740. A. G. M., Provincias /nternas, vol. 32.
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