Our Catholic Heritage in Texas
coast, it was highly advisable that the governor should establish on the banks of this river, near the mission, a settlement of Spaniards with at least thirty families from among the soldiers and those who accompanied the expedition. Such as chose to settle were to be given all the rights and privileges accorded by His Majesty to first settlers, and they were to receive lands, water rights, and wood rights as provided by law. The number was to be increased later to one hundred families, which was considered the minimum required for the firm establishment of this important post. The men who now chose to establish themselves as per- manent settlers with their families were to be allowed their full pay as soldiers "for the very just reason of being engaged in an actual military expedition and obliged to be always ready for military service, exposed to the possible invasion of enemies who may attack them by land or sea, and particularly to the barbarous nation of the Apaches that infests that region .. . as a result of which they must always be prepared for defence." The settlers were to court the friendship of all the Indians in the neighborhood so that in case of attack by either foreign invaders or the Apaches, they could have the support of the well-disposed tribes. After establishing the mission or missions and the civil settlement on the San Antonio River, Alarcon was to proceed as rapidly as possible to the presidio and missions established in East Texas, where with the advice and approval of Father Fray Antonio Margi} de Jesus and his com- panions, he was to leave as many soldiers and families to assist the mis- sionaries in congregating the Indians in the missions already founded and in erecting such new ones as were deemed necessary. The soldiers that were to be left among the Tejas should be chosen from those who had families, to avoid the troubles experienced in the past and the complaints of the Indians. All the soldiers left to guard the missions were to be under the orders of Father Margil and his missionaries. Here, as in San Antonio, kindness and gentleness were to be the means of congregating the Indians, whose friendship was to be won by fair treatment and timely gifts. Every effort was to be made to prevent the extension of French influence among them. Throughout the instructions the military members were subordinated entirely to the missionaries. It was clearly the inten- tion of the authorities that the soldiers should aid and lend their support to the religious instead of hindering their work. The primary purpose of this expedition was to foster missionary activity and to win the respect and confidence of the Indians. When the objects of the expedition as outlined were attained, when the
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