,.,
Our Catltolic Heritage iti Texas
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supplied us with more than one hundred baptisms in articulo niortis. With the epidemic, the knowledge of our Lord has spread and the party of Satan has suffered much." Touched by the superhuman efforts of his fellow-missionaries, Father Espinosa asked the Guardian at the College of Queretaro to thank each one personally for the splendid work they were doing among the Tejas, "for with the exception of myself," he declared with true Christian humility and charity, "all are exerting themselves to the limit of their strength . . . I hope our good Jesus will strengthen us in this enterprise." Although the Padres had waited patiently almost two years for all the Indians to follow the example of the few and to come and live in the missions, they still had implicit faith in the ultimate success of their efforts. "The Indians are very well pleased with us and give good reason to hope that they will congregate. The only thing lacking is a suitable leader who will sponsor the cause." Ramon was doing everything he could and was cooperative, declared Father Espinosa, but he lacked vigor in his efforts because he was expecting to be removed in the near future. He pointed out that from the faded color of the ink, it was easy to infer how badly he needed a piece of huisache and some copperas to make new ink. The best antidote for the prevailing sickness of this region, Father Espinosa had found, was cassia fistula and tamarind. He pleadingly asked the Guardian of the College to send a supply of these two remedies with the messenger. 42 A tiempts to relieve tlte missions. Why had the supplies ordered to relieve the distress of the garrison and the missionaries been delayed? Before Alarcon left Mexico City in December, 1716, he had been pro- vided with the sum of four thousand pesos to satisfy the requirements for the missions of East Texas. This sum was in excess of the amount ordered for the equipment and establishment of the mission of Father Olivares on the San Antonio River. But being slow and dilatory, and hoping, perhaps, to set out sooner than he did, the new governor did not decide to send a relief party to remedy the acute situation until November 17, 1717, at which time he began preparations to dispatch a group of fifteen soldiers and Father Fray Miguel Nunez de Haro of the College of Zacatecas, to conduct a train of supplies to East Texas.u It was December when the detachment finally left the Rio Grande. Winter 42 /bid. 43 Hc so declared in a testimony sent to the viceroy (Directorio que ha de obsen·ar ... Provindas lnternas, Vol. 183), but in the Diary it is stated that the party with the supplies did not leave until December. Diary of Alarti11 de Alarcon, 5.
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