Our Cat/1olic Heritage in Texas
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respect the rights of all parties concerned. He thereupon immediately summoned Father Olivares, the Indians from the Mission of San Antonio de Valero, Father Margil, the Indians of the Pampopa, Suliajame, and Pastia nations, Captain Cardenas, who was now in San Antonio with eighty soldiers, Nicolas Flores, and Captain Lorenzo Garcia, the last two having had experience in such matters. 34 Founding of San Jose Mission. When all the parties summoned had assembled, Captain Lorenzo Garcia, who understood the language of the natives, acted as interpreter. He told the Indians who were about to be congregated, that they wer~ going to receive the land and water from His lVIajesty who expected them to live in the new mission. He then explained to them the routine of mission life and all their different rights and duties. Both Fathers Olivares and Margil witnessed the explanation. Captain Valdez now invited all the persons present to go with him to select a site for the new establishment in accord with the orders of Governor Aguayo and the laws of the Indies. Father Olivares, who was old and sickly, asked to be excused, and sent Father Fray Joseph Guerra to represent the interests of the College of Queretaro. Captain Valdez, Fathers Margil and Guerra, Alferez Nicolas Flores, and Captain Alonso Cardenas and Lorenzo Garda, followed by a group of Indians, made their way along the river until they came to a spot where Father Margil thought an irrigation ditch could be dug. Here they were met by Fathers Fray Agustin Patron and Fray Miguel Nunez de Haro, who had built a hut of straw at this place, which had been chosen by the missionaries and the Indians for the proposed mission. Here they met also the chiefs of the three nations that were going to be congregated. Joining Captain Valdez's group, they all walked through the fields for a distance of about three-quarters of a league, along the route where the irrigation ditch or acequia was to be constructed. "And seeing how all the fields were covered with grass, heavy timber, and firewood, with the river close at hand affording good watering places for sheep, goats, cattle, and horses; and everybody having agreed that the best location for the church of the new pueblo was on an elevated, spacious, and very level plain just traversed, I asked all those who were accom- panying me how many leagues it was from here to the Mission of San Antonio Valero and all answered by saying that it was a little more than three leagues. Knowing this to be true, I alighted from my horse
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