Aguayo Expedition and San Josi Mission, I7I9-I722
141
that St. Denis did not feel exactly safe among the Spaniards," declares Miss Buckley, with much reason. 67 It is to be remembered that he had fled from Mexico City; that orders had come from the king for his deportation to Guatemala, together with his wife; and that he was sus- pected of the attack on Los Adaes. 68 He was naturally uneasy of the reception that might be accorded him by the Spaniards and seems to have desired an opportunity to talk confidentially to Father Espinosa and the other missionaries who had always been his friends. From them he must have found out that night what had transpired in the last few years in Mexico. Perhaps he became convinced of the determination of Aguayo to demand that the French evacuate the province of Texas. The following morning, on August 1, the Marquis of Aguayo called all the captains and other officers together for a council of war in his tent. St. Denis was sent for and asked to state frankly the purpose of his visit. He replied that he was now the commander of the post at Natchitoches; that he had received information from Mobile that a truce had been negotiated between the two nations and that a conclusive peace had been signed; that he wanted to know if His Lordship intended to observe peace, in which case he, St. Denis, would do likewise. To this Aguayo answered that in accordance with the instructions given him by the viceroy, he was resolved to observe the truce faithfully, provided St. Denis and his men immediately evacuated the entire province of Texas and retired to Natchitoches, without impeding or trying to impede, directly or indirectly, the reoccupation of all that had been previously possessed by His Majesty, the King of Spain, up to and including Los Ad.:tes. In view of the firm purpose of the Spanish commander, St. Denis reluctantly agreed to abandon Los Adaes. In vain he tried to discourage the Spaniards from establishing at Los Adaes, pointing out the unhealth- fulness of the climate and the poor quality of the soil. The superior force of Aguayo, however, left him no choice. For three days he tarried among the Indians, seven leagues beyond Concepcion l\'lission, after he had promised Aguayo to retire immediately to Natchitoches. At this time he had a considerable number of Cadodacho Indians "whom since winter he had gathered to go to take possession of the Bay of Espiritu Santo." 69 But his schemes were frustrated by the quick action of the Marquis, who 67Buckley, "The Aguayo Expedition," Quarterly, XV, 44, note 3. "Seep. 88. 69Peiia, Derrotero, 17; Buckley, op. cit., XV, 45 ; Castaneda, 1/orfi's History of Te:ras, Paragraph 245.
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