01'r Catliolic Heritage in Texas
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traveling a few miles came upon the abandoned mission. 1 This was located in the village of the Neche tribe, close to the mounds, about three or four miles from the crossing. The location has since been definitely identified as being on Bowles Creek, not far from the present crossing of that stream by the old San Antonio road. 2 On August 4, after Aguayo had crossed the river, he sent another detachment of soldiers to help the missionary get everything ready for the next day. The eight companies of the battalion of San Miguel de Aragon were drawn up in military formation on August 5, before the temporary church which had been hurriedly built for the occasion. High Mass was sung with all solemnity by the Reverend Father Antonio Margil de Jesus and a salute was fired by the troops at the proper time. The bells pealed a joyous welcome to the amazed Indians who came in great numbers to witness the ceremony, while the trumpets blew and the drums rolled. After the ceremony the Marquis and officers retired together with the missionaries to the priests' quarters, where over one hundred and fifty Indians of the Neche tribe had gathered to witness the formal act of taking possession of the mission. The Reverend Father Isidro Felix de Espinosa, President of the missions in the Province of Texas placed under the care of the College of the Holy Cross of Queretaro, now appeared before His Lordship and requested to be placed in charge of the mission which was about to be reestablished by order of His Majesty and the instructions of the viceroy. Espinosa, as superior of his group of missionaries and in behalf of the Neche tribe and such others as might be congregated in this place, requested His Lordship that he be installed as the authorized spiritual director and that the Indians be given land and water nearby to sow crops and raise cattle. But the President stipulated that he wanted it clearly understood that if after the mission was established here, and after the Indians were congregated, as they had been urged to do by His Lordship, a more suitable or better location for the mission was found, the present A ct of Possession would not be invalidated, but would apply to the new site. He said that he was presenting Father Fray Joseph Guerra as resident missionary of the mission to be reestablished, who would instruct the Indians in the catechism and educate them in the customs and manners of civilized life, ministering to them in all things lPefia, Derrotero, I 6. ZBolton, "Native Tribes," Q11arterl,y, XI, 262-263; Buckley, "The Aguayo Expedition," Quarterl,y, XV, 45, Note 3.
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