Our Catlzolic Heritage in Texas
16o
the three Zacatecan missions had been restored. It had the distinction of being the most advanced outpost of the Spanish possessions in Texas. It was located about a mile beyond the presidio on the road to Natchi- toches. Aguayo had now attained the two main objects of his expedition. He had established a strong military defense with a garrison of one hundred men within seven leagues of the most advanced French outpost, and he had restored the six missions of the two colleges of Queretaro and Zacatecas, which the missionaries had been forced to abandon in 1719. He was now ready to start back to San Antonio. Setting out from Los Adaes on his return march on November 17, 1721, Aguayo finally reached his destination on January 23, 1722, after many hardships, as a result of the inclement weather and the flooded stage of the rivers. True to his promise made to Chief Juan Rodriguez over a year ago he immediately took steps to found a new mission for the Indians of Rancheria Grande. As it will be remembered, their chief had acted as a guide for the expedition on its way to East Texas, leading Aguayo and his men by a new route higher up than the road that had been followed by previous entradas. As early as 1720, before Aguayo set out from Coahuila, Chief Rodriguez had visited him in January of that year, to ask that a mission be founded for his people. He had explained at that time that his nation comprised about six hundred Sana Indians, all of whom were anxious to be congregated in a mission. With the promise that upon the arrival of the Marquis in San Antonio action would be taken for this establishment, he returned to his followers whom he had left there and awaited word from His Lordship for more than a year. 14 When Aguayo reached San Antonio the first time, on April 4, 1721, the faithful Chief Rodriguez was among the first to welcome him and to remind him of his promise. Aguayo suggested that the Indians from Rancheria Grande join those already congregated in the Mission of San Antonio de Valero. But Chief Rodriguez declared this was not possible because, in the first place, his nation was too numerous, and in the second place, they were not on friendly terms with those already living there. He expressed his fear that they would not get along well with the other tribes and explained that he preferred to wait until a new mission could be established for his people, separate from that of Valero. After Aguayo returned to San Antonio for the second time, early in 1722, Chief HTestimonio de la Mision de San Francisco Xavier, A. G. I., Audiencia de Guadalajara, 67-3-1 I.
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