Reestablishment of Missions, I72I-I722
at San Antonio de Valero, whomever they preferred as their pastor. But his surprise at the small number of Indians present was surpassed by that of the reply which Chief Juan Rodriguez made to his announcement. 22 He declared that he and his people no longer desired a separate mission; that they preferred to stay in San Antonio de Valero; that they were too few to live in a separate district so far from the presidio; that the Apaches, who were their bitter enemies, would most assuredly kill all of them in the new abode. Father Sevillano de Paredes asked Chief Rodriguez to go to Rancheria Grande to bring others of his tribe in order that the mission might be founded. But to this he replied that he had recently seen them and that they had all declared not to accept the proposals made in their behalf. He said that he and his companions would rather live with the Xarames in the Mission of San Antonio de Valero. The next day, Father Sevillano de Paredes, unable to believe his eyes or his ears, asked Chief Juan Rodriguez and his followers to appear before Nicolas Flores, the Captain of the Presidio of San Antonio de Bejar, that he might bear testimony to their determination of not being placed in a separate mission. Asked in his presence if they desired to have a mission established for them, separate and distinct from that of Valero, they again affirmed their wish to remain there. They stated that the rest of their friends had become discouraged by the long delay and believed they had been deceived. As Governor Perez de Almazan was in Saltillo at this time and intended to bring the supplies and provisions offered by Aguayo for the l\·1ission of San Francisco Xavier, on his return, a messenger was dispatched to him with all haste, asking him not to ship them as they were not neces- sary in view of the refusal of the Indians to be congregated as originally planned. Governor Almazan informed Aguayo of the changed opinion of Chief Rodriguez and left the supplies in Saltillo to await further news from San Antonio. In the meantime, Father Sevillano de Paredes called seven chiefs of the Sana nation, who were at Rancheria Grande, to see if he could get them to come and live in the proposed mission. They all came along with Chief Marcos, bringing a number of warriors and women. After three days of feasting, during which they were urged to congregate in the new location, they became angry at the insistence and said: "The Span- 22Representaci6n sobre dificultados para llevar a efecto la orden.. . . Por Fray Miguel Sevillano de Paredes, January, 1726. Archivo de la Santa Crus de Quere- taro, 1716-1749 (Dunn Transcripts).
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