Our Catholic Heritage, Volume II

Rivera's lnspecti_on and Removal of Missions to San Antonio 221

Rivera listed eight tribes of Indians as living in the neighborhood: Adaes, Ays, Aynays {Hainais), Nazonis, Neches, Nacogdoches, Naco- nomes, and Navidachos. He declared that all these were extremely friendly and docile and lived in perfect peace with the Spaniards. But in spite of their apparent friendliness, very few Indians had come to stay in the three missions established for them by the zealous missionaries. Most of them still lived in their ranclierfas, located within a radius of ten or fifteen leagues where they were frequently visited by the diligent Padres.U Conditions at Presidio de los Tejas. From Los Adaes, he went to the Presidio de Nuestra Senora de los Dolores de los Tejas, located in the vicinity of Mission Concepcion, near the Angelina River. This was gar- risoned by a captain, who received five hundred pesos a year, and twenty- four men, who were paid four hundred pesos each. The chief occupation of the soldiers was the cultivation of the presidia! farm, the care of a small number of horses, and the assistance they were asked to give to the missionaries. As a result of their peaceful employment, the garrison had little notion of military discipline and was very deficient in the manual of arms and the duties of the military profession. The fort and houses of the soldiers were poorly constructed log huts with grass roofs. No guard duty was performed regularly and not even a sentinel kept watch. The Indians were peaceful, there being no record of their ever having caused the slightest trouble or given the least grounds for uneasi- ness. But as in the case of the missions in the neighborhood of Los Adaes, those founded here by the missionaries from the College of Queretaro had only a few neophytes living "bajo campana," or in the mission proper. Most of them dwelt from six to ten leagues away. They were friendly and seemed fond of the Padres, visiting them frequently and bringing them gifts. 12 So disgusted was Rivera, however, with the lack of discipline of the garrison, that he dispensed with the military inspection and did not bother to draw up a set of regulations for their instruction. He contented 11 Proyecto Mandado hacer por el Exmo. Sor. Marques de Casafuerte Virrey Gov- ernador y Capitan General de esta Nueva Espana y Presidente de la Real Audi• encia de ella, reducldo a la Visita hecha por el Brigadier Dn. Pedro de Rivera, que contiene tres puntos: El Prlmero el Estado en que estaban los Presldlos antes que se Visitasen; El Segundo El en que se pusieron despues que se les hizo la Visita; El Tercero El en que por ultlma d!spos!cion de su Exa. combendra se pongan. In A. G. N., Provi11&ias /11t1rnas, Vol. 29. Copy also In Archiflo Salf Francisco ,l Grand,, Vol. 2. U.fbitJ.

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