011r Catliolic Heritage in T eza.s
it became necessary to bring back runaways, the missionary could go in search of them accompanied by a native guide, selected from among the neophytes. 47 If this decision was put into effect, Father Sevillano declared, it would mean the gradual but inevitable end of the missions in Texas. "This decision, Sir," he exclaimed, "has increased the sorrows of myself, this holy community, and every missionary, foreseeing, as we do, the irrepar- able ruin of the missions and the loss of so many souls." Many of the neophytes often escaped, carrying with them children who had been baptized and would grow into civilized Christians, if they remained in the missions. The number who ran away, much like schoolboys to enjoy a brief respite from daily routine, was so great that it would not be long before the pueblos so recently established would be totally abandoned, "much to the sorrow of the missionaries at seeing the futility of their efforts, fatigues, and hardships; the loss of so many souls; and the frustra- tion of the purpose for which His Majesty has spent his royal revenue so liberally, the propagation of the faith." 48 Had this policy been adopted in the beginning, there would have been no missions, he said. To show how unreasonable it was to expect a missionary to go in search of the Indians who abandoned the missions, he explained that one of the most frequent places where they took refuge was Rancheria Grande. This was located on the Brazos River, about one hundred leagues from San Antonio, and the intervening country was infested with Apaches. There ·were no settlements or presidios over this long distance. What chance did a missionary have to return safely, if he undertook such a journey with only an Indian guide? How could he carry, he asked, the necessary supplies of food for such a lonely trip? But there was one other circum- stance which Rivera had certainly overlooked when he made his recom- mendation. Frequently there was only one missionary left in charge of a mission. If he had to go after the neophytes who fled to the woods, who would look after the mission in his absence? With the reduction of the mission guard to one soldier, who had to return to his presidio at night, the mission Indians would be left entirely alone. It did not take any effort, the good Padre commented, to imagine what would happen, if the missionary had to absent himself on a journey of one hundred leagues. "Opinion of Rivera, cited by Father Miguel Sevillano de Paredes in Memorial to the King, November 12, I 729. Archivo del Colegio de la Santa Cruz, I? r6-r749. "Father Miguel Sevillano de Paredes to King, November 12, 17:29. Archivo del Colegio de la Santa Cruz, r716-1749.
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