Ottr C atleolic Heritage in Texas
cedure was opposed to the general practice observed in colonial trade and that it was detrimental to the interests of the Spanish trade fleet. He so told the Cabildo, but he was submitting their proposal, nevertheless, for consideration by the crown. 8 Although everything seemed to promise an early execution of the king's orders with regard to the transportation of the Canary Islanders and the establishment of the intended settlement on the Bay of Espiritu Santo, the ardor of the Intendant, or of the settlers, or of the king, seems to have suddenly cooled for some unexplainable reason, and time slipped by without further action for almost three years. The proposal of the Intendant naturally affected the interests of the great merchant princes of Cadiz and Seville and this might be the cause for the unexpected lull in the execution of the plan. To the residents of the Canary Islands the concession meant a great deal and consequently it is only natural to conclude that the officials of the islands decided to wait and see that the offer was finally accepted, before taking any definite action to send any families on the ships making the regular trip to Yucatan. It is of interest to note that in the meantime the plan presented by Aguayo was discussed at great length in the Council of the Indies more than a year after the king had actually acted upon it and had issued his order for the transportation of two hundred families as suggested by the viceroy. At a meeting held on July 28, 1724, the various reports made by the Marquis of Aguayo concerning the advisability of establishing civil settlements in Texas and the means of carrying out such a project were carefully examined and considered. The Council finally reached the conclusion that four hundred families should be sent from the Canary Islands for the purpose of founding civil settlements in Texas. It recom- mended to the king on that date that these could be transported, as the Intendant of the islands had suggested either by way of Yucatan or Havana, from either of which points they could continue their journey to Veracruz and hence to the Bay of Espiritu Santo. In spite of the care with which the Council considered the whole proposition, it is interest- ing to note how that body committed a serious error as to the ·number of families originally requested, that the· whole four hundred, instead of two hundred, be sent from Spain. This recommendation accounts for the change in the number designated in the royal order issued two years aJuan .'.\!ontero to Marques de Grimaldo, September 19, 1 723. A. G. I., Audi- encia de Guadalajara, 67-1-37 (Dunn Transcripts, 1710-1738).
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