2r
F,enclz. Settlement and Spain's Renewed Interest
Aside from his own admission of this visit, no other information has been found concerning the purpose of the expedition or the number who took part in it. On August 29, 1707, Don Gregorio Salinas Varona," Governor of Santa Maria de Galve, wrote a long letter to the viceroy of Mexico. In the letter he informed his excellency that he had just heard that on August 22, the Governor of Mobile had sent out an expedition consisting of twenty-five Canadians armed with rifles, one hundred Indians, and two pirogues loaded with merchandise to explore the approaches to the dom.in- ions of the king of Spain for the purpose of introducing merchandise and establishing trade with Nueva Vizcaya, Nuevo Reyno de Leon, and Coahuila, which they called Nueva Estremadura. 55 Immediately upon receipt of this information a council of war was held in Mexico City and it was decided that the viceroy should send 9ut with- out delay instructions to the governors and commanders of these provinces to prevent by all means in their power the introduction of goods or mer- chandise and the entrance of foreigners. They were authorized to use all available forces under their commands to watch all river crossings and mountain passes, and advised to utilize the friendly Indians in keeping a close watch on the movements of the intruders. In case the merchandise had already been introduced before the orders were received, the gov- ernors, commanders, and all public officials were instructed to c~mfiscate all such goods wherever they were found and to arrest persons holding said goods or connected in any manner with their introduction under pain of being removed from office. "Don Gregorio Salinas Varona was a distinguished Spanish officer of long and varied experience, He had served for more than twenty years in Flanders before coming to New Spain and had been retired with the rank of Captain and a pension of twenty-five escudos. He came to Mexico in 1687 in company with a number of retired officers sent to serve under the Count of Monclova. He accompanied De Leon on his second expedition to Texas in 1 690 and on its return was charged by De Leon to convey to Mex,ico City the complete autos of the expedition of Pierre Meusnier, two boys, and a girl, all French, rescued from the Indians. He was immediately thereafter ordered to accompany the sea expedition of Captain Francisco de Llanos, sent out early in October, 1690, to remove the buoys seen at San Bernardo Bay. He was in charge of the land operations of this expedition. He was appointed by royal patent Governor of Coahuila on August 29, 1690, but did not take posses- sion of his office until January 2 3, 1 693. On May 3 he led a relief expedition to East Texas arriving there on June 8, just in time to save the starving missionaries and soldiers. Dunn, Spanisn and Frencn Rivalry, 121, 124, 126, 139-142. 55 Resumen General de Noticias ... in Sa11 Francisco el Grande Arcnive, VIII, 164-165.
Powered by FlippingBook