Establishment of San Fernando de Bejar, 1723-1731
287
tlers arrived in Cuatitlan. Here they were to remain for two and a half months before they started on the last part of their journey to Texas on November 15, 1730. The hardships of the trip from the Canary Islands to Mexico City, however, did not stamp out the spirit of romance in the little group. Shortly after they were comfortably established at Cuatitlan, two young men, Francisco Arocha and Vicente Alvarez Travieso, who had come independently from the Islands some time before, on hearing that a group of their countrymen was waiting to con- tinue on its way to Texas, appeared before the Alcalde iv/ ayor and asked permission to join the settlers and to marry Juana and lVIaria Curbelo, respectively, the two maiden daughters of Juan Curbelo. It seems the two young men knew the girls back in the Islands and had gone to America in search of fortune in order to return to their sweethearts. ·when they learned they were in Mexico and were about to set out with their family to settle in Texas, the young men.lost no time in asking for permission to marry them at once and proceed with them to the new colony. In a letter to the viceroy, written on September 16, the Alcalde ill ayor informed him of the desire of the two young men. He declared they wished to appear before His Excellency to solicit his per- mission to marry the girls and to join the party of settlers. He also asked for the consent of the viceroy for the marriage of Antonio Rod- riguez, one of the bachelors who had come from the Canary Islands, and had contracted to marry Josefa de Nis before they set out on the long trip. 29 The viceroy graciously acceded to the request on September 18 and instructed the Alcalde iUayor to inform the petitioners of his con- sent to their marriage. He explained that it would not be necessary for them to appear in person before him to solicit his approval. The two young men, Francisco Arocha and Vicente de Alvarez Travieso, were to be enrolled in the list of first settlers, to be given the same allowance as the others, and to be supplied with all they needed for the journey to Texas and their establishment in the new settlement. 30 Thus three new families were added to the original ten, and the little group of Canary Islanders gained two new recruits. But before they started for Texas, two other marriages took place. It is not clear from the records whether these were the culmination of old 29Francisco Domingo de Laba to the Viceroy, September 16, 1730. A. G. N., Provillcias /11ter11as, Vol. 32. 30 The Viceroy to the Alcalde Afayor, September 18, 1730. A . G. N., Provincias lnternas, Vol. 32.
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