Permanent Occupation of Texas, I715-1716
35
San Juan Bautista, could, with impunity, introduce their merchandise in violation of the orders of the king and much to the prejudice of the trade with the northern provinces; that the map submitted by St. Denis showed a more accurate knowledge of the country between the land of the Tejas and the Rio Grande than that acquired by the Spaniards since the time of the first entrada of Father Massanet; that His Excellency should, with the approval of the Junta, issue similar orders to those decreed as a result of the consultation held after receipt of the first letter of Governor Salinas Varona (August 29, 1713), to the governors of Coahuila, Nueva Vizcaya, and Parral, requesting them to put these into execution under the most severe penalty; that in order to prevent similar incursions on the part of the French, the Fiscal deemed it highly advisable and absolutely neces- sary for His Excellency to issue the corresponding orders at the earliest possible moment for Father Olivares, Fray Francisco Hidalgo and one other religious to proceed to the province of the Tejas without delay, escorted by twenty or twenty-five soldiers, to establish a mission. "By this means," declared the Fiscal, "similar incursions will be prevented, and what is more and more important, these Indians will obtain instruc- tion in our holy Catholic faith and the spiritual weifare of their souls. to which the zeal of His Most Christian and Catholic Majesty is so inclined." He then pointed out that the /tmta of September IO, 1689, had approved sending missionaries from the College of La Santa Cruz of Queretaro to convert the Tejas Indians; that this resolution had been further approved and so ordered by the king in his royal cedula of 1690, which order and request was again repeated with great zeal in his cedula of December 30, 1692. In consequence of all these facts the Fiscal, fully aware of the depleted condition of the royal treasury, asked and requested, notwithstanding, that the means be provided for the mission suggested, the military escort necessary for the trip, and all supplies required for its permanent establishment. Of all the measures taken, His Excellency was to give a complete report to His Majesty for his royal approval and command. 4 Preparation for tlie Ramon Expedition. The viceroy now convoked a ]tt11ta Ge11eral which met on August 22, 1715. All the members of the royal A udiencia, the A lcaldes of the Criminal Court, the officers of the Treasury, and other high dignitaries were present at this meeting. The
4 Dictamen del Fiscal, August 15, 1715. San Francisco el Grande Arcl,ive, VIII, 32-37.
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