011r Catholic Heritage in Texas
lished in 1690 by Alonso de Leon; that the Indians had built in a very short time comfortable dwellings for the Padres and were actively engaged in building the churches, all of which was made easy by the abundance of timber, the skill of the Indians, their willingness to work, and the joy with which they had received the Spaniards; and that the four mis- sions numbered about four or five thousand persons of both sexes, all of whom understood the same language and were uniformly pleasant and good-natured. Now, if the establishments were to be permanent and to develop as they should, and grow, attracting the numerous and various tribes of this region who were friendly to the Tejas, bringing them all into the fold of the Church and under the authority of the king, the number of soldiers must be increased from twenty-five to fifty and their rate of pay made four hundred fifty pesos a year. With the present force it was impossible to reconnoiter or explore the land, there being hardly enough men left, after taking eight to guard the missions, to mount guard at the presidio and to watch the horses. The climate had proved unhealthy and there were a number of men sick, one having died since their arrival. At the present rate of pay the soldiers were unable to get what they needed. The cost of transportation of supplies was enormous, due to the great distance to the frontier settlements of New Spain. It cost fifteen cents to transport one pound of sugar from Saltillo. The situ- ation was made critical, he declared, by the presence of numerous enemies of the Tejas to the north, such as the Apaches, Juanes (Yojuanes), Chanes, and others. In order to keep the friendship of the Indians and win other neigh- boring tribes, it was necessary, in his opinion, to appropriate at least six thousand pesos a year for the purchase of suitable gifts. These pleased the Indians greatly and inclined them towards the Spaniards, making them more amenable to the efforts of the missionaries. Not only must sufficient gifts be provided for the Indians, but the missionaries them- selves should receive proper attention and care. Because of their isolation, there was no opportunity for them to secure alms, gifts, or offerings from the faithful, nor were they able as yet to raise sufficient crops to supply their immediate needs and those of the neophytes. It was highly impor- tant, therefore, that the king should assign them the necessary aid to meet their needs so that they might live in frugal comfort. He related how he had been obliged to pay out of his own pocket the wages of six men, in addition to the twenty-five soldiers, to bring the goats and other offerings given to the Padres in Saltillo. He had likewise paid the cost
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