San Antonio de Valero and il1issionary Activity, I7I6-1719 79
He was to enjoy the same preeminence, honors, and pay as Don Domingo Teran, who had held the same position in 1690. He was ordered to pre- pare himself to take possession of his new post as soon as possible and to select fifty soldiers at his discretion, provided they were, as nearly as possible, all Spaniards and married men. For the transportation of their families the royal treasury would provide the ne~essary funds for the purchase of horses. One year's pay in advance was to be given to him and to the soldiers and he was to observe religiously all instructions given him. He was to secure a master carpenter, a blacksmith, and a mason, who were to be enlisted and paid four hundred pesos a year the same as the soldiers.• Although the order and appointment was given on the 7th, the official commission was not issued to Alarcon until December 8. Having appointed a governor and outlined in a general way the require- ments for the military expedition, he immediately issued the corresponding orders to furnish Father Olivares all that was needed for the founding of the mission on the San Antonio River, as approved and recommended by the Junta. He stipulated that a guard of ten soldiers be placed at this mission, eight from the Presidio of Coahuila. Don Martin de Alarccin, the newly appointed governor, was to select the most capable and worthy of the ten and make him Alferez (ensign or commander). Four or six of these men, accompanied by friendly Indians, were instructed to visit the Bay of Espiritu Santo once a month and in case they found the French or any other nation had landed there or that the intruders intended to make a settlement, they were to inform the aliens that the region was already occupied by Spain.' Departure of Fatleer Olivares. Father Olivares had asked for every- thing needed for the celebration of Mass, the administration of the sacraments, the building of a chapel and dwellings, tools for the culti- vation of the soil, kitchen utensils, provisions for missionaries, gifts for the Indians, and cattle, sheep, and goats for the missions, in his report of November 20. He now asked that eight yoke of oxen, thirty cows, huila. A complete record of his services is found in San Francisco el Gra11de A rcliive, IX, 8-21. 8 Decreto del Virey, December i, 1716. Prm:incias /nternas, Vol. 181, pp. 199- 200. 9 Decreto del Virey, December 7, 1716. Provi11cias /nler11as, Vol. 181, 201-202. It is to be noted that the appointment oi Alarcon and the orders ior the establish- ment of the mission were issued on the same date but separatel:y.
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