265
Founding of El Paso and Establishment of i11issio11s
were loo high and could not be irrigated. After serious consideration of the advantages and disadvantages of the various places visited, he decided to erect a presidio at a site about seven leagues from the Pueblo of El Paso and about half way between that place and the Real de San Lorenzo. 39 But hardly had he begun to build the new presidio when he was forced to change his plans. In March, 1684, a plot to murder all the Spaniards was discovered. It was found that the recently settled Indians from New Mexico, aided by the Zumas, had planned a general uprising to drive the Spanish settlers away from El Paso and the entire northern frontier of Nueva Vizcaya. This circumstance made the site selected untenable. Consequently, Cruzate was obliged to find another locality for the presidio he had just begun. It was at this time that he chose a site in the Pueblo de los Mansos near the Mission of Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe at El Paso. Here he finally erected the fort. In a sworn statement to the viceroy, the Cabildo made the following declarations on August 26, 1685, from which we gather the history of the establishment of the presidio and the progress made from March, 1684, up to this time. "The Cabildo of the Villa of Santa Fe of New Mexico, which is now [residing] in this Pueblo of El Paso, certifies to His Excellency the Viceroy of New Spain and to all the other officers before whom the present [declaration] may be exhibited, that the Gov- ernor and Captain General Don Domingo Jironza Petris de Cruzate, when he first came to this government, found no other house or dwelling in which to establish his residence than a jacal made of timber by the Cabildo. His Lordship [then] bought from the Manso Indians the site in this pueblo on which he has now built the Casas Rea/es as the residence of the governors. These have an Audience Hall, a room which serves as the office of the secretary, a living room for the said officer, beneath which there is a cellar in which to keep the powder and lead, and another room which is a bedchamber. There are kitchens with a pantry facing the patio. All these are of adobe. His Lordship has likewise bought from the Manso Indians three other houses adjoining the Casas R eales. One of these, which serves as the guard room and is also used as a jail, has two large halls. Of the other two which adjoin this, one has two living 39Statement of the Cabiltto, Autos sobre los Socorros, A . G. ,II., Provincias lntern,is, Vol. 37, f. 135; Petition of the Cabildo, Ibid. , f. 145; Certification of the Ct1biltio, October 27, 1 684; / bid., 20.
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