277
Founding of l!l Paso and Establis/1111cnt of Jlfissio11s
excellent maps and a most detailed diary which still remains in manu- script. In this little known document we find another detailed description of El Paso and its dcinity which gives us a picture of the settlement and outpost forty years later. In his comprehensive diary, La fora says: "We arrived in the Presidio de Nuestra Seiiora del Pilar del Paso de] Rio del Norte on July 19. [ 1766] where a company of cavalry, con- sisting of forty-six men, a sergeant, and three officers is stationed. "From the plan I made [of this place] the position of what they call the Presidio and a part of the Pueblo of Guadalupe may be seen. Con- tinuing along the river to the east, on its right bank, 60 are the pueblos of San Lorenzo, the Real de San Antonio de Senecu. San Antonio de la Isleta. La Purisima Concepcion del Socorro. and the Hacienda de los Tiburcios; which make a continuous settlement sen~n leagues [long]. The inhabitants of the Pueblo of N uestra Senora de Guadalupe are Spaniards, Mestizos, Mulatos, and Indians of the Tigua. Zia. and Genizario nations. In San Lorenzo are the Zuma Indians. In Senect'1 [are] the Piros; in La Isleta, the Tiguas; in Socorro. Piros also; and in all of them there are some ge,,.te de ra:;011 [Spaniards]. Those li,·in~ at La Hacienda de los Tiburcios are of the latter class. "All this piece of land is very well cultivated and produces whatever is planted, but in particular it yields very good grapes which are the equal of those of Spain. There are many fruits found like those culti- vated in Europe; all in such abundance that they arc allowed to rot on the trees. The people make pretty good wine and even better brandy [aguardiente] . but sometimes they do not raise enough corn for their sub- sistence, because they use all the land for the vineyards and other fruit." 61 Significance of tl,e El Paso settlement. In summarizing the acti\"ity of the Spanish settlers and the missionaries in the El Paso region. Hughes has aptly said: "These twenty-six years of Spanish acti\'ity in the El Paso district attest the indefatigable energy of the Spanish priests, and reveal no inconsiderable returns for their ende;i.vors. l\'leasurecl in values of the missions, the pioneer of Spanish pioneers. the enterprise presented no mean showing. J\n area of more than three hundred and 60 This would place the towns on the Mexican side. There is a pos,ibility th:1t La fora meant the left bank. since he distinctly says " to the east of the l're~idio and Guadalupe,·· but this, of course. is :1 mere conjecture. 61 Nicolas de Lafora. Rel<1ciJ11 de/ Vi<1je que de Ord,:11 de/ F.xcel,·11tisimfl Se,i11r Virrey tlfarqu,:: de Cruil/as lli:r> el Ca-pit,111 d,: l11,;:,mia,1s .. . :\IS., ~l o:-xko, Bihlioteca Nacional. ( Photostat copy in po~~e~sion oi the author. )
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