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Our C atl1olic IIaitagc in Texas
New Spain. A high official of Flanders transmitted this information to the king, who immediately sent it to the Council of the Indies on October 16, 1678. Penalosa had affirmed that these two provinces were immensely rich and that he was familiar with the country through expeditions he had made while he was governor of New Mexico. 2 The Council of the Indies was not particularly alarmed at this time, howe\'er, and in its detailed report on the subject recommended that the king instruct the officials of New Spain to report on the feasibility of occupying the Bay of Espiritu Santo and of establishing communication through this port with the provinces of Quivira and New Mexico as suggested by Father Benavides in 1630. It pointed out that it might be well to try to spirit away from France the intriguing count, who might, otherwise, cause considerable trouble. Disregarding the last of the two recommendations, the king issued a royal ctidula on December IO, addressed to the viceroy of New Spain. After summarizing the causes that had prompted the order, the king explained that it was highly advisable for him to make a detailed report on the proposed plan for the opening of communication with Quivira and Teguayo by way of the Bay of Espiritu Santo. He was asked to inform the king what means were available for the enterprise and for the conversion of the nali\·es of those provinces; whether there were sufficient priests in New Spain who could be sent as missionaries to the new region; and whether it would be easier to attempt this undertaking from Florida. A copy of the order was sent to the governors of Havana and Florida. 3 "The ctidula of December IO, 1678," says Dunn, "marks the first definite step in the reawakening of official Spanish interest in the deserted Mississippi Valley and Gulf region of the United States. The indefinite rumors of foreign encroachment had done more than the repeated petitions of soldiers, settlers, and priests."' Although not alarmed at first , the Council of the Indies and all the Spanish officials became more and more uneasy concerning the ultimate designs of the French in the years imme- diately following. The ambitious Louis XIV took no pains to hide his designs and the French ambassador in London openly threatened the 2Consulta of the Council of the Indies, November I 8, I 678. A. G. I., /11diferenle General, 141-3-1 (Dunn Transcripts, University of Texas). 3Real Cedula, December 10, 1678, A.G. M ., Reales Cedulas, (University of Texas Library). •Dunn, Spa11islt a11d Frmc/1 Rivalry in llu Gulf Region, I 6.
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