Tl1e Searclz fo1' La Salle, 1685-1689
339
Spaniards in detail of all the misfortunes that had befallen the little colony and explained how they had escaped the massacre by having been away from the settlement at the time of the attack. They declared that there were a few other survivors scattered among the Indians, but they disclaimed any knowledge of Jean Gery, who, they suggested, must have wandered down from the post on the Jllinois. 51 The T ejas chief asks for -missionaries. But the object of all attention in camp was the chief of the Tejas tribe. Father Massanet marveled at the understanding and natural virtues of this untutored child of the forest. He had a strange familiarity with the Christian religion, he had an idea of a Supreme Being, and he pointed to the sky whenever the word God was said . He had brought with him a portable altar, adorned with the figures of four saints, a cross with a Christ painted on it and many other religious emblems. More amazing still, he caused a light to he kept burning before this sanctuary night and day. No wonder that Father Massanet concluded that his tribe must have been the Tit/as visited by Mother Maria de Agreda. 59 This suspicion was confirmed by the chief himself who frankly admitted, upon being questioned by the good Padre, that he had never seen the Woman ·in Blue, but that his ancestors and some of the very old men remembered the visitations of a woman, who wore a habit similar to that of the Padre, and a blue cloak. He expressed a desire to visit the viceroy and asked that a guide be left behind to lead some of his kinsmen to Mexico. He said that he wanted missionaries to come to live among his people and teach them. Alonso de Leon promised the old chief he would inform the viceroy of his wish and Father Massanet gave him warm assurances that he would soon return to instruct his people in the true faith. Return to Coahuila. Three days later, on May 4, the expedition took leave of the Tejas chief and started its journey back to Coahuila. When the expedition reached the Nueces River, De Leon hastened forward with a few of his men in order to make a report to the viceroy as soon as possible. On May 16, he sent a detailed account to the viceroy with the diary of the expedition, a map, and the two French prisoners, L'Arche,·eque 5 'Declarations of L'Archeveque and Grollet, in Auttos y Diligencias ... in o-j,. cit. These have been recently translated and published in English for the first time by Rev . Dr. W . J. O'Donnell, C. S. C. See "Documents-La Salle Occupation of Texas," Mid-America, Vol. 18, 96-125 . 59 For an account of Mother l\faria de A,!?'reda, helter known a~ the Woman in nine, !-ee Chapter VI I.
Powered by FlippingBook