Our Catlzolic H e,·itage in T cxas
colony on the Mississippi as Jean Gery. He then explained that he had sent scouts to meet the Tejas Indians, who were supposed to be on their way to Coahuila; that these had returned with the news that the Tejas chief and his companions had actually started on their trip, but that after two of their number had been killed by hostile Indians, they had returned to their pueblo. They had sent word, however, with the scouts, that they were anxiously waiting for the return of the missionaries to baptize and instruct them in our faith. Governor Leon pointed out that even if the Frenchmen were only eighteen and the Tejas Indians and their neighbors were friendly to the Spaniards, it would be better to take not less than one hundred and ten men to escort the missionaries in the contemplated entrada. Of these, he suggested that eighty ought to be left with the Padres, the other thirty bringing back safely the report of the establishment of the missions. Although the number of Indians was very large, he thought that twelve missionaries would be sufficient to start the work of evangelization among them. In his opinion two hundred and fifty cargas of flour, twelve hundred pounds of powder, an equal number of lead, four hundred horses, one hundred and fifty mules, and two hundred head of cattle would be required for the expedition. He proposed that fifty men be raised in the presidios of Nueva Vizcaya and the other sixty enlisted in Zacatecas, Saltillo, and Nuevo Leon. Those who were to remain with the missionaries should be paid a year's salary in advance, but those who returned should be paid only for the time consumed in the expedition, until their return to the place of enlist- ment.13 He closed his letter by promising to carry out the instructions concerning the preliminary entrada and the sending of the Indian, Joseph, to the Tejas as suggested. Upon receipt of this report, which did not reach the viceroy until November, the Fiscal advised that a new Junta General to pass on the final arrangements be called. The Junta met in the latter part of November and with the aid of Fa ther Massanet, who was asked to supplement the information contained in the voluminous documents that had accumu- lated regarding the country of the Tejas and French activity among them, the officials reviewed the whole question. They declared that in view of the fact that the king had spared no expense or trouble heretofore in driving out the French, it was clear that the rumors of their renewed activity should be investigated and the intruders be expelled, whether they be few or many. The conversion of the Tejas to Christianity was llLe6n to the Viceroy, October 19, 1689, in Ibid., 48-51.
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