Our Catleolic Heritage in Texas
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chieftain, being given tamales and mush by his hosts, who brought out a bench for him to sit down. 16 On May 23, a procession was held from the camp to the house of the Tejas governor. The soldiers, the missionaries, and many Indians marched over the half league from the camp to the house of the Tejas chief. When they arrived. the Pad1·es sang the Te Dem11 Laudamtts. The next day a chapel was prepared for the celebration of the feast of Corpus Christi. Since this is the first official observance of this feast day in the country of the Tejas, it will be well to quote in full the ceremony, because it was at this 1 ime also that the official act of possession of the new country and the oath of allegiance of the Indians took place. On May 25, 1690, "the feast of the Most Holy Sacrament was celebrated with all solemnity and a procession held in which all the officers, soldiers, the Indian gov- ernor, and many of his people took part, while attending High Mass. When Mass was over, the ceremony of raising the royal standard in the name of His Majesty (may God protect him) was held. I, Alonso de Leon, General and leader of the expedition, which by order of the most excellent Senor Conde de Galve, Viceroy of New Spain, has come on this undertaking in the name of His Majesty, accepted the [oath] of obedience which they rendered to His Majesty, promising in his royal name to befriend and aid them. I [then] delivered to the governor a staff with a cross, giving him the title of governor of all his people, in order that he might rule and govern them, making him understand, by means of an interpreter, everything he should observe and do, and the respect and obedience which he and his people ought to have for the priests, and that he should make all his people attend Christian teaching, in order that they might be instructed in the truths of our holy Catholic faith so that they might be baptized and become Christians." To all of this the Tejas chieftain agreed with pleasure and the assembled company of soldiers fired three salutes. At the same time the Reverend Father Fray Damian Massanet was given formal possession of the site for missionary endeavors. 17 It is interesting to note that the standard raised had "on one side the picture of Christ crucified, and on the other that of the Virgin of Guadalupe." 18 16 " Itinerary of the De Leon Expedition of 1690," in Bolton, Spanish Exploratio11, 41 5. Reference to this translation is made here as being more available than the Spanish copy used. 17The translation is by the author, and is based on the text of the Seville copy of the diary, loc. cit., pp. 22-2 3. 1BMassanet, Carla, in op. cit., 380.
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