125
Co-,itinued Foreign bitrigues and Turmo-il, 1813-1818
General had no objection to the use of the Seguin house, but he could not agree to the sale of the mission lands. He prudently observed in regard to the proposed appointment of Beramendi as teacher that it would be wise to select a person who had no "taint of insurgent filth." 1' The school was established in the fall of 1815, and apparently with Beramendi in charge. The records of the missions, which were kept at San Jose, were almost completely destroyed during the devastating Gutierrez-Magee invasion. This, we learn, was the reason that Father Vallejo could not make a detailed report on a comparative basis. His re- port of February II, 1815, however, listed San Jose with 49 Indians and 60 Spaniards, among whom he himself continued to labor; Mission Con- cepcion with 16 natives and 20 Spaniards; Mission Espada with 27 Indians and 72 Spaniards; and Mission Capistrano with 15 Indians and 50 Spaniards. Thus, in the four there were a total of 107 natives and 202 Spaniards. They received instructions in Christian doctrine every Sun- day, whether they lived at the missions or not. Conditio11, of tlie nzissitms. The principal occupation of the natives was cultivating com. Whereas some of the fields were irrigated and produced sizeable harvests, others unfortunately yielded crops only in proportion to the rainfall. Since their secularization in 1794, when all property and holdings were distributed, the San Antonio missions had no common capital. By this time, Father Vallejo sadly observed, the natives to whom the property had been given were practically destitute. Religious services, however, did not add to their financial burden, for the minister received an annual stipend of four hundred fifty pesos from the royal treasurer. The chapels were in a fair state of preservation and well provided with images, vestments, and every- thing else necessary for religious services. 15 The mission of Espiritu Santo at La Bahia, having been abandoned by the Indians during the occupation of this district by the forces of Gutier- rez and Magee, was almost in ruins. The neophytes had fled to the Brazos River, where they established themselves and whence they came from time to time for spiritual guidance. The chapel was in sad need of repair but there were no funds for the purpose. Most of the chapel furnish- ings had been left by the missionary with a La Bahia family. He him- 14 Govemor. to Commandant General, May 24, 181 s; Arredondo to Governor, June 30, 181 S, Berar Arcnives. 15 Bernardino Vallejo, Noticia de las Misiones, February 11, 181 s, Bizar Ar- cl,ives. Copy also in Nacogdocnes Arcnives.
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