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Our Catholic Heritage in Texas
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Chief Soxas of the Comanches came with forty women and eleven children for the gifts to his tribe. It is interesting to note that while his companions were all women, they received as presents guns, knives, scissors, hatchets, a little cloth, tobacco, and war paint. 40 In a summary report made on May 1, 1800, at the request of the commandant general, the governor declared that from January 1, 1794, to July 27, 1799, the total expenses of entertaining friendly allies in San Antonio had been eighty-eight hundred forty-nine pesos. Of this amount thirty-one hundred eight pesos were paid out of the Mestefia Fund. This was the fund created by the collection of a fifty-cent impost on each wild cow or bull killed or caught and on every wild horse taken. The balance was paid by the royal treasury of San Luis Potosi. 41 During 1800 the governor entertained one thousand nine hundred seventy-three Indians at a cost of nine hundred fifty-six pesos, and in 1801 the expense was almost identical, although the number of Indians was not so large. 42 By this time the difficulty of obtaining many of the goods needed for gifts and trade with the friendly nations had become so great that the governor received orders from Nava to secure these goods from New Orleans. A Mr. Gilbert Leonard sent a typical consignment of mer- chandise to Nacogdoches on June 26, 1800, that will serve to illustrate the supplies obtained from New Orleans for the Indian trade, their cost, and the cost of transportation. The shipment included one hundred English rifles (note the make) that cost eight pesos each, much cheaper than those brought from Spain or France at that time. There were one hundred dozen knives of medium size; thirty dozen with horn handles; sixty dozen scissors; sixty hatchets; fifty dozen combs; fifty pounds of copper wire, intended for beaded necklaces and other ornaments; fifty pounds of beads; thirty dozen small mirrors; sixty-two copper kettles; sixty dozen jingle bells; and twenty pair of short trousers, trimmed with braid and with buckles. The invoice amounted to 3,194.50 pesos. The expense of transportation .from New Orleans to Nacogdoches was 148.00 pesos. 43 T (nJ)akonis propose settlement of Colorado, 1796. It is during this period that Indian nations began to request permission to move from
4 0Gifts to Chief Soxas, March 12
1 1800. Bexar A rclzives.
41 Lista de gastos erogados ..., May 1 1 1800. Berar Arcnives. 42 Llsta de gastos erogados ..., December 31, 1800. Berar Arc/zives. 43 List of merchandise sent by Gilbert Leonard to Nacogdoches, June 26, 1800. Berar Arcliives.
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