Last Attempts at ivlissionary Control of Indians
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time that he would be ready to accompany them the next time they came to San Antonio. 48 Father Reyes had lost his heart years before to these simple Indians. Seeing that no action was taken and growing impatient, he decided to appeal directly to the energetic commandant general. On October 30, he wrote to Juan Ugalde, giving him the details of the recent visit and recounting his experiences with these Indians. On September 8, a group of thirty-one natives from the Arkokisa, Atacapa, Coco, and Bidais nations had come to San Juan Capistrano Mission to look for him. Not finding him, they went on to the presidio, thinking the Padre had gone there. But Father Reyes was at Mission Espada at the time, helping the missionaries who were sick. On their return, the natives stopped again at San Juan Capistrano. In their childish way they upbraided Father Reyes for not having kept his word to return to Mission Nuestra Senora de la Luz as he had promised years before when he left. They assured the delighted missionary that their people had missed him very much and were literally crying for his return. Father Reyes suggested that they ought to go to the Padres at Nacogdoches for spiritual ministration and explained to them that two missionaries were there for that purpose. Nacogdoches was much nearer to their pueblos than was San Antonio. But the Indians replied that they did not want to go to Nacogdoches, that they wanted a mission in their own country, and that Gil Ibarbo made many promises to them but did not keep them. In vain did Father Reyes urge them to appeal directly to the governor or to the president of the missions. The Indians replied that they had appealed to Governor Cabello, but he had put them off with promises. When they had asked Agustin Falcon, the former president of the missions,. he had refused to believe in their sincerity. It was then that Father Reyes had undertaken to intercede for them with the governor, and assured the delegates that after he had received that official's reply, he would go with them when they returned in the spring. He recounted how he had spent eight months among them when he was in charge of Mission Nuestra Senora de la Luz and how his reports and suggestions for the improvement of conditions had been ignored. He reminded the commandant general that the failure of the enterprise had not been due to the indifference of the natives, but to the rivalry of the officers charged with the protection of the mission. It had been
4BMartinez Pacheco to Reyes, September 13, 1788. Ibid., p. 17.
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