Preparing to Weatlzer the Storm, 1790-1800
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constant sale of cattle and horses in the Province of Louisiana; that he maintained relations with unauthorized French and English traders; and, lastly, that he was a mulatto. 11 Munoz sent a certain Gaspar de Verazady to Nacogdoches with a permit to purchase buffalo hides and tongues, but with secret instructions to investigate the activities of lbarbo. Munoz wrote the viceroy that he would later go in person to institute formal proceedings against lbarbo · if the evidence justified the action. He explained that Nacogdoches was about one hundred fifty leagues from San Antonio and that the natives in East Texas appeared to have secured arms and ammunition at that post contrary to existing regulations, but from San Antonio it was impossible to stop this illicit traffic. 12 Before the investigation proceeded further, Revillagigedo instructed the governor to suspend all action until Ramon Castro, the recently appointed commander of the Eastern Interior Provinces, took charge. Munoz was to report the findings of Verazady to Castro before continuing with the investigation. 13 The repeated investigations of the illicit trade at Nacogdoches had convinced officials of the necessity of taking radical measures. Here are to be found the reasons for the recommendations of Revillagigedo that Nacogdoches be either abandoned or reenforced. Extent of Nacogdoclees jt1-risdiction. The zeal of Father Bernardino Vallejo, veteran missionary, reveals the extent of French and English infiltration and of the jurisdiction of Nacogdoches in 1797. In February of this year, he complained to Jose Maria Guadiana, the commander of the garrison, that ever since his arrival over a year ago, he had experienced considerable difficulty in making the settlers living east of the Sabine River comply with their religious duties. When asked why they did not come to Nacogdoches, they replied that they were in the jurisdiction of Natchitoches, Province of Louisiana. With the approach of Lent, Father Vallejo was anxious to secure an official list of the residents within the jurisdiction of Nacogdoches who were living east of the Sabine in order to get them to make their Easter duty. He pointed out that most of them were French, but that among them were several English settlers who he strongly suspected were not Catholics, and had llRevillagigedo to Munoz, December 10, 1790. A. G. Al., His/{lria, Vol. 93, pp. 51-53. 12 Manuel Munoz to Revillagigedo, March 1 o, 1791. Ibid., pp. 56-58. 1 3Revillagigedo to Munoz, April 13, 1791. Ibid., pp. 59-60.
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