Return of Rab,igv and the Founding of Caiion ,llissio11s
191
the men were unfit for military service and should be discharged. Thirteen were, in fact, entitled to be retired and pensioned. Although each man should have from five to six horses for remounts, the garrison had not more than one hundred in all. Their guns, most of them imported from Catalonia and of good grade, were poorly cared for and were not of uniform caliber. Not more than half of the men were provided with pistols, and such as had them were obliged to pay forty pesos. The swords, saddles, and other equipment were equally poor. The uniforms worn by the soldiers consisted of blue pants and red cloaks with silver buttons, the same as in Coahuila. Each uniform was charged at eighty pesos. While the courage of the captain was abo\'e reproach. his conduct was not unassailable. He was known to be most unscrupulous in money matters, and he maintained a horse ranch ninety miles south of the presidio, beyond the Rio Grande, from where he was in the habit of supplying mounts to his men at his own price. With regard to the costs of goods sold to the garrison, the Marques de Rubi declared emphatically that they were exorbitant. Beans were being sold at a peso and a half a bushel, soap at twelve -pesos a case, piloncillo (brown sugar loaf) at four -pesos, sugar at seventy-five cents a pound, Queretaro cloth at four pesos a val'tl, saddles at twenty-eight pesos, and hats at three and a half -pesos. At the conclusion of the inspection Rubi recommended to Captain Rabago y Teran that the price of commodities be reduced, suggesting the maximum to be charged for each item. It was essential that the guns be all of the same caliber and all the useless pieces should be replaced at once. In his opinion it would be well to employ a regular gunsmith to repair all the guns and keep them always in condition. He particularly enjoined the commander to maintain the presidio in its present site until the viceroy decided its permanent location. This last injunction was prompted by the insistent request of Rabago during the visit to be allowed to remove the presidio to the upper Nueces near the two new missions. Rubi was adamant on his refusal to comply with the request. Although he admitted its uselessness in the present location and had dt:cided on its abolition in his mind, he refused to allow its temporary remo\'al without the viceroy's consent. 53 Rubt's report to the viceroy on Sau Saba. The Marques dt: Rubi !-pent almost a week at San Saba meditating over his recommendations concern-
53Inspection of Presidio de San Saba by Rubi, July 27-August 4, 1767. A. G. /. A udiencia de Guadalajara (Dunn Transcript!', I 767 ), pp. 197-203.
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