011r Cat/10/ic lfrritage in Tl'xas
230
Creeks. On this last named stream were located the ,-auc/ier1as of the Tejas Indians, their lands extending to the Neches River. One league beyond the Neches "we climbed a hill on top of which there is a mound that seems to have been made by hand," says La Fora. "It was here that the first Spaniards met the principal chiefs of this nation with whom they negotiated a peace observed without violation by the Indians ever since." But La Fora did not know of the threats which these Indians had made against the missionaries, nor of their participation in the destruction of San Saba. From the mound beyond the Neches, they went east, northeast, and travelling four leagues came to the Angelina. Four leagues farther was El Conductor Creek, and four leagues from this arroyo was the Mission of Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe de los Nacogdoches, tended by a Zacatecan missionary. Here were two soldiers who acted as guards, who, with their families and a few servants, cultivated the fields. There were no Indians living at the mission. Rubi and La Fora rested in Nacogdoches for a day. On September 7, they set out for Los Ais Mission, where they arrived on the following day, after travelling seventeen leagues. They went three leagues southeast and fourteen east, crossing La Nana, El Carrizo, Amoladeras, and Atoyaque Creeks. The mission was on a small hill at the foot of which flowed a small stream. There were two missionaries stationed here and a lay brother. Two soldiers acted as guards, and with their families and servants constituted the whole population of the mission. The Ais Indians were very "ladinos" (sly) and generally spoke Spanish, but did not reside in the mission. On September 9, Rubi and La Fora proceeded to Los Adaes, where they arrived on September 10, after two days travel, during which time they covered twenty-eight leagues, mostly to the northeast, and crossed Lobanillo and Patron Creeks before coming to the Sabine River. Beyond the Sabine, some seventeen leagues, they crossed Arroyo Hondo, less than half a league from the Presidio de los Adaes. La Fora drew a careful JJlan of the presidio and the surrounding country. The garrison consisted of sixty men, whose commander was the governor, who resided at this post. A short distance from the presidio was the Mission of San Miguel de Cuellar. where two missionaries were stationed. There were Indians living in the mission at the time. 42
42 La Fora, Relacion del Viaje .. . ff. 68-72.
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