29
Tlze Province of Texas in 1762
means as he could command, he would defend La Bahia and die before surrendering. It seemed to him, however, that in order to prepare for a contingency such as was feared, certain measures should be adopted. In the first place it was highly advisable that the governor, who was in San Antonio, should repair as soon as possible to Los Adaes, from where he could watch the movements of the enemy much better. If he spent six months in San Antonio as he did at La Bahia, Los Adaes was exposed to serious danger in his absence. The garrison at La Bahia should be increased if possible, and its cannon placed in good order with a group of trained artillerymen to man them. Provision should be made to supply this post with the essential grain and food. Up to now it had been dependent upon such food as could be spared by the missions in San Antonio. This source, however, was inadequate, because when the crops were not abundant, the missions were unable to meet the demands of La Bahia. 21 Just at this time when an attack by the English was expected, the Apaches, under the guise of friendship, were destroying the scant resources of this outpost on the Gulf coast and threatening the two missions with annihilation. Fray Pedro Ramirez, who succeeded Fray Salazar, appealed to the captain for aid against the intolerable abuses of these insolent and taunting Indians. Since the destruction of the San Saba Mission, the Apaches, ever fearful of their mortal enemies the Comanches, had begun to roam regularly to the south of San Antonio and they appear to have spent several months each year near the coast in the vicinity of the missions of La Bahia. Why they chose this spot, it is easy to see. Here they could prey with impunity upon the mission herds and the horses of the presidio, confident that the Spaniards would not dare break the peace and would not exact stern reprisals. Father Ramirez declared that just recently bands of these Indians had twice entered the Mission of Nuestra Senora del Espiritu Santo, had openly insulted the missionaries and taken things from the neophytes. This flaunting of the Padres' authority had a tendency to demoralize the mission Indians, make them lose respect for the missionaries and disregard the benefits of mission life. In plain view of the mission they had killed thirty cows on one occasion and twenty-five on another to take only choice cuts. These abuses caused the neophytes to wonder what advantages there were in staying in the mission and in being rationed, when they could go out and do what the Apaches did without fear of being- punished.
21 Manuel Ramirez de la Piscina to the \'icero,·, ~la\'
21, 1j62. A.G. ,11., Hislori,1,
Vol. 95, pp. 118-121.
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