Tlee Provi11ce of Te:xas·in 1762
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and work at the various tasks assigned to them. Under his paternal care they were provided with food and clothing and instructed in our holy faith and in the ways and habits of civilized man. Every day at sunset the mission Indians gathered at the call of the bell. Young and old, they all recited their prayers before the church and were instructed in the catechism. Fray Escobar explained to them the mysteries of our holy religion and urged them to observe the commandments of our Lord and of our holy mother, the Church. On Saturdays they all recited the rosary out in the open and sang the A labado. On Sundays and feast days the neophytes recited their prayers and the lessons learned in the doctrina before Mass. After the Holy Sacrifice the missionary explained the Christian doctrine and such things as they should know and understand. The nations represented were the Cujane, Guapite, Karankawa, and Copane. Recently most of the members of the last named nation ·had deserted the mission. Father Solis explains that the natural indolence of the natives and their aversion to all regulations were the chief causes for their dissatisfaction with mission life. They preferred to suffer hunger, nakedness, and the inclemencies of the weather in order to enjoy absolute freedom and indulge in complete apathy and sloth rather than to work and to receive the benefits of religion and the security of the missions. They were particularly fond of their native dances called mitotes. These were very expressive, the dominant note being sometimes joy and then again sorrow. Often they danced for three days and nights at a time. The women ordinarily did not take part in the dances. This practice was not permitted in the missions. Since the establishment of Mission Rosario, two hundred Indians had been baptized, one hundred ten had been buried by the Church, and thirty-four had received the Sacrament of Marriage. Mission Nuestra Senora del Espiritu Santo was in much better con- dition, being older than that of Rosario. It was just across the river from the presidio. There was no bridge over the stream, and all communi- cation between the two was by means of a canoe. The church of Espiritu Santo, although better built, was smaller than that of Rosario. It was well provided with vestments, sacred vessels, and all things pertaining to divine cult. The Blessed Sacrament was kept in an inside oratory with the permission of the Bishop of Guadalajara, who granted this privilege during his visit in 1758. At the door of the oratory a small lamp was kept burning with nut oil. This practice had also been approved by the Bishop. There were ample quarters for the religious and the
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