Occupation of tlee Tri1tity River, 17-16-1772
the two negroes, were sent to Cadiz on board "La America" and a detailed report of their arrest, declarations, and the measures adopted to prevent the occupation of the Trinity by the French sent to the king. Upon arrival in Cadiz the prisoners were placed in a dungeon while the Council of the Indies determined their fate. When in October of that year the Council took up the case it recommended that although the prisoners had incurred the death penalty this be commuted to life imprisonment. As a result of this case the king issued an order that in the future if any more Frenchmen were found within the Spanish dominions in New Spain without a permit, they should be sent to Acapulco from where they were to be shipped to South America to be kept on the Island of Juan Fernandez or the Presidio of Valdivia.: 7 But let us return to the perplexed officials in Mexico. The report of Governor Barrios of September 6, 1755, concerning new evidence of French activity and the proposals for trade of Governor Kerlerec reached the ,·iceroy towards the close of December. This naturally required a new consultation. Valcarcel reiterated his recommendations on January 8. 1756, and urged that the matter be considered by a Junta de G"uerra y Htecienda. Just at this juncture a change of viceroys occurred. \,Vhen the Marques de las Amarillas finally took office he promptly ordered a /11111ti for February 4 to decide on a course of action. A pp1·oval of plan for presidio, mission, and civil settlement. The Marques de Aranda, who succeeded Doctor Andreu as Fiscal, presented on January 27 the basic considerations to be submitted to the Junta. He called attention to the fact that although it had been taken for granted that the Trinity had been temporarily occupied since August 27, 1755, by twenty-eight men sent by the Governor of Texas from Los Adaes, San Xavier, San Antonio, and La Bahia, this measure had not been carried out because of the unavailability of the required men.u It was highly important, therefore, that the necessary men for this new post, be they twelve or twenty, be recruited specially for the purpose 27 Expediente sobre la aprehension . . . de tres franceses y dos negros . . . A. G. I., Audiencia de Guadalaiara, 103-6-23 (Dunn Transcripts, 1751-1756), pp. 181-206; Despacho de los autos fhos. sre. la condusion de los franzeses y negros. in ibid., pp. 207-238; Testimonio de los autos fechos sobre ha\'er fallesido .•. el £ranees nombrado Blancpain, in ibid., 286-292. Much additional data found in these documents. See also Dolton, o-p. cit., pp. 338-339. 28 Marques de Aranda to the Viceroy, January 27, 1756, A. G. /., Audi,mcia de Guada!t,jar,,, 103-6-23 (Dunn Transcripts, 1756), pp. 143-157. This definitely shows that the deduction that the Trinity was occupied on or about August 25, 1755, is unfounded. Dolton, op. cit., 242, note 4.
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