011r Catholic Heritage in Texas
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selves objected to the abandonment of the place and this naturally complicated the situation."' Although still suffering from dysentery, Fray Marcos Satarain returned to his post at Orcoquisac shortly after the death of Fray Chavira. But the poor water of the mission soon aggravated his ailment and forced him to stay in bed. Sometime in August, 1757, Governor Barrios requested Father Fray Jose Francisco Caro of Mission Dolores to go to Nuestra Senora de la Luz to aid Fray Marcos and to report conditions there. Little progress had been made. Teipporary structures had been erected for the missionaries and for religious services but no formality had been given to the mission. Father Caro reported in October that Fray Marcos had turned over to him a supply of palmetto which had been cut and brought to roof the buildings of the missions, three bundles of tobacco, five dozen knives, some cheap cloth, six hats, and ten blue cotton shawls. These were all the goods he had to win the good will of the natives. There was practically no food, and no crops had been planted in the spring because of the illness of the Padres, the lack of the neces- sary tools, and the crude and temporary nature of the establishment. H.! expressed surprise that Fray Chavira had not placed the Indians under the formal regime of mission life. But he did not know that this seeming negligence had been the result of the instructions of the governor to do nothing until the question of the permanent location was determined. Fray Marcos Satarain was too sick to be of much service and left soon ~fter Fray Caro arrived." The new missionary devoted himself to his duties with zeal, expecting to be relieved by other workers shortly, but as months dragged on and winter came, the hardships of the new post proved too much. He appealed to Father Vallejo as president to permit him to return to Mission Dolores because he could stand it no longer. Father Vallejo wrote the governor on February 27, 1758, that it was impossible to continue to maintain a missionary at Orcoquisac. He painted a truly pathetic picture. Fray Caro had implored relief. The mosquitoes, flies, ants, and other insects were unbearable. The lack of adequate food and the poor water made dysentery an unavoidable ailment, which proved fatal in many instances. Not only had Fray Chavira died but also the new missionary, Fray "'Guadalupe y Alcivia to the Commissary General, September 18, 1757. A. G. M., Hisloria, Vol. 28, ff. 190-192. "Despacho de! Gobernador Darrios a Fray Jose Francisco Caro e informe de este, October 3, 1757. Sa11 Francisco el Grande Archive, Vol. 7, pp. 7-10. He must have arrived in August, 17 57, because he said in October he had been there two months.
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