The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 8, July 1904 - April, 1905 Page: 50

50 Texas Historical Association Quarterly.
The Padre Fray Mariano de los Dolores, who was the center of
all the events which had occurred since the year [17]46, gave report
in the year [17] 521 that the Apaches were anxiously seeking to be
brought into missions; and for the purpose he suggested that the
Presidio of San Antonio de Vexar be removed to a site not far dis-
tant, which they call de los Pedernales.
This removal was rendered difficult by the citizens of the Villa
of San Fernando, who represented the helpless condition in which
they would be left. When the plans of the Padre Fray Mariano
were thus frustrated, he took occasion to attribute the frightful
condition of the [Presidio] of San Xavier to the violent death of
the missionary Padre Gonzabal, saying that since then the territory
had been filled with infection, and the rivers dried up; that the
pools emitted a foul odor; and that even up to the heavens the pun-
ishment of that sacrilegious crime was being announced by portents
in no wise common. He asked, finally, that the Presidio of San
Xavier be removed to the banks of the Guadalupe River, or of the
San Marcos, which on repeated occasions he had spoken of as per-
nicious and impracticable for this purpose.
The College of the Holy Cross of Queretaro supported these
plans, and [so did] Captain Don Pedro de Rabago. The latter ex-
pressed the opinion that the Apaches were docile Indians, and capa-
ble of being converted; that it would be expedient to gather them
into San Sabas as the center of the Apache country; that it was
necessary to abandon the site of San Javier, and garrison the new
Presidio *of San Savas* with a hundred men; and that the, few con-
verted Indians should be brought into the missions contiguous to
San Antonio de Vexar.
To make this vast project more feasible, he showed also that the
royal treasury would incur no greater expense, since the extra num-
ber of men could- be taken from such presidios as would not need
their full quotas. Finally, he made apparent the advantage of
[the fact] that by these means the conversion of the numerous
Comanche nation would be accomplished, that communication
would be opened with Nuebo Mexico, Coaguila, and Leon, and that
all the hostilities of the Indians would stop, the whole country
entering upon a tranquil peace. These suggestions had the desired

1M has [17] 51.