The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 54, July 1950 - April, 1951 Page: 505

Book Reviews

years 1769-1784. He was harassed not only by the physical diffi-
culties inherent in a missionary enterprise in a new country but
also by the often tyrannical, always material, attitude of the
military authorities together with their indifference toward the
missions. Since Serra and most of his companions were concerned
primarily with the spiritual life of the Indians, it was inevitable
that there should be conflict with the military officials when the
missionary enterprise became somewhat secularized. A natural
confusion between the church and state resulted from decrees of
the various viceroys and commanders-general. Throughout the
years when the military chiefs, with the exception of Portoli,
warred against him, and even some of his superiors in the church
condemned his enterprise and derided his optimism, Serra re-
mained humble, yet indomitable and fervently zealous.
The book is well annotated, although it contains no bibliog-
raphy. The title is somewhat misleading; technically Serra kept
the secret of his heroic act of charity from the one whom he had
helped. Yet, as the author maintains, his true secret was in his
soul, in its humility, deep faith, and boundless trust in God.
OHLAND MORTON
Edinburg Regional College
Report That Dr. Miguel Ramos de Arizpe, Priest of Bourbon,
and Deputy in the Present General and Special Cortes of
Spain for the Province of Coahuila, One of the Four Eastern
Interior Provinces of the Kingdom of Mexico, Presents to the
August Congress on the Natural, Political and Civil Condi-
tion of the Provinces of Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Nuevo San-
tander, and Texas of the Four Eastern Interior Provinces of
the Kingdom of Mexico. Translation, Annotations and In-
troduction by Nettie Lee Benson. Austin (The University
of Texas Press), 1950. Pp. xiii+61.
In 1579, Philip II of Spain conferred on Luis de Carvajal a
grant of land to be known as the Nuevo Reino de Leon and to
extend two hundred leagues north and west from the mouth of
the Panuco River near modern Tampico. This remarkable assign-
ment of territory included all of the Mexican state of Nuevo
Leon, most of Coahuila and Tamaulipas, and parts of eleven
other modern Mexican states and Texas. For a century this terri-

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