The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 71, July 1967 - April, 1968 Page: 601
686 p. : ill. (some col.), maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Notes and Documents
May God keep Your Honor for many years. Mexico, August 31, 1790.
Count of Revilla Gigedo [Rubric]
Sefior Don Manuel Mufioz
Reyes to Viceroy-June 30, 1791
Most Excellent Lord:
On the 22nd of this month I received the greatly appreciated letter
from Your Excellency. On the same day I received a letter from the
Bachiller and Royal Chaplain of the Royal Presidio of the Rio Grande,
Don Onofre Castillon. I am including it so that Your Excellency can
see what harm has befallen our new Mission of Rosario because of my
absence. Said Chaplain sent the letter to that Mission, thinking that I
was there, but by that time I had returned to Zacatecas.
It seems to me, Your Excellency, that those people were waiting only
for my departure so that they could then complete the slaughter of
the few cattle which remained for breeding and for the maintenance of
my Indians. While I was at the Mission, I had been protecting the cattle
against the thieves, who are in the Presidio of La Bahia del Espiritu Santo,
and also against many strangers who in passing by killed the cattle. One
can not realize the trouble I went through in looking after the cattle.
My departure was so sudden that on that same day I had decided to
go and stop other neighbors of La Bahia from killing the cattle, which
were grazing in the pasture. These people were hiding in the monte called
Mesquital. And now, Your Excellency, since the new Minister who is in
said Mission has no knowledge of the Mission nor of the territory nor
of the inhabitants, do you not think that those neighbors will finish up
what little remains? How will this Mission be able to make progress?
This is only one of the minor damages which have resulted because
of my absence.
It is greatly to be feared that with such a state of affairs the Indians
may become exasperated and the work of Your Excellency and mine may
be all in vain. Since no one there has undergone hardships to establish
and beget these Indians in Jesus Christ, no one cares what Your Ex-
cellency orders the leaders to do, for they do as they please. If those
officials ,appreciated and listened to experienced Missionaries, the condition
of the interior lands would be greatly improved, but unfortunately, mat-
ters are not thus. The damage done, Your Excellency, is so repugnant
to both Majesties, that in following the voice of my conscience I shall
return and repair matters, but always with the aid and protection of the
might of Your Excellency, as I already have appealed and suggested to
the kindness of Your Excellency on previous occasions.
In two or three months I shall make the sacrifice and humble myself
before the good people I know, and who know me, and ask them for
help to build the church and friars' rectory, the wall, etc., and also to
start a fund for the maintenance of my Indians and the others on the601o
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 71, July 1967 - April, 1968, periodical, 1968; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117145/m1/667/: accessed April 30, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.