Palaces of the Desert 269 



was found all suggestive of a land of plenty. 



The Indians were practically tractable, and 

 even welcomed the friars, and it was decided 

 to establish the first mission at the town of Nacog- 

 doches; here was built the mission of San 

 Francisco. About sixty miles farther on was a 

 large settlement of Asinais, and in their midst 

 was established the mission of Purissima Con- 

 cepcion. A third mission was established sixty 

 miles southeast of the latter, and called Guada- 

 lupe. In the erection of all these, the friars 

 used designs copied from other buildings in 

 Mexico. The whites laid out the work, large 

 numbers of natives being employed as laborers 

 and unskilled mechanics. Nearly all the mis- 

 sions were made more or less attractive in 

 appearance, some imposing, and all were con- 

 structed to last, being veritable fortresses, pos- 

 sibly with a view to contigencies which might 

 arise with hostile natives. 



This ponderous method of architecture has 

 resulted in the preservation of many of these 

 old ruins until to-day virtually the stepping 

 stones between the past and present history of 

 Texas, a period that in romance is hardly 

 equalled and certainly not generally appreciated. 



Ramon and St. Denis, through whose influence 

 the expedition was sent out, were eminently suc- 

 cessful, and the work of founding missions and 

 converting the Indians went rapidly on. In 



