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The National Geographic Magazine 



example would seduce into rebellion 

 barbarous tribes from whom injury to 

 the royal service might be apprehended, 

 resolved, under the authority of his 

 royal commission and in the name of the 

 king, to have the royal standard raised. 

 After assisting at the holy sacrifice of 

 the mass he gave the order and said : 

 I consign this royal standard to the 

 keeping of Fernando del Bosque, a 

 Spaniard of the greatest experience and 

 trustworthiness ; in whom are united all 

 the qualifications and parts required, 

 and in the manner that I should and 

 ought and find occasion to as conquis- 

 tador of the new conquest and settle- 

 ment ; and in the name of the king I 

 elect him to be such royal standard- 

 bearer for this new conquest and settle- 

 ment, and in it shall be accorded to him 

 all the preeminences and privileges al- 

 lowed other royal standard-bearers of 

 like new conquests, having and holding 

 him for such royal standard-bearer. 

 And he shall use and exercise such office 

 as he can and ought in. -all things and 

 causes connected therewith. 



To this the said nominee assented and 

 received said royal standard and offered 

 to serve his majesty voluntarily and of 

 his own will, without regard to any sal- 

 ary or pay therefor, and he made oath 

 in the following form : I swear and 

 make homage according to law, one, 

 two, three times ; because, being out of 

 Spain I ought to do it the more : to hold 

 and to guard this royal standard in 

 peace and in war ; working solely in 

 the service of the king until the time 

 shall come when I must die upon it, 

 and when in obedience to the royal 

 command whoever may be present shall 

 carry it to the one that shall next be 

 charged with its keeping. And I will 

 fulfill all that a faithful vassal and loyal 

 hidalgd should. 



Father Juan Larios had been lately 

 appointed by the Franciscan order 

 comisario misionero for the region be- 

 yond the Rio del Norte, and had been 



directed to carry his work of evangeliza- 

 tion to the savage tribes inhabiting it. 

 He and that other intrepid priest, Father 

 Manuel de la Cruz, had alread}' entered 

 Texas several times. Father Fre5 T es, the 

 historian, says that Father Manuel de la 

 Cruz penetrated into the country as far 

 as the Medina River. He had remained 

 over' the Rio del Norte with a tribe 

 called the Boboles, but being informed 

 that the Yrbipias had planned to capture 

 him by command of a god that they 

 had, this god being a man who had 

 ordered them to bring the daring mis- 

 sionary before him to answer for his 

 temerity in coming into the country, 

 the Boboles defended the priest, by 

 command of Don Estaban, chief of the 

 Gueiquesales. This chief with sixTn- 

 dians of his tribe came to see General 

 Balcarcel, and, being asked his purpose 

 in coining, said that he and his tribe 

 desired to become Christians and to re- 

 ceive religious instruction, and he had 

 come in the name of the following 

 tribes, all of whom were his friends and 

 allies : the Gueiquesales, Manos Prietas, 

 Bocores, Siaexer, Pinnancas, Escabaca- 

 Cascastes, Cocobiptas, Cocomaque, 

 Oodame, Contotores, Colorados, Babi- 

 amares, Taimamares. These tribes 

 had received religious instruction from 

 the missionaries, and on one occasion 

 they had protected them from the 

 Yrbipias, who wished to capture Father 

 Manuel de la Cruz when he was on the 

 other- side of the Rio del Norte. 



On the 1 3th of January, 1675, another 

 Indian, who was a Christian and called 

 Francisco, belonging to the tribe called 

 Bagnanames, accompanied by the chief 

 of his tribe, who. was called in the idiom 

 of his people Yosame Carboau, and 

 eighteen warriors and three women, 

 came to see General Balcarcel. All of 

 them were brought by the Christian 

 Indian, Francisco, from the mountains 

 called Dacate in the Indian language, 

 and which are about thirty leagues on 

 the other side of the Rio del Norte. 



