Expedition Into Texas, 1675 



347 



and asked the father Comisionero to let 

 them become Christians, and he consoled 

 them by telling them when they had 

 learned how to pray he would baptize 

 them. On this day the said comisario 

 misionero took possession of the exer- 

 cise of his office. 



May 2j, 16/j. — In said place of San 

 Jorje, I, said lieutenant of the alcalde 

 maior, having recognized how great 

 was the number of Indians desiring to 

 become Christians and to be placed 

 under religious instruction, and in vil- 

 lages and settlements, as each day there 

 came to me chiefs from the various 

 tribes, and as they are all far from the 

 town of Guadalupe and enemies to each 

 other, yet all wish to be instructed in 

 the Christian doctrine at the same time,, 

 and as the}' gather together according 

 to their barbarous feuds, and fight and 

 kill each other. (The country is ap- 

 parently divided into three parts or 

 tracts. The country which reaches 

 from Guadalupe to the north, on the 

 left hand, is under the control of Don 

 Estaban, chief of the Guiequesale, and 

 that in the center is peopled by the fol- 

 lowers of Juan de la Cruz, captain of 

 the Bobole nation, and that on the right 

 hand, occupied by the Catujanos, Tili- 

 jses, Apes, Pachaques, with their fol- 

 lowers among the Indians) and all wish 

 to receive religious instruction from the 

 missionaries and Spaniards, and they 

 are in the midst of enemies, and we 

 were unable to carry out their wishes, 

 I determined to return to the town of 

 Guadalupe and make a report to the 

 alcalde maior. 



May 2j, 1675. — In said province I, 

 the lieutenant of the alcalde maior, 

 having left the place called San Jorge 

 in said company of the comisario mis- 

 ionero and the chaplain and traveled 

 about 14 leagues toward the north, 

 reached a small creek with many groves 

 of trees. We found it deserted and un- 

 inhabited. It was between high-peaked 

 ridges. We took possession of it in 



the name of the king and erected a 

 high wooden cross in sign of possession. 

 We gave it the name of San Pablo Er- 

 mitano. Religious instruction was given 

 to the Indians b}- Father Dionisio San 

 Buenaventura, and he asked the Indians 

 of the four chiefs, already mentioned in 

 the report, at San Isidro and followers of 

 Don Estaban if they would remain quiet 

 in their territory and not fight and kill 

 each other, and would congregate them- 

 selves together under their principal 

 chief, and these chiefs said that they 

 would remain quiet, waiting until a 

 missionary should be sent to them to 

 instruct them, and in the meantime 

 they would assemble in pueblos. 



May 29, 1675 ■ — In said province I, 

 said lieutenant of the alcalde maior, 

 having left the place called San Pablo 

 Ermitano on our return to the town of 

 Guadalupe in company of said mission- 

 ary fathers, the Spaniards and Indians 

 reached another point of the Rio San 

 Buenaventura del Norte, where we 

 found a part of the Indians of the Bo- 

 boles tribe with their women and chil- 

 dren, who were there killing buffalo 

 for their subsistence. It was some time 

 since they had left their pueblo. They 

 were asked if they would join with their 

 chief and others of their tribe and re- 

 ceive religious instruction from the mis- 

 sionaries, and they agreed to this. 



June 1, 1675. — In said province I, 

 said lieutenant of said alcalde maior, 

 having left said Rio de San Buenaven- 

 tura and traveled about 20 leagues to- 

 ward the west, reached a river which 

 was said to be called the Nueces, where 

 we found the chiefs of the Bocora and 

 Pinanaca at some springs of water with 

 many walnuts and groves of different 

 kinds of trees. We took possession of 

 it in the name of the king, and in sign 

 thereof erected a high wooden cross. 

 Religious instruction was given to the 

 Indians by Father Juan Larios, and an 

 altar was erected under a cover of 

 branches and Father Dionisio San Bue- 



