COLONIZATION NUEVO LEON TEXAS. 



227 



manded to return to their missions among the Ansinais. At the 

 same time, a new colony was founded in Nuevo Leon, forty 

 leagues south-east from Monterey, which, in honor of the viceroy 

 received the name of San Felipe de Linares. At the close of this 

 year, 1715, the garrisons of Texas were already completed, and 

 the Franciscan friars busy in their mission of inducing the sav- 

 ages to abandon their nomadic habits for the quieter life of villa- 

 gers. This was always the most successful effort of the Spaniards 

 in controling the restless wanderers and hunters of the wilder- 

 ness. It was the first step in the modified civilization that usually 

 ended in a mere knowledge of the formula of prayers which was 

 called Christianity, and in the more substantial labor of the Indians 

 which was in reality nothing but slavery. 



The year 1716 was the last of the reign of the Duke of Linares, 

 who in the month of August resigned his post to the Duke of Arion. 



Don Baltazar de Zuniga Guzman, Sotomayor y Mendoza, 



Duke de Arion and Marques de Valero. 



XXXVI. Viceroy of New Spain 



1716 _ 1722. 



Scarcely had the Duke de Arion taken charge of the viceroyal 

 government, when he received an express from Texas, despatched 

 by Domingo Ramon, who was captain of the Spaniards in the 

 province, informing the authorities of the famine which prevailed 

 throughout his command, and demanding supplies, without which, 

 he would be obliged to abandon his post and take refuge with his 

 soldiers in Coahuila. The new viceroy saw at once the impor- 

 tance of preserving this province as an outpost and frontier against 

 the French who had already begun their settlements in Louisiana, 

 and accordingly he commanded the governor of Coahuila to send 

 provisions and troops to Texas, together with mechanics who 

 should teach the useful arts to the Indians. 



While these occurrences took place in the north of Mexico, war 

 was once more declared between Spain and France without any 

 apparent motive save the hatred which the Duke of Orleans, 

 the regent during the minority of Louis XV., entertained for the 

 Cardinal Alberoni who was prime minister of Spain and had in- 

 trigued to dispossess him of his regency. The news of this war 

 reached New Spain, and on the 19th of May, 1719, the French 

 attacked Pensacola and received the capitulation of the governor, 



