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San Bisente Ferrer. The missionary fathers gave religious instruction to the Indians.

On the same day and in said province and place called San Bisente Ferrer, the Indians and Spaniards killed two buffalo. for our people to eat; the form of these animals is very ugly; they resemble bulls and cows; the skin is covered with wool; their shoulders are high, which makes them look humpbacked; they have a short neck and their heads are covered with long woolly hair, which hangs over their eyes and interferes with their seeing well. Their horns are short and thick, but like those of a bull; their rump and buttocks are shaped like those of a hog; their forefeet and knees, and from there up until the junction with the shoulders, are covered with long woolly hair, like the beard of a goat. Their tail is naked to near the end, where it has a heavy tuft of hair. The females had four teats. They were about the size of neat cattle; they looked at people in a sidelong way like wild boars.

In this same place, San Bisente Ferrer, on this same day and month and year, before me, Fernando del Bosque, lieutenant of the alcalde maior, appeared an Indian chief of the Bibit nation, who said he was a Christian and had been baptized in Saltillo, and another Indian, who said he was chief of the Jume nation. They were examined through the interpreter, Don Lazaro Augustin, in their language and the Spanish language. Being asked several questions, they said they had desired for a long time to become Christians, and some of their people had gone to the town of Saltillo and succeeded, but the greater number of them were unable to go, for it was far and they could not bring their people, for which reason many of them had died from smallpox without receiving the waters of baptism, and they wished and asked to be gathered together in a settlement and

to receive instruction in the Christian doctrine. This they had not been able to do themselves; nor had they been able to join the remainder of the tribe for fear of the barbarous Indians, who would kill them and the people they had with them, being one hundred and five persons, great and small-fifty-five warriors and the remainder women and children.

In said place, San Bisente Ferrer, on said day, month, and year, before me, said lieutenant, appeared six Indian warriors who said they belonged to the Pinanacas, Xaeser, Teneinamar, who are of the party of Don Estaban, Gueiquesale. They were examined by Don Lazaro Augustin, interpreter, in their idiom and the Spanish language. Being asked why they had come to see me, they replied that they had come in the name of their chiefs and to make homage to his majesty the king, and that they wished to live under the Christian doctrine and to remain in a settlement.

May 15, 1675.-Having left the place called San Bisente Ferrer with our company, the missionary fathers, Spaniards and Indians, we traveled toward the north, and reached a river about four leagues from the place called San Bisente Ferrer, which our Indians said was called in their language Ona, which means salty. We took possession of it in the name of the king, and in token thereof erected a high wooden cross. We named this place San Isidro Labrador. We found many live oak and mesquite trees and herds of buffalo, fine pasturage, and many fish in the river. It was uninhabited.

In said place and said province, said day and year, in said place called San Isidro Labrador, before me, said lieutenant, appeared the chiefs, Xoman, Tereodan, Teaname, Tumamar, with their people, whom we examined through sworn interpreters acquainted with the Mexican and Castilian lan

guages, these being Don Lazaro Augustin, governor of the pueblo of San Miguel de Luna, of the town of Guadalupe, of this province, and Pascual, an Indian. These chiefs were each asked questions apart from each other to see if what they said agreed, and they all said that they were heathen, without knowledge of the true God or what He was; nor did they know anything of the true way of salvation and were without light in regard to it; that they wished to become Christians and to be baptized with their children and their wives and to live as such in the settlement or settlements in which they might be placed, and though they were too old to enjoy it themselves, their children could, and they would raise them as Christians and they would continue in the same way, and from this time they gave their allegiance to the king, our master, Don Carlos II, and they would be friends to the Spaniards. At this they all shouted, "Viva, Viva, Viva, the King, our master!" and from what I observed, with much sincerity and zeal. In the name of the king I received them under the royal protection, and assured them on the part of the king that all would be accomplished, and I demanded that on their part they should live quietly and peaceably and assemble for catechism at the place most convenient to them. Because of the distance from their habitations and of the dissensions that existed between the barbarous tribes in the territory, the one against the other, and which lead to their killing each other, and not having the means of feeding so many people myself, I told them to remain for the present in the most convenient place. They said through the interpreter that they would do so. Their people came up and went and kissed the sleeves of the habits of the missionaries, Fathers Juan Larios and Dionisio de San Buenaventura, and asked permission to give them an offering of what they had, in

thanksgiving to God for having opened to them the way of truth. They then placed on the ground, some a piece of lard, some a piece of tallow, and others the skins of animals, such as they use for clothing, beds, and covering.

In said place and river of San Isidro, in said province, on the 16th day of May, 1675, we erected a portable altar with fittings for the purpose of celebrating mass, and at the sound of a little bell all the people came to be present at it and to hear mass chanted by Father Juan Larios. All the people attended, and when it was over they begged Father Larios to baptize them. He made them understand by the interpreter that he could not do this until they had learned the prayers, and he consoled them by baptizing fifty-five children at the breast, the Spaniards being sponsors for them. Religious instruction was given them, and acount, was made of those with the four chiefs and they numbered four hundred and twenty-five warriors and seven hundred and forty-seven women and children of all ages, making a total of one thousand one hundred and seventy-two.

At said place of San Isidro, on said day, month, and year, I, the lieutenant of the alcalde maior, installed in possession of his ministry, as comiserio misionero, Father Juan Larios, in accordance with the royal provision.

On said day, month, and year, and at said place, before me, said lieutenant of the alcalde maior, appeared an Indian of the Guiequesale nation, and brought into my presence a Spanish boy, who appeared to be about twelve years old. He had a line on his face, marking him from his forehead to his nose, and two lines on his cheeks, one on each, and rows of them on his left arm and one on the right. Having examined said. Indian through the interpreter, D. Lazaro Augustin, and the Indian, Pascual, also an interpreter, he said, being asked where he had gotten the Spanish boy,

that his, the said Indian's, mother had raised the boy; that many years before the Cabesas had brought him with others from Yndee, near Parral, and had given him to his mother, and that he loved him as his own brother, and he had brought him to the Spaniards as a proof of friendship and in order that he might be sent to his own parents. The boy was not examined at this time as to how many more Spaniards the Indians had because he could not speak the Spanish language. Only said Indian was asked if there were more Spanish children among the Indians. He said that said Cabesas Indians, when they had brought this one, had another boy and a girl, and they killed the boy with their arrows, having placed said boy standing up, and he saw that he clasped a cross in his hands, and that he recited prayers and was praying until he died; and that the Spanish girl they kept with them to serve them, and that in a raid the said Cabesas made to rob and kill, one of their own number was killed, and they took the girl and shot her with arrows until she was dead, and they left her lying in that place, and that two years afterward he passed that place and found her just as she had been left; her body had not become corrupted nor had the animals eaten it; and, seeing that, he had taken her up and carried her to a cave, where she now was, and that she had very long hair, and he knew no more than this, which was the truth.

May 18, 1675.-In said province I, said alcalde maior, having left said place called San Isidro and traveled about 8 leagues, more or less, toward the north, and having reached a place and a small stream which was said to be called Dacate, found it abandoned and uninhabited. We took possession of it in the name of the king, and we gave it the name of San Bernardino, and in sign. thereof we erected a high wooden cross; and this day came before me the chief

of the Geniocane tribe of Indians, who said that he was awaiting the missionaries, with his people in another place further on, so that they might receive religious instruction, and the reason they had not come was because of the number of their enemies, who would not allow them to pass and seek succor, and, above all, they killed one another; and upon this the missionaries determined to grant their petition and give them religious instruction and spiritual assist

ance.

It

May 20, 1675.-Having left the place called San Bernardino in company of said fathers, comisario misionero and capellan gobernador, and Indians, and. having traveled about 8 leagues toward the north and in said district, said Indians that had come out to receive us reached their village or assistencia. was on a stream, between two ridges, where there were many arbors of grapes growing like wild grapes, and the green grapes were very large, like those of Castile, and there were a great many of them, like a vineyard. them, like a vineyard. 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 Dionisio San Buenaventura.

May 21, 1675.-In said province and said place, already mentioned, which we gave the name of San Jorje, I, said lieutenant of the alcalde maior, bear witness that said fathers comisioneros ordered an altar to be erected, and on it the father Dionisio de San Buenaventura. offered the holy sacrifice of the mass, and said Geniocanes Indians assisted at it, with those of the other tribes, and after mass they received religious instruction from Father Juan Larios; and having counted them there were sixtyfive warriors and one hundred and thirteen women and children, making a total of one hundred and seventy--eight persons of said Geniocane tribe, all of whom desired to become Christians,

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 exercise of his office.

May 23, 1675.-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 villages 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 they gather together according to their barbarous feuds, and fight and kill each other. (The country is apparently 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 followers of Juan de la Cruz, captain of the Bobole nation, and that on the right hand, occupied by the Catujanos, Tilijæs, Apes, Pachaques, with their followers 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 25, 1675.-In said province I, the lieutenant of the alcalde maior, having left the place called San Jorge in said company of the comisario misionero 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 uninhabited. 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 Ermitano. Religious instruction was given to the Indians by 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 themselves 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 missionary 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 Boboles tribe with their women and children, 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 receive religious instruction from the missionaries, and they agreed to this.

June 1, 1675.-In said province I, said lieutenant of said alcalde maior, having left said Rio de San Buenaventura and traveled about 20 leagues toward 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

naventura said mass, and at the sound of a bell the people congregated to recite the prayers. A count was made of the followers of the Bocora chief there, and they numbered 150 persons-62 warriors and 88 women and childrenand in this place I gave him * possession in all that related to his ecclesiastical administration.

June 10, 1675.-In said province I, the lieutenant of the alcalde maior, having left the river and place of Senor San Diego, in said company of the comisario misionero and the chaplain, Spaniards and Indians, and traveled about twenty-two leagues, passing through the valley of the Rio San Antonio de Sabinas, we entered through an opening of one of the large sierras, called Obayas, and reached a creek, which we found deserted, uncultivated, and uninhabited. We took possession of it in the name of the king, for this conquest, and gave it the name of San Anbrosio, and in sign of possession we erected a high wooden cross, where the comisario misionero said mass, at which the Contore chief, Don Bernabe, with his people was present, and after mass religious instruction was given to the Indians by the comisario misionero. We counted this nation and they numbered 78 warriors and 130 Indian women and children.

June 12, 1675.-In said province I, the said lieutenant of the alcalde maior,

*The comisario misionero.

having left the place called San Anbrosio, and traveled about 14 leagues as it appeared, and toward the city of Guadalupe, and opposite it, at the foot of a high sierra, and toward the west of it, in company of said missionary fathers and Spaniards, we reached a water hole, deserted and uninhabited. We took possession of it in the name of the king, and in sign of possession erected a high wooden cross and named the place San Bartolemé. At this place came into my presence Don Salbador, chief of the Bobosarigami, with some of his people, who said he had sent for the remainder of his people, who had scattered for want of food. They were given religious instruction by the comisario misionero, Father Juan Larios, and afterward they were counted, and they numbered 44 warriors and 75 women and children with the Tetecores; and they were directed to unite with the others, under Don Bernabe and Don Estaban. To all of which we bear faith and sign with said fathers and our assisting witnesses, who were Anbrosio de Berlanga and Diego Luis Sanchez, Fernando del Bosque, Fr. Juan Larios, Fr. Dionisio de San Buenaventura, Diego Luis Sanchez, Anbrosio Berlanga.

On June 12 the expedition returned to the town of Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe, and the royal standard-bearer, Fernando del Bosque, reported to the alcalde maior and conquistador, Don Antonio Balcarcel Rivadaneira Sotomayor.

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