The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 2, July 1898 - April, 1899 Page: 305
[335] p. : ill. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Discovery of Bay of Espiritu Santo.
305
the number of Indians, men and women, who went in and out at all
times. Using the Frenchman as an interpreter I told the governor
with many kind expressions that his house was very fine, and that
I heartily appreciated his desire to have the priests in his house-
hold, but that since we had to build a house for the celebration of
masses, it might be well to build likewise a dwelling for the priests,
because they must needs live near the church. Thereupon the
governor said that we could build the house I asked for in the
most suitable place, that he would show us the village and that I
might choose the spot. We agreed to visit the village on the fol-
lowing day in order to look for a favorable location for the church
and the priests' dwelling; accordingly next day we went with the
governor, who took us to the place the French had selected for
their settlement, pleasantly and favorably situated on the river-
banks. We did not locate the convent there because it was so far
out of the way of the Indians. Just at that spot they showed us
two dead bodies of Frenchmen who had shot each other with cara-
bines. All this day we were unable to find a place which suited me.
The next morning I went out with Capt. Alonso de Leon a little
way, and found a delightful spot close to the brook, fine woods,
with plum trees like those in Spain. And soon afterwards, on the
same day, they began to fell trees and cart the wood, and within
three days we had a roomy dwelling and a church wherein to say
mass. Very reverently we set in front of the church a very high
cross of carved wood.
On the feast of Corpus Christi mass was sung, and before mass
we had a procession with the holy sacrament exposed, a large con-
course of Indians being assembled, for we had notified them the
day before. The soldiers had been given leave to fire as many
salutes as they could during the procession, at the elevation, and
at the close of mass, and it was the will of the Divine Majesty that
in that solitude we should celebrate a memorable feast, which was
rendered a source of great consolation by our being able to carry
the blessed sacrament exposed and to walk in procession as Chris-
tian Catholics are wont to do. After mass we hoisted in the name
of His Majesty the royal standard bearing on one side the picture
of Christ crucified, and on the other that of the Virgin of Guada-
lupe. A royal salute was fired, and we sang the Te Deum Lauda-
mus in thanksgiving.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 2, July 1898 - April, 1899, periodical, 1898/1899; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101011/m1/309/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.