The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 8, July 1904 - April, 1905 Page: 74

74 Texas ilistorical Association Quarterly.
decision the French should suspend operations; if not, they would
meet with armed resistance.
The French commandant, Don Luis de Sandenis, Cavalier of the
order of San Luis, argued on the contrary, that the French were
the first discoverers, in the year sixteen hundred and eighty-five;
that the Marques de San Miguel de Aguayo had erected our Pre-
sidio of los Adays in the [year] seventeen hundred and twenty-one,
while the French had their [post] much earlier on the island,
and houses, corrals, and other possessions on this side; that th
Marques had made no objection, nor [had] his successors; that
in the year seventeen hundred and eighteen Ramon was in the Post
of Nachitoos and got help from it; that to Sandenis himself the
Spaniards owed their subsequent occupation of los Adays, and the
foundation of their missions; that the French represented in that
dominion the Nachittoos, who possessed lands not only on the other
side of the Colorado River, but also on this side, without contradic-
tion on the part of the Adays Indians, whose successors were the
Spaniards; that the seven leagues between the two presidios had not
been divided, nor was there any reason why the Spaniards should
appropriate them all; that he was acting in virtue of orders from
his superiors, and that he could not suspend [operations]; and
that if he should be attacked with arms he would defend himself
by force of arms, and the consequences would be at the offender's
cost.
Sandoval was ordered by the Superior Government to watch the
French closely, and to prevent them by all possible means from
exceeding their limits, but not to break with them without first
giving a report. He carried out [these orders], sending a copy of
the replies of the French commandant Sandenis. By official order
all communication with the French was forbidden at los Adays;
not even the usual seed and provisions were to be bought from them.
The French nevertheless continued the removal of their fort, which
is built of stakes. They put up their church there, and about four-
teen houses for their priest (ministro ecclesiastico), for some per-
sons belonging to the presidio (presidiales), and for some citizens.
About this time Don Carlos de Franquis came from Spain with
the title of colonel, and the promise of the government of Tlaxcala,
which he found previously occupied. His Excellency the Arch-
bishop Viceroy conferred upon him, ad interim. that of Texas. He
began his term of office in September, seventeen hundred and thirty-
six. His stormy, petulant, and precipitant temper manifested it-
self at once and brought about complaints of rash and scandalous
insults offered by him to the missionary religious. He seized and
opened letters and packets which they were sending out of this
province. He had his predecessor, Sandoval, placed in the stocks