The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 16, July 1912 - April, 1913 Page: 9
464 p. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
The Spanish Occupation of Texas, 1519-1690
Setting out with the petitioners, accompanied by Father Diego
L6pez and three soldiers, Salas went to a point more than one
hundred twelve leagues eastward from Santa Fe, where he found
a multitude of Indians, wrought miraculous cures, received mes-
sengers from the Quiviras and Aixados, and returned to Santa F6
for aid in founding missions among the people he had visited.1
There is evidence that a part of the Jumanos followed the mis-
sionaries to New Mexico and were for a time ministered to in a
separate mission.2 But the period was short, and in 1632 Father
Salas went again to the Jumanos on the plains, accompanied by
Father Diego de Ortega and some soldiers. When Salas returned,
Father Ortega remained with the Indians six months.
From now on the location of the Jumanos comes into clearer
light. The place where they were found this time was described
as two. hundred leagues southeast of Santa F6, on a stream called
the Nueces, because of the abundance of nuts (nueces) on its
banks. This description corresponds essentially with those of all
subsequent journeys made in the seventeenth century. The stream,
as we shall see, was clearly one of the branches of the Colorado
River, and not improbably the Concho.3
What occurred in the interim does not appear, but eighteen
years later an expedition led by Captains HI-ernando Martin and
dache chief in ] 690 the chief "asked me one evening for a piece of blue
baize to make a shroud in which to bury his mother when she died; I told
him that cloth would be more suitable, and he answered that he did not
want any color other than blue. I then asked him what mysterious reason
he had for preferring the blue color, and in reply he said that they were
very fond of that color, particularly for burial clothes, because in times
past they had been visited frequently by a very beautiful woman, who
used to come down from the hills, dressed in blue garments, and that they
wished to do as that woman had done. On my asking whether that had
been long since, the governor said it had been before his time, but his
mother, who was aged, had seen that woman, as had also the other old
people. From this it is easily to be seen that they referred to the Madre
Maria de Jesus de Agreda, who was very frequently in these regions, as
she herself acknowledged to the Father Custodian of New Mexico, her last
visit having been made in 1631." Father Casafias, writing in 1691 at the
Nabedache village, made the comment, evidently intended to controvert the
foregoing opinion, that the Indians "greatly esteem any piece of woolen
cloth, especially if it is blue. This lis due solely to the circumstance that
the sky is of this color." Relaci6n, August 15, 1691. MS.
1See the works of Benavides, Vetancur, and Hodge, already cited.
'Hodge, The Jumano Indians, 10-11, and works cited therein.
'See Bolton, "The Jumano Indians in Texas, 1650-1771," in THE QUAR-
TERLY, XV, 68-74; Posadas, Informe, 1686.
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 16, July 1912 - April, 1913, periodical, 1913; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101058/m1/15/?rotate=90: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.