The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 18, July 1914 - April, 1915 Page: 220

The Southwestern Historical Quarterly

of documents in existence so important as the correspondence and
reports of De M6zibres here published."
Athanase de M6zibres was an educated Parisian, of noble con-
nections, who spent the most of his life at Natchitoches, as sol-
dier, trader, and planter. At the close of the French regime he
was lieutenant-commander of the post, and with its transfer to
Spain he seems to have risen at once to the position of com-
mander, which he held, with short leaves of absence, until his
death in 1779. There are two hundred and fifty-two documents
in the collection, written by, to, or concerning De M6ziBres. A
very few are personal; the others reveal in great detail the vari-
ous phases of Spain's frontier government. The documents are
grouped around ten topics, which take their titles in general from
De M6zieres's plans and activities, bhut since these developed chro-
nologically, the arrangement of the whole series is, with a few ex-
ceptions, chronological. The title of the sixth group, "Frontier
Problems," would apply equally well to the whole book-the prob-
lems being to win and hold the allegiance of the frontier tribes
to Spain; to expel unlicensed traders and vagabonds from among
them; to prevent the encroachment of the Anglo-American trad-
ers; to check the perennial ravages of the Apache and the inter-
inittent hostility of the Cnomanche; and to maintain and develop
the germ of civilization in the crude wilderness settlements.
As an historical source Professor Bolton has skimmed the cream
of the collection for his introduction. A map, based on these and
other documents, shows the location of the principal Texan tribes
at the close of the eighteenth century, and a concise discussion
explains inter-tribal relations and administrative difficulties.
In the vexing task of opposing French advance from the east
the Spanish officials in Texas were only partially successful; for
French influence was firmly established over the Caddo, Wichita,
and Tonkawan tribes of the Red River and upper Brazos and
Colorado valleys, and Professor Bolton says that a line extended
westward through Natchitoches and Adaes would define pretty
accurately the actual boundary of French and Spanish control-
which inclines one to judge with greater leniency the sincerity of
those stubborn Americans who later contended that the Louisiana
Purchase included Texas. Another interesting fact disclosed by

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