The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 31, July 1927 - April, 1928 Page: 180
390 p. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
elude with the story of an act of perfect courtesy worthy of being
preserved. I was an eye witness thereof. I relate the story as
follows: When I was president of the Mission of Purissima Con-
cepci6n de los Texas in 1718, upon the occasion when General Don
Martin de Alarc6n came in as governor of that province, advice
was given to the Indians and, with great joy and delight, they all
gathered together for the reception. They came out to meet the
governor who was already to receive them according to the Indian
custom. A gun's shot from the mission, the captains appeared on
horseback. One took his spurs, another his sword, another his
cane. They then placed him on the shoulders of the principal
cazique, while still another supported his feet. One of the Indians
led his horse by the bridle and thus loaded they came to the mission.
They had already prepared a throne with curious buffalo robes
which serves as carpets. Before putting him down, they washed
his face very clean and carefully gave him a pipe of peace con-
taining tobacco. This is the ceremony by which they declare any-
one a captain-general among them. Afterwards they had a speech
made in the name of the whole nation in which they told him
that two days later all the people would come to that place to
render obedience. On the third day a great number of persons
from the four missions, men and women, gathered together with
their captains. When night came on, they burned a great many
fires and placed a very skillfully cushioned seat in a doorway to
give to the governor for investiture. They put on his head a very
curious feather and, sitting down they began to sing to the ac-
companiment of fifes and drums, the men and women being in
separate ranks. Then one after another, in the name of the
various settlements, each made a speech in his own language and
began to make offerings to him of beautifully dressed skins and
many jars of eatables. This ceremony lasted about half the night.
They enjoyed it so much that the Indians wanted to keep on until
morning, but, at my request, they consented to finish in their own
fiesta. They permitted us to rest-which we did. I made a
speech in the name of the governor, thanking them in their own
language for their politeness and promising that the Spaniards
would always favor them. They were very much pleased thereat
and discontinued their songs until the following day.180
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 31, July 1927 - April, 1928, periodical, 1928; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101088/m1/192/?rotate=270: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.