The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 30, July 1926 - April, 1927 Page: 303
330 p. : maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Descriptions of Tejas or Asinai Indians, 1691-1722 303
them. On one occasion they set fire to a house and left two little
children to burn, declaring that they were good for nothing.
Most Excellent Sir, according to the information I have re-
ceived about three thousand persons among all the friendly
tribes of the Tejias must have died during the epidemic which
the Lord sent during the month of March, 1691. The disease
was worse in some provinces than in others. As to our own
province, I have already stated that the deaths probably reached
the number of three hundred-in other provinces the number
was sometimes greater, sometimes less.
I have information that the Cadaudacho have hopes that the
French will return, because they promised when leaving the
country that they would return when the cold season again set in,
and that a great many of them would have to come in order to
occupy the country completely. This is nothing but Indian gos-
sip, though for several reasons it is to be feared that they speak
as they are instructed to speak. The French may also be com-
pelled to return on account of their companions whom they left
here. I know nothing more of this matter than that in the
month of February there were nine or ten Frenchmen at a feast
which the Indians had in a neighboring province, about thirty
leagues from us called the province of Nacaos.
Most Excellent Sir, I know well that much of what I have
related does not concern me, but I have had no motive in so
doing save the desire I have of bringing souls to the Lord.
Although there are many of the tribes who have died, there is
no lack of material for conversion for all the ministers who may
come. In the name of our Saviour and that of the blessed Mary,
prostrate at their feet, I pray for aid and protection and that
His Divine Majesty may grant you good health in order that
Your Excellency may be the patron of a work which is so pleas-
ing to God.
The task of preparing this rough draft was caused by a re-
quest from the governor Don Domingo Terin who stated to me
that it would please Your Excellency if I should give you some
information. For the love of the Lord, Your Excellency will
pardon me for the mistakes I have made in this letter; for being
unskilled in the Castillian language, I have not been able to
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 30, July 1926 - April, 1927, periodical, 1927; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117142/m1/329/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.