History of Texas: From Its First Settlement in 1685 to Its Annexation to the United States in 1846, Volume 1 Page: 59
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SPIRITUAL DUTIES AT THE MISSIONS.
age, answers the questions put by the missionary. As these
people have no books, and are naturally indolent, they would
shortly forget the principles of religion, if the remembrance of
them was not recalled by these almost continual instructions.
Our visits to their wigwams occupy the rest of the day. In
the evening, all assemble again at the church, to listen to the
instructions which are given, to have prayers, and to sing some
hymns. On Sundays and festivals they add to the ordinary
exercises instructions which are given after the vespers....
They generally end the day by private meetings, which they
hold at their own residences, the men separately from the wo-
men; and there they recite the chapelet with alternate choirs,
and chant the hymns, until the night is far advanced."x
If to these duties we add the sacraments and confessions, we
need not be surprised that the neophytes sometimes fled from
the missions and resumed the war-whoop and the chase. At
the French missions among the Indians, the apostates were
won back by persuasion. Not so among the Spaniards: the
troops at hand pursued them, and, if taken, they were com-
pelled to return-when, in addition to a severe whipping, they
were obliged to do penance.
The Franciscan fathers made regular reports of the success
of their missions to the superior, and the latter to the general
of the order. On these reports depended to a great extent the
favor shown the missionaries ; hence they were excited to zeal
in their efforts to make converts. Not content with the fruits
of persuasion and kind treatment, they made forays upon the
surrounding tribes. The soldiers performed this duty. The
prisoners taken, especially the young, were trained alike in
the mysteries of the Christian faith and of agriculture.t To
* Kip, p. 204.
f humboldt. Indians who did not know bow to make the sign of the eross
were called Yudios bravos; those in the missions were termed andios reducidos....
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History of Texas: From Its First Settlement in 1685 to Its Annexation to the United States in 1846, Volume 1 (Book)
Book describing Texas history up to the time of annexation to the United States of America. This first volume is broken into 22 chapters covering the start of European immigration (roughly 1685) through the establishment of the Republic of Texas in 1835, with a number of appendices containing supplementary information.
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Yoakum, H. (Henderson K.), 1810-1856. History of Texas: From Its First Settlement in 1685 to Its Annexation to the United States in 1846, Volume 1, book, 1855; New York. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth2385/m1/67/: accessed May 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.