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Show astiniiiasa) bas aie + ee Tee ae THESPANISH ARCHIVES OF NEW THE SPANISH ARCHIVES MEXICO OF NEW MEXICO 41 et ee ee ee BS 4 ee ee aie xia ba 8 as ae Bd Fak”2 40 whereas he has traveled sixty leagues, more or less, from the camping place called Fray Cristobal to this of Salineta, eae te i See Bok in search of the Very Rev. Father Visitador General, Fray at Pe ot en Td eee et ee na aetiead Francisco de Ayeta, Custodio of this Holy Custodia and Procurador General of the royal almoner of his Majesty, in order that he might, with his pious zeal, aid with provisions of corn and meat more than two thousand five hundred persons, who, driven out by the Christian Indians of New Mexico, have been traveling under the protection of his Excellency, on foot, worn out, starving and in dire necessity, in order to assist and give them aid and some relief in their present needs, with the purpose of carrying out such relief in the best and quickest possible way, said governor and captain general, ignoring the manifest risk to his person, leaving in his stead the Maestres de Campos, Francisco Gomez Robledo and Alonso Garcia, marched with twelve men through many leagues of country occupied by the infidel hostiles, the Apaches, finally arriving at the Conversion on the Rio del Norte where the said V. R. F. Comisario Visitador was at the time, in this manner to secure the desired aid, and further to demonstrate to him the causes and reasons as stated in his letter why the same had been done in the service of his Majesty, and having taken the journey for that purpose, he ascertained at this camping place, aforesaid, that the V. R. F. Francisco de Ayeta was on his way with such aid, with twenty-four wagons, loaded with provisions and clothing for the succor and needs of the many Spanish women and children of the ae * along with the first wagon load of provisions, © soldiers of the guard and escort as those belonging to pri- loaded in the 24 the quantity of provisions and supplhes bank of the river wagons, the twenty-three on the opposite and one on this side, and to inspect the quantity of grain which had been stored in the warehouses of the convento of the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe of Hl Paso, and and it was seen that said V. R. F. Visitador, in his efforts to send such aid, had thrown himself into the Rio del Norte, ek, Po country, overflowed all the meadows and highways, and in order to ascertain whether such difficulties as the miring of the wheels of the wagons and horses then being ridden by the governor and captain general and his soldiers, the mud reaching as far as the knees, might be overcome: but in enemy; spite of all that has been said, on arrival at this camping place of Salineta today, about two o’clock in the afternoon, *-? eee ara See of the deep mire in the roads and although his Reverence persistently urged the rendering of such aid, the same was prevented for the reasons stated; whereupon his Excellency, and the said reverend father, arranged for the sending of a drove of mules and as many other beasts of burden as possible, belonging as well to the the despoiled by the Rio del Norte being at flood, having left its channel and ~ and on account vate individuals, all of which were made ready without delay, loaded with corn, biscuit, flour, chocolate and sugar, and sent in charge of the tenientes generales Francisco Gomez and Alonso Garcia for distribution among the people; and the remainder of the supplies, loaded in the twenty-four wagons was left in reserve, opened, so that on the return of those who were transporting them for the army, and as many others as was possible, the same would be by them loaded and transported for their subsistence; and after the departure of the said soldiers with said supplies, families which had been ET we ee ai ae run aground and stranded in the middle of the river where it remained until the wheels were out of sight, and many persons giving assistance pulled it out, but much of the provisions were spoiled and lost; and having pulled it out, in the presence of the governor and captain general and the other persons present, those in company with his Excellency and those who came with the wagons, his Reverence, who had come to the aid of his Majesty’s service and in aid of his subjects who had been robbed and who were in such great need of food, not considering the possible losses, urged that the remaining wagons be crossed, but on account of the condition of the river this being impossible, which wagon having four teams of mules hitched to it, was pulled into the river and floating, the water entering the wagon, to a height of Over a vara at the mouth of the wagon, in which attempt the life of the said V. R. F. Comisario Visitador was placed in great danger; and the said wagon having in order that his Excellency might acquaint himself with great the other supplies necessary for the subsistence of the governor, number of people marching in company with the if not, that and to ascertain whether there is sufficient, and efforts be made manded in other localities, owing to the haste de- by the situation, so that nothing might be lacking for the large number of people; acting with a zeal worthy Majesof the persons so devoted to the service of both their General, Fr. ties, the said V. R. F. Comisario Visitador the Francisco de Ayeta repeatedly asked and requested opthe to person in go to general captain and governor |
