Geography

Account of gathering together of various Indian groups for peace talks together with some French citizens of Natchitoches. (T. Cederstrom, October 1986).

Incomplete and faded request for decision on what to do about a runaway Indian, Joseph Miguel, who left mission of San Antonio de Balero with his wife and family. Appears to be involved with disrupting Indian nations of north to keep them from ratifying a peace treaty. (T. Cederstrom, October 1986)

Each biennial report of Dominican missions in Baja California is followed by notes elaborating detailed additional information. Report itself lists number of priests at each mission for report period, religious wages due order sinodos, total population figures broken down by male-female, Indian-Spanish and others, and a general summary statement of significant numerical changes in these categories since the last report. Notes contain varied and interesting data on mission industries, crops, physical improvement or deterioration of facilities, attitudes toward Indian groups, social customs, geography, mission benefactors and much else. Folios 130-132 contain subjective views of missions success and impact on various Indian groups since 1698. (J. M. Johnson, December 1986)

Series of documents concerning lack of information of founding dates of many presidios and missions, as well as lack of missionaries in each mission. Government officials seek this information and state that information was not recorded. Other officials say information was lost during Indian raids. (J. Tapia, September, 1987)

Series of letters between Ugarte y Loyola and real hacienda discussing contract with Guizarnotegui and state of funds of Chihuahuan treasury; further request for 40,000 pesos by Guizarnotegui to provide goods for troops in 1790; concludes with extremely detailed chart of prices and expenditures by Guizarnotegui in 1788 on said contract. (D. J. McClelland, September 1987).

Concerns treasury of Chihuahua; detailed account of monies paid out and received between January and October of 1788. (D. J. McClelland, September 1987)

(D. J. McClelland, September 1987)

Diary of events between March 8 and March 30, 1799 concerning theft of horses by Comanche raiders, and subsequent punitive expedition mounted by tercera compania de cavelleria volante de Nuebo Santander, under command of capt. Diaz de Bustamante. Company included six Lipan Indians and forty-six Spaniards. See also precis' for Vol. 12, F. 385-600 and 458-464 for related documentation. (J. Carpenter, December 1986)

Extensive documents pertaining to Indian depredations, punitive expeditions and taking of Indian prisoners. Included are documents concerning transfer of Comanche prisoners of war to Mexico City, accompanied by Lipan peace emissaries, and detailing need for interpreters, military expenditures, and manifests of goods and services provided to Indians while in transit. In addition, military needs and goals for preservation of peace in Provincias Internas and state of relations with Comanche, Lipan and Mescalero Apaches are discussed. Specific a three week diary of capt. Bustamante's punitive expedition against Comanche horse thieves in Vicinity of Laredo; (f.458-464), a single document by Pedro de Nava which summarizes in detail state of Spanish-Indian relations, providing fairly rich ethnographic data. (J. Carpenter, December 1986)

Plans by Gonzalez del Castillo to increase production of Fondo Piadoso haciendas and related fiscal correspondence. Exceptionally detailed accounts of climate, livestock management, irrigation techniques, and labor problems. Includes descriptions of miserable living conditions and personal nature of hacienda laborers and servants, and related problems with low labor output, contraband, servant indebtedness, and degenerating morality. (A. Tukey, July 1988)