Cattle

Documents listing rights and obligations to citizens of Presas del Rey upon foundation of Villa by capitan de la Serna. Establishment of church, garrison, and other official offices. Requests by Serna to abolish residency, judgeship and sentencing surety as few people know him, he also requests title of capitan to be given to him as founder and teniente to his son Estevan, titles are approved. Priests requests money for sinodos and traveling expenses. Conde de la Sierra Gorda sends city charter, maps, titles of Solares to build houses viceroy frees Villa for Ten years payment of primicias to church. Other documents relate disturbances in town due to absence of priest. Document refers to historical event about sinodos when churches were secularized in 1734 by request of provincial of Zacatecas. Census of inhabitants with all their belongings including animals. Documents with measurements of land grants given to each family. (A. Dell'acqua, sept.1987)

States that the Indians receive in exchange for six fanegas of Pinon only one cow, which is worth only three pesos in that area. This is unfair due to the great distances they must travel to gather Pinones (60 leagues) and also due to the great risk involved from the enemy. (R. Perez) (1977)

Governor reports to viceroy on mission agriculture and cultivation, Indian labor at missions, use of farming equipment and livestock. List of mission production and expenditures sent to treasury, some missions failing, must send Indians back to lands, other missions successful. Friars at various missions not fulfilling orders, must comply. Hacienda tax to be paid with mission productions. Alferez to submit accounts of colony to royal treasury. (L. Deatherage, July 1987)

Contract of conditions of compania volante de Saltillo for period of January 1, 1784 to December 31, 1786. Contract reviewed and other conditions added. Contract includes provisions for food, seed, daily needs and prices of commodities. (D. Marksz, January 1987).

Report from fray Alejo Cuevas accusing Porras of mistreatment of Croix granted land to Porras for planting. Porras killed in Apache raid. Nava and virrey Revilla Gigedo grant land to widow and move Cuevas to Zacatecas. (D. Marksz, December 1986)

Mission bred cattle cibolo sent to Texas and successfully adapted there. Manufacture and transport of weapons and canons to presidios and delivery acknowledged. Peaceful indians in frontier areas. Barrios assumes his former position as gobernador. Discovery of islands and keys. Manufacture of canoes for transporting indios gentiles and movement of soldiers. (J. M. Johnson, June 1987)

Letter from Alderete to viceroy mentions sending diario of presidial activities from July 18, 1768 to February 5, 1769 but diary not included. Instead, diary recounts activities from depredations committed by enemy Indians, problems with horses, means of livelihood, battles with Indians, routine military activities, and pursuit of specific Indian perpetrators. Notes B unknown person(S) to Alderete interspersed with pages of diary. (S. Fiederlein, 4-9-87)

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)

(J. Hiller, October 1988)