Cotton

Describes geographical range Pimeria Alta missions. Speaks of continuing Apache menace. Notes depopulation of area due to diseases, Apache attacks. Discusses temporal affairs of missions, including livestock raising, planting communal fields maize, wheat, and vegetables, which feeds widows, sick, military escorts, mission Indians during lean months of April, May, and June, thereby inducing Indians to remain in pueblos instead of wild-food gathering. Notes sale of surplus to mines/presidios to purchase church supplies, barter goods. Notes decline of mission agriculture last 8 years due to lack of seeds, decline of Cieneguilla mines, and increased number of farmers. States mission business is conducted by Indian governors under missionaries' guidance. Describes architecture of Indian houses; agriculture, including cultivation of pomegranates, quinces, cotton, and sugar cane as well as shrubs of gomilla, jojoba, both of which used medicinally. Describes herbs used, including indigo (anil), gediondilla, zimarron, contra yerba. Claims 2 harvests pithaya per year in west. Notes presence gypsum, lime, piedra bezal found in deer, especially those killed near coast. Says province is covered with grama grass, thereby providing forage for much livestock. Describes climate, mineral wealth, including real of Cieneguilla, only settlement of Spaniards in Pimeria Alta. Describes settlements. Tiburones described as Seri groups. Describes excellent salt fields along coast. Describes port of Tepoca/pearl beds nearby. Notes presence of subterranean water. Says Papagos come to missions to sell young boys captured in slave raids carried out by interior nations; these slaves called Vijoras (Nixoras). No active commerce carried on by Indians. Describes uses of cotton. Says Pimas are good farmers, growing wheat, maize, squash, cotton. During harvests, many traders arrive to barter cloth, etc. for produce. Says Pimas stay in pueblos, not like Yaquis and many Opatas who wander (probably to work in mines). Discusses reasons why missions should not be secularized. Estimates Gila Pima population at 2,000. Compares Pimas favorably to Opatas, who no longer respect missionaries. Describes temporary nature of Spanish settlement of Sonora, Pimeria Alta. Says 8 leagues from Aconchi, the San Juan mine, full of water, is abandoned now. Discusses precautions necessary for populating Sonora. Encourages development of Tepoca, Guaymas to give Sonora easy access to sea, Tiburon Island as way station for transportation of livestock. Discusses need to develop educational facilities, including primary schools at Indian settlements. Notes belief among Opatas at Aconchi in Montezuma, who they claimed was their king and had risen and appeared in mountains. Describes his school, which taught girls as well as boys to read, write. (T. Sheridan) (1976)

Document details state of affairs in Sinaloa and Sonora in 1750 very wide range of topics addressed, including Indian depredations and reduction, Englishmen's ambitions, need to determine California's status as Island or peninsula. Gallardo makes suggestions for economic improvement regarding agriculture, mining and textile industries. Also recommendations for military organization, cut in salaries. Need for safeguarding commerce and transportation. Development of sea trade and ports in these provinces. (J. Carpenter, March 1987)

Official inspection of Coahuilan missions conducted by Alarcon in response to request by king. Includes description of mission construction, means of livelihood of inhabitants, number of Indians and tribes represented. (J. H. Ochs, June 1987)

Concerns posting of public proclamations relating to textiles an fiscal work of padre Rodriguez. (J. Williams, January 1987).

Notice of derechos de extranjeria for apparently illegal shipment of cloth coming from Panama. Authorities withhold shipment until decision is made. Notice of commercial items such, such as cacao and cotton, arriving from Acapulco. (M. Marroquin, July 1988)

(M. Marroquin, July 1988. (folio 597 contains list of commercial items such as cacao, caoba, fabric etc.

1050 inhabitants among 4 pueblos, all Hore speakers (Opata). Inhabitants Cuquiarachi work in mines, raise good crops maize, cotton. People Corodeguachi newly reduced. Partido on gentile Pima, Jano, Suma frontier. Sumas requesting baptism, hope to be reduced. Geographical locations noted. (T. Sheridan) (1976)

Relacion similar to Hurdaide's letter to viceroy 5/25/1622. Believes land route to California exists but easier to go by sea. Discusses history conquest Sinaloa, his own efforts to extend frontier. 20,000 inhabitants 4 rivers of Sinaloa -10,000 baptized, of whom 4000 now dead from war or sickness. Notes Indians sedentary, growing cotton, maize, other grains. (T. Sheridan) (1976)

Series of documents concerning Indian hostilities in Nueva Vizcaya and Nueva Galicia, especially la nacion salinera. State that more than 60,000 yndios laborios occupy these provinces, raising crops and growing cotton, which they sell as well as weave. Note that some Indians fleeing encomiendas to follow old ways of life in mountains. Mostly concerned with nomadic Bolson de Mapimi- Coahuila Indian groups. Expedition of soldiers from various presidios drawn up. (T. Sheridan) (1979)