Concerns establishment of Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe village by Spanish residents of Valle de las Salinas, land grants and land tenure, and funds for establishing local government seats, businesses and church. (K. Hubin, September 1989)

Concerns dispute over mission grazing land. Complaint by missionaries that populations encroaching on mission pastures. Lack of irrigation; only resource of population is cattle raising. Concern of cattle in regards to salt petre formation and sheep pasturing. Attested that population assigned escessive lands and that cattle must be well treated. Need to settle people according to the laws. Favorable environment for cattle described in area around rivers. Land between Tamaulipas assigned to populations. Testimonies on legitimacy of land titles and marking of boundaries; use of land and existence of soldiers to protect from enemy Indians and escort cattle. Request of land from missions for soldiers; need for resolution about 30 lots. Description of earlier settlement, division of land, problems with Indians, military occupation, raising of cattle and sheep. Affirmation that land belongs legally to missions. (L. L. Woodward, October 1988)

Palacio and Osorio's visit to Nuevo Santander to investigate Escandon's conduct, operations, state of colony. Discusses measures taken to protect colony from Indian horse thefts and murders. Discussion on Manuel de Escandon's merit and success in defending and populating settlement compared with that of his Father Joseph Escandon. Manuel Escandon given title conde de la Sierra Gorda due to inheritance and merit. Brief description of Joseph Escandon's service record including reducciones. Description of estate and lands of Escandon to be left to descendants and free of Media anata. Escandon's success at liberating Nuevo Santander from Chichimecs; establishment of 14 settlements, missions. Miguel Escandon accompanied Father on campaigns at age 16 as teniente; service record described. Total of 24 settlements established by Joseph Escandon with 1245 Spanish families. Manuel Escandon's detachment sent to Potrero de Campana to retrieve stolen horses and punish rebel Indians. (L. L. Woodward, November 1988)

Concern establishment of a Pueblo called reyna de los Angeles and another one called san Joseph de Guadalupe; construction of three missions in California; arrangements of how new presidios would be provided with horses, cloth, security, and population; estimated number of families to inhabit new presidios; inhabitants for new presidios are required to be in good health. A carpenter and blacksmith are needed so they can make tools and ploughs; recruits for new presidios are required to be married. Part of the army of new presidios is celibate due to lack of Spanish women in area; corn and barley is produced in new presidios to feed the horses; fabric and some garments for boys, girls, women and soldiers is sent to new presidios. (garments include socks, shoes, skirts etc.. Chart in ff.36 and 42 include list of families and inhabitants of new presidios). Index of carpetas de documentos sent to the governor of California (documents are not in here). List of supplies for soldiers in new presidios (saddles, underwears, coats, shoes, cartucheras, frenos de caballo; list of military officials in each of new presidios (ff. 28-29; 60-61); governor of California to send new guidelines for administration of new presidios. (M. Marroquin, October 1988)

Documents consist of providencias for government and new institutions in California, correspondence between viceroy and of San Diego mission; improved communication system between Mexico and frontier regions; deployment of troops from Sonora for maximum defense of Californias and eastern provinces; purposes for pacification of Indians. Ff. 419-432 detail recruitment, transportation, settlement and protection of 70 families of colonists from Sonora for Alta California, of alleviating poverty and idleness by recruitment in Mexico; safety and choices of routes in combination of maritime and land means for transportation of settlers; desirable areas for colonization in new territories regarding protection, agricultural production, provisioning, recreation, water supply yet to extend Spanish occupation, defense and pacification plans; formation of companias volantes and militia to combat Indian hostilities and need for new regulations to do so; improvement of agricultural techniques and manufacture of domestic industries; long sections on required rations of food and other necessities, allotments of cash, markets for purchasing, selling regional commerce, supply and production of cattle, horses and mules. Other folios refer to maritime transportation of mission and presidio supplies and schedules of Goleta la Sonora (Senora de Guadalupe) and Paquebot el Principe between Guaymas or San Blas. Acknowledgements of arrivals of vessels along Sonoran and California coasts. (j.m.johnson, February 1989)

Very important document on instructions and rules for founding new missions, presidios and towns. Neve expresses need for equalization of salaries for same rank/position among military, religious and civil personnel. Document divided into titulos, transportation, accountability, rations; crops; horses, mules; craftsmen. II. - lists of officers at each mission, presidio; description of terrain, Indian settlements for planning defensive positions; military escorts to establishments at Santa Barbara channel; salaries of officers/soldiers at four sailers and craftsmen on blandra Pilar, lanchas Lauretana and San Juan hepomuceno. III. - clothing; canons. IV. - armour distribution, types, purposes and accountability of funds; procedures for filling vacancies; evaluations by service reports. Ix. - requires monthly status report of each company. X. - Indian treaties. Xi. -gubernatorial functions regarding (ff. 386-390). - details on selection/training of habilitados (paymasters); accountability to real hacienda, Naval/military superiors and settlers; F. 390 consists of inventory and production data of small animals, cattle, horses, mules. Xiv. Settlement and use of land; supplies; irrigation and crops; house construction; cattle; taxes; regulations re. Establishment and defense in Canal; optimum placement for defense and religious organization along frontier and Camino real. (J. M. Johnson, February 1989)

Neve's correspondence includes (most important documents, service records and promotions, rebuilding mission at San Diego and constructing Capistrano. Details geography of area around San Francisco and Santa Clara mission, especially natural resources. Lists of numbers of officers and craftsmen at four Principal California presidios, supply escorts, real reglamentos pertaining to details of presidio construction and tackle for cavalry companies. Ff. 354-356 is list of salaries and numbers of officers, craftsmen, and rations for presidios crews and ships, including Actual costs vs. Those alloted by missionaries, income from tobacco and other crops, purchase and distribution of mules, horses, and supplies, shipping, tackle for soldiers and settlers. Ff. 359-360 estimates of rations per single man and families, after spoilage in salaries by rank for officers, craftsmen and Naval personnel. Ff. 368-369 allotments of supply rations and money for presidios in Santa Barbara channel. (J. M. Johnson, February 1989)

Very important and detailed correspondence include (especially agricultural and religious supplies for 3 missions of the Santa Barbara Canal; F. 309 lists officers for 3 Principal California presidios. Serra reports on repairs to old and construction of new missions, emphasizing temporal and evangelical elements in conquest of souls. F. 312 details requirements for furnishing missions and religious objects for each mission. Provides salaries of religious personnel for each. F. 313 is a list of priests at each of 8 missions attached to Monterrey. Comments on bad examples for Indians set by troops and settlers in area. Neve discusses weapons and clothing supplies for California troops and settlers. F. 318 list of clothing necessary for people in missions and presidios. Ff. 319-320 refer to past methods in determining minimal subsistance of food and clothing supplies. F. 321 is chart of amount of bullets, gunpowder, flints and types of weapons by presidio needed for defense. Defines need for new regulations to correct deficiencies due to distances of king and real hacienda from California. Proposes improved military organization and requests greater numbers of soldiers, supplies and horses. F. 324 discusses military escorts, organization, personnel, time of year with estimated subordination of soldiers, military promotions, equipment for cavalry units. Census of military personnel, including tackle and rider's clothing for cavalry. Distribution of animals to each presidio. Ff. 332-333 provides detailed list of tackle and clothing by cavalry officer for Monterrey, San Francisco and San Diego. F. 336 is chart of higher officers and numbers of soldiers for same presidios. F. 339 distribution by type and number of weapons to same three. F. 341 numbers of mules and horses distributed to these presidios. Other topics of San Francisco, storage and distribution of weapons to prevent sales to Indians, rations of food to presidios and missions, references to past ordinances for founding missions, family life of soldiers in presidios, evacuation of families in case of attack, duties and types of craftsmen with necessary supplies for same for settlements. (J. M. Johnson, January 1989)

Details of Principal concerns and needs for California establishments. Detailed information on climate, agricultural conditions, pasturing livestock, geographical measurements and features of terrain, arable lands, irrigation, social and safety measures for settlers/recruits, food and other supplies for population, horses and mules. Other documents list family relationships and Vital statistics of colonists requesting land tenure rights, lists of types and numbers of cargo animals for missions, planned distribution of & place purchased of these & smaller domestic food/clothing animals. Description of geography, Flora and potential for irrigation of rivers in region. Founding and contruction of presidio San Joseph (Guadalupe). (J. M. Johnson, January 1989)

Correspondence concerning: donation of benado blanco sano y robusto, coche con mulas y cochero con guarnission de soldados and other supplies; brief mention of apprehension of deserters; collection of taxes and sale of tobacco, 'polvo y rama'; populating of Cruillas and other newly founded towns; congratulating Marques de Croix for appointment to virreynato, informing him that revistas and 'libretas' en route; service records of Teniente Martiarena and Capitan Urresti. (L. Kerr, November 1988)