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)

(D. Uhlman, November 1988)

Describes situation with Indians: murders of and by; religious education of; military strategies used to subdue, and control; agricultural labor of, and transporting to prisons. Tobacco, gunpowder, and land finances listed along with expenditures and troop payments, appointments made in civil offices of governor and justicia. Activities at missions described: crop production, establishment of new orders, rebuilding of destroyed mission, failure of priests to report profits and subsequent conflicts with royal officials, and distribution of mission supplies. Case of presidial captain of Laredo falsifying location of town. Travel conditions at Tetillas poor. (L. Deatherage, July 1987)

Concerns initiation of mine work at Nueva Tamualipa. Indians prohibited from visiting mine. Request for establishment of presidio to protect area from Indians. (L. Deatherage, June 1987)

Erection of missions in Coahuila province, settlement of new town, request for religious items, food and monies to continue maintaining Indians living in missions. (A. Dell'acqua, March 1987)

Describes friendly reception given him by 300 Guaymas newly reduced to settlement of Belem. States many Gentiles asking for baptism. says Indians content with new life. (T. Sheridan, berkeley, 1976)

Inpection of settlements in Coahuila conducted by Mathias de Aguirre; includes number of residents in each community, day-to-day activities, means of livelihood, etc. Also, informes submitted by prelates describing life at these missions; included is number of Indians, tribes represented, state of agriculture, style of architecture, etc. At each mission. (J. H. Ochs, March 1987)

Mandate to governor of San Estevan Saltillo requisitioning resources to transport 16 tlaxcalan families from Saltillo to new missions of Dolores, San Juan Bautista and San Francisco Solano. Immediately following this mandate is reply from cabildo of Saltillo to viceroy. (J. H. Ochs, February 1987)

Declaration of two Tejas Indians in reference to French settlements in Tejas. (J. H. Ochs, January 1987)

Gobernador reports on administrative and military status of province, including salaries, living conditions, supplies, abuses of power by soldiers. folio 351 indexes letters, documents, orders for 1767. Ortiz Parrilla leads expedition to Sonora. Provisions sent to regain San Saba. Barrio details his service in Spanish and italian armies to virrey to support taking over ailing Ortiz Parrilla's office. Autos, personnel and equipment in establishment of presidio, San Augustin de Ahumada. Barrio requests appointment of his sons as corregidor of Mexico. folio 387 consists of distribution of forces in 3 presidios of Coahuila. Convoy to San Saba suspended when it is learned that Indians plan to abandon presidio; junta de guerra formed. explanation of how Ruby's recommendations for defense have been implemented. (J. M. Johnson, August 1987)