Very useful analysis of conditions of Nueva California with details as to funds and costs to be incurred by military and include - economic benefits and improvements in cattle raising, improvements in agriculture techniques and crops grown. Role of missionaries and changes due to and since Jesuit expulsion. Provisions to be supplied to Indians, settlers, military and missionaries; militia formation; housing and choosing community leaders; required annual inspection of establishments; work habits, recreation and rewards to combat idleness. Salt supply and transportation. Appeal to be made to viceroy to enforce law should clergy refuse to oppose regulations. Relocation of include - establishment of towns, workshops, mills with suggestions on where to locate, what to produce, what to teach Indians. Military service for residents of Nueva California. Use of whale sperm and fat. Shipbuilding. Development and taxes. Investments and profits. Accounting procedures for agriculturalists and religious. Military, religious, Naval salaries. Better communication needed for cooperative trade between two Californias. Importance of further exploration of coast. (J. M. Johnson, may 1989)

After more than a year without sons and husbands to help them, wives and mothers of soldiers in various companias serving in Texas as auxiliary forces petition virrey and governors to aid them financially by allotting part of soldiers' wages to families, or by sending them home; governors and virrey come up with plan requiring soldiers to allot certain fractions of salaries to be paid to wives and mothers each month; according to documents, plan is successful; of particular interest are March 1989)

Correspondence between oficials in Alamos, gobernador Corbalan and comandante Croix concerning various forms of aid which should be given to the Rivera expedition to California. Details given on status of recruitment of soldiers and settlers from Sonora (24 families, 59 soldiers); numbers reported for different dates. Rivera urgently requests action for daily expenses, horses, riding gear. Great detail on clothing requirements for each man, woman, child. Talks of calamity if food supplies of beans, corn, dried meat don't reach embittered settlers suffering hardships. Ruiz account lists Actual expenditures for individual daily needs, including food, health, horses, salaries. Payment suspended to deserter. Marginal notes by de Croix refer to previous articles, ordnances, correspondence by dates and numbers. (J. M. Johnson, November 1988)

Correspondence of gobernador intendente Corbalan to comandante general de Croix deals with logistical questions of Rivera y transfer of military personnel and supplies, weapons and transportation of settlers. Departure of ship and postal service carrying supplies to California establishments. Accounts of Rivera detail weapons and clothing for members of expedition. Ff. Numbered 19-23 are of petition of Maria de Leon, wife of teniente at San Francisco who because ill could not accompany Husband Jose Joaquin Moraga. now asks to rejoin him. Corbalan approves and grants 200 pesos for her travel with Rivera y Moncada. (J. M. Johnson, November 1988)

Heirs of Rivera y Moncada in 1796 use procurador to form strongly worded petition to be presented to king to speed their claims for payment of inheritance, pension and past due salary of captain massacred by Yumas in expedition to California with recruits and settlers in 1781. Delays in processing blamed on bureaucracy and unrealiable testimony from survivors and prisoners. Palou certifies legitimacy of three sons; testimony also taken from neighbors and past military officials to determine inventory of personal effects and amount of past salaries for various positions he held in New Spain. Many references to past reglamentos in determining amount due heirs of salary and Monte Pio militar. Final determination of claim made in Spain and Mexico in 1798; authorized to be paid in 1800. Interesting review of Rivera y Moncada's service record with amount of salary for each advancement. Emotional appeal describing hardships on widow and sons due to lengthy delays in process to recover funds owed them.(J. M. Johnson, October 1988)

Discussion of difficulties in resolving questions of Rivera y Moncada's accounts and past salary to recompense his heirs and settle debts owed to surviving families and recruits of 1781 massacre. References to many past conflicting orders and reglamentos. Interesting for tracing progress of transactions from local civil and military officials, through those of real hacienda, up to final decision by king. (J. M. Johnson, October 1988)

Letters refer to Bucareli's relaciones about pay withholdings and cuts. Money retained by these measures is applied to widow an orphan support. Male orphans receive support until age 18, female orphans until age 25. (S. Gibbs, February 1989)

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)

Correspondence deals with improvements to streets to reduce noise and improve traffic flow, bridge repair with detailed measurements and contributions toward these. Discussion of drainage problems, including closing acequia with cost of such provided by Ortiz. (J. M. Johnson, January 1989)

Correspondence to viceroy concerning problems of bridges and acequias, drainage of public works projects. Folios 243, 249, 257 written by nuns (abadesas) recounting rise of water level, smell and possible disease to convent. Also, inability to pay contribution due to lack of income by convent. Other documents discuss financial matters of payments by finqueros, and specify areas and houses responsible to contribute. Remedies listed to resolve drainage problems to neighborhood, but also benefits to be gained by project and street paving. (J. M. Johnson, January 1989)