Relates attempts to present new method of government in new missions and attempts to increase reducciones. Describes some campaigns as successful while others merely increased enemy and so need increases for military protection and for conquests to curb violent acts. Concerns search for riches in new missions as in old for self-sufficiency. Discusses the distribution of land and requests for annual inventory of missions and listing of Indians. States that Indians of San Bernardo are very obedient, attempts are being made to give them Spanish values and that current system allows for Spanish control until Indians can govern themselves and increase population. Governors suggest a new system is needed to keep pace of conquests, that Indians should move into towns and that Jesus and Nizarron should join and share water supplies. Relates failed efforts to establish new missions with adequate water, land and production in 1756 and 1767. (M. Dannemiller, 1987)

Documents concern the request to move the Villa of Santillana. Village's sufferings due to lack of water is listed. Need to move Villa to a site closer to the River. F. 403 gives account of earlier decree of rationing of water and the construction of villages near water resources. Other documents suggest building aqueducts rather than transplanting village. but wells are said to contain water unhealthy to drink and general unsanitary conditions and excessive cost of constructing aqueducts and new wells is stated. Decision to move village is accepted. F. 411-412 gives inventory of possessions of each inhabitant and their possessions (firearms, gunpowder, ammunition, etc.). Final documents tell of the benefit the move will have on efforts of reducing Indians and of preventing them from crossing the River. Groups proceed to move to new location. (P. Lenz, September 1989)

Concerns fray Barragan complaints about their protector Garcia Davila; Garcia Davila makes his defense with support from and respected people. Gobernador Mier y Noriega sides with Garcia, but the fiscal orders the governor to gently remove Garcia, to avoid conflicts with religious and Indians. Garcia Davila resigned as protector but officials in Mexico City in realize that conflicts continued because the water for the mission came from Garcia Davila's hacienda. The fiscal orders the gobernador of Nuevo Reino de Leon to not let him interfere in the matters of the mission. (D. Bautista, September 1989)

Ladron de Guevara to viceroy regarding request of reduccion of Indians in Nuevo Leon and Huasteca in order to have cattle production and mining. Removal of families and soldiers from Nuevo Leon. Mention of Indians in Leon not under mission control that could be removed as they are raiding fronteer. Discusses availability of water in different settlements and situation to rivers and quality of land. Ladron de Guevara's project to remove population in Nuevo Santander to save expenses to real hacienda of military protection; lack of irrigation thus abandoning coastal areas to Indians. (L. L. Woodward, October 1988)

Fuentes' letter to Palacio includes quote from Palacio with stated goal of fully exploiting mines of San Carlos Tamualipa suspension of Alcavala, Media anata; land made available to miners; extension of cattle grazing; wood, materials and equipment tax free; sale of gun powder at Mexico City price; quicksilver to be sold at San Luis price; as well as other ways of promoting metal production. Palacios to Croix expresses desire of miners for priest sundays and for festival days; tax on silver to construct church; need to develop water system. Discussion of favorable metal production in San Nicolas. List of group of miners some who are witnesses and elected members included with Nava and Fuentes in report promoting mining. Fuentes in letter to Palacios explains that some mines are not being worked due to absence of their discoverers, uneconomical conditions for exploitation, and lack of tools; abundance of veins and continual discovery. Lists made by Fuentes of San veins; quantity per load of ore extracted at each mine. Partial copy of duty charges of Alcabala from may - June 1768, includes who sold what to whom (especially food) (ff 316). Letter from Nava to Palacio discusses state of individual processing abilities; production capacity. Letter also tells duty Charged on silver and gold. (L. L. Woodward, October 1988)

Sketch with key shows area where proposed mission of Horcasitas to be located. Discussion of availability of water, wood, agricultural possibilities, area promises good harvests, free from hostile frontier Indians. Testimonies of inhabitants as to fertility of land and rainfall for corn production. Fray Lopez outlines lands to be included in mission for Palalhueques. Provides numbers of vecinos in surrounding parages and amount of land owned and how exploited. 148,000 pesos for tools and equipment. Need to get soldiers ready to defend and help with work; salaries for the 6 soldiers to be 20 pesos monthly. (L. L. Woodward, November 1988)

Summary of testimonies about Escandon's record in completing orders to pacify and reduce Indians and settle Nuevo Santander by officers and settlers and their charges against him. Funds spent, mistreatment of Indians, assassination of 5 capitans, use of Indians to work Escandon's land, build his Palace, and increase his wealth. Real cedula ordering pacification of Nuevo Santander delayed in its completion. Activities of Escandon include use of military funds, Indians reduction, founding of 14 settlements with population count of number and families and troops in each (f.8); plus 6 more settlements founded which were not in original budget of 115,000p. Complaint of not achieving increased agricultural production in spite of having fertile land, water; availability of minerals and salt. History of Escandon's earlier military record, reopening of missions. Problems resulting from drought. Espenses of military salaries and sinodos to missionaries. Annual costs in pacification process. Cost of settling 15 families from canary islands in Texas (ff.17). Organization of troops and distribution among settlements; distribution of lands. Difficulty of defending property under Indian hostilities. Complaint that Escandon's soldiers instead of gathering Indians together killed them inhumanely when they asked for peace. Murder by capitan trasieria and soldiers of slave and silversmith not punished or investigated by Escandon; Escandon named capitans and paid them salaries of 500p. (ff.33). Alvares' attempts at populating Rio Verde, movement of people, costs, problems with hostile Indians, mosquito plague (ff.56) order not to let Laredo capitan admit Apaches even though they offered peace (ff.57). Escandon prohibited commerce; payed soldiers in goods. Mining of silver without paying royal fifth (ff.63). Escandon has made few or no reducciones since 1746. List of 9 places on coast where Escandon says he has reduced total of 1,258 Indians and gives names of ethnic groups and number baptised in each location (ff.64). Service record of Escandon since he began service in Yucatan, distinguished service in Sierra Gorda as sargento mayor, teniente until 1746 (ff.68). Provides total inventory of livestock in 20 settlements. Movement of Escandon (Villa), Reynosa, and Burgos settlers to new Parajes (nuezes, Tetillas, Encinos). Molina reinstated as capitan; Barbara Resendi's complaints against Escandon (ff.83)(ff125). Charges against fray Garcia as being hipocrite receiving double salary (ff.91) description of reason for failure of mission for Cocos in San Saba due to murder of missionaries (ff.112). Apaches do not want to be reduced, only want peace and commerce with Spanish (ff.113). Even when they offer peace, Escandon gives them motives to be insolent. Murder at Rancheria of smallpox infected and other Indians by capitan went unpunished (ff.120). Massacre of Janambres on road to Horcasitas (ff 121). Paz not punished for murder of Indians (ff.122). Guevarra's murder of reduced Indians of mission of Santander unpunished. Cordova's mistreatment of Indians in Rio Frio (ff.124). Use of Indians Sihui, janambre as work force, Indian death due to hard labor (ff.125). Attempt to reduce Pames threatening to drive them to the coast. Indians paid 4p month plus rations for corn growing and also grew their own crops (ff.131). Escandon allowed people exemption from debts in order to populate settlements. Escandon's appointing as capitans convicted murder. Escandon refused to release Sanches Borriego who was involved in riot of Coahuila to Serma. Two destructions of Pizones' church in Santa Rossa and Taumave missions. Taking of Indian lands to give to Carmelita priests for 10 years. No payment of Diezmos for farmland; Diezmos payments of hollas, Mier, and Revilla. Escandon nor captain Vasques Borrego payed Diezmos for their large cattle haciendas. Gives cost of campaign against Indians of north and Apaches who attacked Taguacanas. Defense of Escandon's choice of capitans and families to populate settlement in that it is difficult to find cultivated people like those from the capital--they must come from the provinces. Description of Tanambre November 1754 destruction of mission Ruvoroso near Escandon; only 4 escaped including missionary. Complaint of Tanambres robbing, Murdering. Escandon captured tamambre rebles and sent them to Querataro prison. Tamambres and Tonases sent to Querataro as labors, servants and for convents. Marcos Molino's case in which he worked for Hidalgo for 15 years without payment. (ff.163) use of hard labor as punishment as well as death sentence. (L. L. Woodward, November 1988)

Concerns Series of documents reporting on destruction inflicted by Indians upon provincias del Poniente. Charges of negligence are brought against military officials who were not doing their job in controlling Indians. Apaches have stolen and killed animals as well as vasallos in haciendas and pueblos. Complet reorganization of presidios and military personnel is suggested to stop Indians from committing more crimes. Resources and potential capacity to support inhabitants in each presidio is given and analyzed (document contains lista of presidios and their military personnel. They also include notes in which military supplies, such as gunpowder, weapons and food are listed. This documents is important because it suggest that Indians had beset and put in despair Spaniards in 1788. (M. Marroquin, may 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)

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)