USA > Arizona > History of Arizona and New Mexico, 1530-1888, Volume XVII > Part 42
USA > New Mexico > History of Arizona and New Mexico, 1530-1888, Volume XVII > Part 42
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388
PIMERÍA ALTA, OR ARIZONA.
In this tour the padre was always well treated, though he had much difficulty in obtaining guides, each tribe being anxious that he should not risk his life in the territory of their foes. But the prospects for an early founding of the missions, deemed so encouraging just before, had now mysteriously disap- peared, and no further movement was made for three years. In 1774, however, Captain Juan B. Anza
Indians came from across the Gila, some of them called Noraguas. 23d, among many others came the gov. of the Pimas from below and volun- teered as a guide; but all refused to guide him to the Colorado and made every possible effort to prevent his going in that direction. At last he started apparently from Pima rancherías, went 2 days s. w., but had to return. On Sept. 8th he started again, was soon deserted by his guides, hut kept on alone. At one ranchería he found houses burned and many wounded in a recent attack of the Quiquimas. His course was down the Gila to near the Colorado junction, thence turning south on Sept. 14th. This day and the next he wandered s., E., N., and w. among marshes, pools, lagunas, and tulares to the bank of a river which seemed larger than the Gila, but smaller than the Colorado. (Of course it was one of the two.) 16th, started s. to reach the mouth and see the Quiquimas, but turned back with some Ind. he met to Yuma rancherías, where he was well treated, but the best he could do was to persuade an old Ind. to go with him to the 'junction of the rivers;' hut this old man soon left him, and the padre going on alone became involved in such a network of mud-holes that he returned to the Yuma town. 'Seeing himself on the other bank of the river (?), it seemed hard to return without seeing all he could;' so he went with some Ind. from the w. on the 20th, and on the 21st, still w., past well-peopled ranchos to a laguna many leagues long, which he crossed on a balsa, and came soon to another very large body of water which seemed to be the Colorado, whence he turned back to the ran- cherías. 22d, followed the 'current of that large laguna ' past rancherías where there was some knowledge of Christianity, to some poor ranchos. He declined to cross (recross ?) the laguna as the Ind. wished; and the Ind. refused to accompany him west, but he went on alone on the 23d to the N. w., and 24th, N. E. and E. 25th, to west past a large pueblo and to the sierra, without finding the Colorado, and back to the pueblo, when he heard much of the padres in S. Diego and N. Mexico. 28th, N. W. all day and night to where he could see the Sierra Madre, and what seemed the pass or opening where the Colorado entered the sea. From this point he seems to have desired to take an eastern course (homeward ?); but the Pimas sent messengers, urging his return to their rancherias, else he would be lost and they would be blamed by the Spaniards. So on Oct. 3d he set out with the Ind. south (?), and presently north, and then eastwardly in quest of the Gila; thence up the river to the place where the Yumas had fought with Cocomaricopas, Opas, and Gilenos, arriving on the 10th. On the Ilth and 12th mourning cere- monies of the Yumas. 12th, the Yumas offered to guide the padre to the Ind. of Cujant or to Zuñiga in four days. He chose the former in order to go direct to Sonoitac; and so turned back and recrossed (?) the Gila on the 13th; and on the 15th started by the 'customary route ' for Caborca, where he arrived on the 27th.
I am aware that this résumé is very unsatisfactory, but space does not permit the reproduction of the full narrative, which is even more confusing. On p. 450, 454, 469, Arricivita states that on this trip Garcés had crossed the Colorado and visited the rancherías farther west; from the narrative I am unable to determine whether such was the fact or not.
389
ANZA AND GARCÉS.
obtained permission to explore a route by land to California, being influenced largely, as the Franciscan chronicler states, by the arguments and diaries of Garcés, who, still bent on carrying into execution his mission project, was glad to serve as guide or chaplain for the new expedition, being also accompanied by Padre Juan Diaz. Anza's party of thirty-four men left Tubac on January 8th, and marched by way of Caborca and Sonoita to the junction of the Gila and Colorado, fording the latter river the 9th of February. Returning from California, this party went up the Gila, and by way of Tucson and Bac to Tubac in May.29 The Yumas at the junction, under the chief Captain Palma, whose residence was on the island of Trinidad, formed by the two rivers, gave the Span- iards a most friendly reception ; and thus, not only was the practicability of this route to California demon- strated, but new interest was awakened in the pro- posed missions. Garcés had instructions to investigate the possibility of communicating with New Mexico,
29 Anza, Descubrimiento de Sonora á Californias en el año de 1774, MS., in the collection of M. Pinart; Arricivita, Cron. Seraf., 450-6; see also Hist. Cal., i. 221-4, this series.
The ronte was as follows: Jan. 8, 1774, from Tubac 1 1, to ford of S. Ig- nacio; 9th, s. w. to Arivac valley; 10th, s. s. w. to Agua Escondida, 7 1 .; 11th, 12th, ditto (?); 13th, to Saric, 7 1. 'From this mission it is 8 1. N. to Arizona. The mother vein has not been found.' 14th, to La Estancia, 4 I .; 15th, s. w. to Ati, 53 1 .; 16th, w. to Oquitoa, 6 1 .; 17th, to Altar presidio, 2 1 .; 19th, w. N. w. to Pitic, 5 1 .; 20th, to Caborca, 2 1 .; 22d, N. w. to S. Ildefonso, a new name, 4 1 .; 23d, to Arihaipia or S. Eduardo, 9 I. in the Papaguería, which extends 60 or 70 1. N. and s. by 30 or 40 l. E. and w., and has 2,500 souls; 24th, to pool of S. Juan de Mata, 4 1 .; 25th, 6 1 .; 26th, w. N. w. to ranchería of Quitobac or S. Luis Bacapa, 6 1 .; 27th, N. to foot of a hill, 53 1 .; 28th, N. N. E. to Sonoita, 5 1 .; 29th, w. to Carrizal, 9 1 .; 30th, N. N. W., 6 1 .; 31st, w. N. w., 9 1 .; Feb. Ist, N. w. to Purificacion, 31 .; 4th, to springs, 5 1 .; 5th, to Agua Escondida, 7 1 .; 6th, s. w., 6} 1 .; 7th, to Trinidad isl. and Palma's rancheria, 103 1., called by the Jesuits S. Dionísio; 8th, forded the Gila; 9th, forded the Colorado.
Return, May 10th, to the junction at S. Dionísio, lat. 32° 44'; 15th, up the s. bank of the Gila, 3 1 .; 16th, ditto, 9 1 .; 17th, ditto, past the watering- place of S. Pascual, 8 1 .; 18th, to Ist, Cocomaricopa rancheria or S. Bernar- dino, 4 1 .; 19th, up N. bank of Gila, 81 .; 30th, up s. bank, 5 l. to within one 1. of Simon y Judas de Upasoitac; 21st, through Upasoitac, leaving river, where it turns N., 8 1 .; 22d, to the Pima rancheria of Sutaquison, where are some old ruins at casas grandes, 6 1 .; 23d, to Tutiritucar, or S. Juan Capis- trano, a rancheria of 300 souls, 2 1 .; 24th, along the Gila, 2 l. to within 2 1. of the Casa Grande, thence s .; 25th, s. to Tucson, 24 1. from the Gila; 26th, 5 1. to Bac and 15 1. to Tubac, 103 1. from S. Dionísio.
390
PIMERÍA ALTA, OR ARIZONA.
and with this in view he remained behind at San Simon y Judás on the Gila, attempting to penetrate the northern region, and send a letter to the New Mexican friars; but he was unable to reach the Moqui towns as he wished, and returned by a differ- ent route from that followed by Anza and the rest, arriving at his mission of Bac in July.30
About this time Apache depredations were more frequent and deadly than usual; and the friars, count- ing on the renewed interest felt in northern affairs, deemed the opportunity favorable for securing some needed reforms-such as an escolta and a second mis- sionary for each mission-in Pimería Alta as a neces- sary preliminary to the proposed advance; but though the viceroy issued a favorable preparatory decree, nothing was effected in the direction of increased pro- tection for the southern establishments. As to the new ones proposed, Captain Anza, having gone to Mexico, and being called on for a report, advised that they should be founded, not on the Gila, where they would be exposed to Apache raids, but on the Colo- rado, and there only after new explorations and under the protection of a strong presidio to furnish a guard for each mission. At the same time came orders from Spain to send reinforcements to California. It was therefore decided that Anza should conduct the Cali- fornian expedition by the Colorado route, and that in connection with his expedition the required explora- tions should be made. A letter of Inspector Oconor to Father Garcés also shows that the proposition to transfer the presidios of Horcasitas and Buenavista to the Gila and Colorado, respectively, had been ap-
30 Arricivita, 455-6. At S. Simon or Oparsoitac (called Upasoitac by Anza, 38 1. above the junction, and below the big bend) Garcés proposed to visit the Yavipais and Niforas, but the Ind. would not guide him nor carry the letter. Then he travelled 30 1. to a large laguna of the Jalchedunes, and thence to another, seeing farther up many people, and large fields; but hav- ing reached the frontier of the Quilmurs, a hostile tribe, said to be 5 or 7 days from the people who made the 'mantas prietas,' he deemed it unsafe to go farther up the river (Colorado or Sta Maria) for lack of water, left the let- ter, and was guided by a Jalchedun, back to the Cocomaricopas, who escorted him in turn to the Gileños, and thence he went by a new route to Bac, arriv- ing July 10th.
391
PROPOSED MISSIONS.
proved. At the same time the Querétaro college resolved to turn over the missions of Pimería Baja to the bishop, in order to have missionaries to spare for the new service. Thus the prospects seemed bright again.31
I have before me a report of December 1774, ad- dressed to the viceroy by Governor Crespo of Sonora, who had been requested to give his views on the pro- posed expedition. His chief recommendations were, that Anza should march, not through Papaguería, but by way of Bac, or better still, down the San Pedro and Gila; that instead of going down to the Colorado junction he should cross over to the Jalchedunes coun- try, crossing the river there, and proceeding directly to Monterey, thus avoiding the southern California desert; and above all, that in connection with this expedition, steps should be taken to explore a way to New Mexico and the Moqui towns, which the writer believed to be easily accessible from the south-west.32 It was in this connection, also, that the government called upon the New Mexican authorities and friars for their views on the best way of reaching the Mo- quis from Sonora or California. This phase of the subject has been presented earlier in this volume as a part of New Mexican annals.33 Father Escalante was the leading spirit in resulting efforts. He not only visited the Moquis, counting 7,494 souls, and earnestly advocated their subjection by force of arms, but he gave in detail his views as to the best routes of ap- proach. He thought the way from the south and the Gila would present no very serious difficulties, but was sure that from the west and Colorado would be found impracticable, and had no doubt that the best route
31 Arricivita, 456-61.
32 Crespo (Francisco Antonio), Informe que hizo al Virrey el gobernador de So- nora acerca del descubrimiento de N. Mexico para Monterey. MS., in N. Mex., Doc. Hist., 802-28. The writer favors a presidio at the mouth of the S. Pedro, and a mission among the Gileño Pimas. He also encloses a letter of Inspector Oconor, who recommends as sites for the three frontier presidios S. Bernardo Xaguionar, Sta Cruz, and Junta de los Rios. As we have seen, the only change made was that of Tubac to Tucson a little later.
33 See chap. xii., this volume.
392
PIMERÍA ALTA, OR ARIZONA.
of all was one from Monterey, directly east and then south-east to Santa Fé. The zealous padre had the courage of his convictions, and soon started with Padre Dominguez on an exploring tour to the north-west, bent on reaching Monterey; but he had to turn back from Utah Lake, returning by way of Moqui, only to learn that another Franciscan had successfully trav- ersed the central route which he had declared the most difficult of all.
Anza, now lieutenant-colonel, left Tubac on his sec- ond expedition the 23d of October, 1775. Besides the California party of 207, he had twenty-five men -- including ten soldiers and Padre Pedro Font as chap- lain-who were to return to Sonora, and also two friars, Garcés and Tomás Eixarch, with six servants and interpreters, who were to be left on the Colorado. His route was by Tucson to the Gila, and down that river to the Colorado, which he forded at the end of November; and early in December, leaving the two friars, he went on to California.34 On the return, Anza crossed the river on May 14, 1776. Padre Eixarch, whose experience among the Yumas had been most satisfactory, here rejoined the party, but Garcés had
34 See Hist. Cal., chap. xii., this series. The original authorities are Anza, Diario, MS., Font's Journal, MS., and Garcés, Diario; with also an extended account in Arricivita, 461 et seq. The diary through Arizona was as follows: Oct. 23d, Tubac to La Canoa, 4 1 .; 24th, to Llano Grande or Punta de los Llanos, 4 1 .; 25th, to Bac, 5 1 .; 26th, to a point 1 1. past Tucson, Tuison, or Tuquison, 5 1 .; 27th, to Tutuetac, or Frente Negra Mts, or Llano del Azo- tado, 5 1 .; 28th, to Ditt-pax, pueblo viejo, or Oytapayts, or Oitapars, 6 1 .; 29th, to Bajio de Aquituno, Quitcac, Ttacca, or Mt Taceo, 5 1 .; 30th, to Ca- mani, or La Laguna, on the Gila, 10 1 .; 31st, devoted to rest and to an exam- ination of the Casa Grande; Nov. Ist, down the river to Tutunitucan, or S. Juan Capistrano de Ulurituc, or Utilltuc, 41 .; 2d, to Encarnacion Sutaquison, last of the Pimas (other Pima rancherias were S. Andrés, Tubuscabors, Atison, and S. Serafino del Napcub), 2 or 4 1 .; 3d, to Laguna del Hospital, not far above the junction of the Asuncion, 2 1 .; 4th, 6th, detained by illness of a woman; 7th, s. w., to cut off the bend, to Puerto de los Cocomaricopas, 6 1 .; 8th, to S. Simon y Judas de Opasoitac, or Uparsoitac, or Posociom, 71 .; 11th, to rancherías de S. Martin of the Opas, 1} I .; 12th, to S. Diego ou the river, 4 1 .; 13th, to Rinconada, or Aritoac, across the river, 4 1 .; 14th, to Agua Ca- liente, 4 1 .; 16th, to S. Bernardino, 7 1 .; 17th, to El Pescadero, in Yuma country, 1} 1 .; 18th, to S. Pascual, recrossing the river, 3 1 .; 22d, to hill of Sta Cecilia, or Metate, 5 l .; 25th, to Laguna Salada, 4 1 .; 26th, to cerros del Cajon, 4 1 .; 27th, to Los Cerritos, 3 1 .; 28th, to junction of the Gila (which was crossed) and Colorado, 4 1. The distances are from Anza; Font often makes them greater.
393
ANZA AND FONT.
gone up the Colorado and could not be found. Palma, the Yuma chief, also joined the Spaniards for a trip to Mexico; and the return march was through Papa- guería to Caborca and Altar, where they arrived on the 1st of June.35 Though the diaries of Anza and
266
266
267
268
269
270
271
279
P
Taos
Picuri
38
N. MEXICO
BAQUIOBA
YUTAŞ
37
PAYUCHA
Sta.Fe
Pto.Bucareli
Zuni &
36
CHEMEGUABA
Oraibe MOQUI
-95
YAMAJAB
YAVAPAI
JAQUALAPAI
APACHERIA
ALCHE
TEHUA
IMAS
Casa Grande
-
33
edro
Posos
· Candelaria
P.Tuqulson& PAPAGUERIA
a P.Sta.Cruz S.Bernardino
Janos
'S. Xavier
39
Sonoitac
Tubaca
Fronteras
PIMERIA
Tumacacori. Colabazas
Cuquiarichic
Quitoback
ALTA
Terrenate
Cocospera
Aribaydpia
Sta. Teresa
Imuris
Caborca Bisanic
S.Ignacio
Sta.Ana
o Magdalena
nArizpe
R. Yayui
D/E 1)
Pitic
.Altar
Oquitoa
"Dolores
C
30
PADRE FONT'S MAP OF 1777.
35 May 14th, ford of the Colorado below the Gila; 15th, up the Gila to Cerros del Cajon, 5 1. (or 7); 16th. ditto to Laguna Salada, 7 1. (or 4); 17th, leaving the river for the s. E., to Pozos de Enmedio, or Zacatal Duro, 8 1. (or 11); 18th, E. s. E. past Tinajas de Candelaria, to Puerto Blanco, or Llano del Fuzal, 9 1. (or 18); 19th, s. E. to Arroyo del Sonoitac, or Carrizal, 8 1. (or 10); 20th, past the ruined mission of S. Marcelo de Sonoitac, 12 1 .; 21st, past S. Luis Quitobac to S. Juan de Mata, 14 1. (or 17); 22d, past S. Eduardo de Aribacpía, to S. Ildefonso, 11} 1. (or 15); 23d, to Caborca, 9 1.
Assumption
R
Gila
COCO/MARICOPAS
CUCAPA
YUMA8
CAJUENCHES
A
Ati.
R.Colorado
394
PIMERÍA ALTA, OR ARIZONA.
Font, and doubtless the report of Eixarch, contained much information about the Yumas and other tribes, there was no real exploration, such as had been sug- gested in the preliminary correspondence, except that accomplished by Garcés.
Left by Anza on the Colorado, Father Garcés im- mediately set out on his exploring tours, leaving his companion at Palma's ranchería to prepare the Yumas for mission life. In December he went down to the mouth of the Colorado, and in February 1776, up the river to the country of the Yamajabes, or Mojaves; crossed the country westward to San Gabriel in March, explored the great Tulares valley in April and May, and returned to the Colorado. Details of these Cali- fornian wanderings do not belong here.36 Though in receipt of Anza's letter, the explorer resolved to visit the Moqui towns, and set out from the Mojave region on the 4thi of June. This journey, as the second through this region, and the first of which we have a detailed account, is a most interesting and important one, to which nothing like justice can be done in the appended résumé of the diary, which, however, as a record cannot be omitted.37 The starting-point was
36 Garcés, Diario y Derrotero, 244-309; see also Hist. Cal., i. 273-7. Padre Font's map I take from Hinton's Hand-book, with some changes of names to correct blunders.
37 Garcés, Diario y Derrotero, 309-48. June 4th (104th day's journey), 2 1. N. w. up the Colorado to place in lat. 34° 1'; 5th, 1. 1. N., } 1. s., 31. E. N. E .; 6th, E. N. E. over Sierra de Santiago, 13 1. E. s. s. E. to Aguage de S. Pacífico, 2 1. s. s. E., 1 1. E .; 7th, 4 l. E. to the Jaquallapais (Hualapais), on a little stream; 8th, 3} l. N. E. by the skirt of the Sierra Morena, 22 1. N. E. to a ran- chería; 9th, 5 l. E. to Arroyo de S. Bernabé, 1 1. on the stream to an aban- doned rancheria, where many Ind. soon gathered and new guides were obtained; 15th, up the arroyo N. E. and N. past Pozos de S. Basilio to a ran- chería, 43 1 .; 16th, 4 l. N. E. and N. over pine hills, 5 l. N. to a sierra of red earth, said to be near the Colorado, deep cajones; 17th, 2} l. N. E. over a rough sierra to a rancheria, where there was a junta of Ind. and much festiv- ity. From here be might have gone more directly to Moqui, but turned off to see more people; 19th, 1 1. E. to Pozo de la Rosa, 2 1, N .; 20th, 5 l. E., 2 1. N. E., over a bad wooded country, with deep cañons, to a r. on the Rio Cabezua, or Jabezua, named S. Antonio, through a deep cañon pass. Here were a few cattle and horses from Moqui, also iron implemeuts. This seems the largest r. of the Yavipais. The river runs w., N. w., and N. into the Colorado near by, water used for irrigation; 25th, 21. s. to summit of a sierra, 3 1. s. E. and N., through forest, to a Cabezua r .; 26th, 4 l. s. E. and s. to a place in sight of the deep gorges, through which flows the Colorado, through a cut in the blue sierra named Bucareli Pass, toward the E. N. E., but difficult
395
MOQUIS VISITED BY GARCÉS.
probably in the region of the later Fort Mojave, or latitude 35°, and the winding and complicated route corresponded in a general sense with that of Oñate in 1604-5, and the line of the modern Atlantic and Pa- cific railroad. Garcés was most kindly treated every- where on the way, but on the Moquis even he could make no impression. They would have nothing to do with him, and took no interest in his picture of hell and heaven. Some visiting Zuñis offered to guide
to reach; also saw in N. smoke of the Payuchas N. of the river. From the sierra stretching w. the Rio Asuncion is thought to rise, 4 l. s. E. to a pinal; 27th, 4 1. s. E. and E .; 28th, 33 l. s. E., s., and E. to Rio Jaquevila, or S. Pedro, which runs w. N. W. into the Colorado a little above the Puerto de Bucareli, through a deep cañon cut in living rock, 8 1. N. by another cajon to a r. of Yavipais, where two Moquis were seen.
July Ist, 1} 1. E. S. E. to a river that seemed to be the S. Pedro de Jaque- sua, and a ruined pueblo said to be of the Moquis, 6 1. across trecless plains; 2d, 31. E. S. E., 3 1. E. and s. to the Moqui town of Oraive, called by the Yavi- pais Muca; much descriptive matter; 3d, 3 1. toward another pueblo, but returned; 4th, started on return, 12 1. E. N. W. to Rio S. Pedro Jaquecila. The names of the Moqui towns in Yavipais language are Sesepaulabá, Masa- queve, Janogualpa, Muqui, Concabe, and Muca, called Oraive by the Zuñis; 5th, 1} 1. E. N. W. to Yavipais r .; heard of the Guamua, Guanavepe, Gualliba, and Aguachacha, also different tribes of Yavipais, including the Yavipaistejua in the sierras of the Rio Asuncion; also on the Colorado the Yutas, Cheme- guabas, Payuchas, Japul, Gualta, and Baquiyoha, probably only r. of one nation; 6th, 4 l. s. w. to Rio S. Pedro again; 7th, 2 1. N. w. and w. to near a cave; 8th, over the Sierra and past the Bajío, 4 1. w. and s. w. to Pozo de Sta Isabel; 9th, 5 1. N. w., 3 1. E. N. W. to r. in the cajones of the Jabesua, staying 6 days; 15th, 5 1. w. and s. by the new Canfran, though the natives wished him to go by the Escalera route; 16th, 6 1. w. to Pozo de las Rosas; 17th, s. w. past Sierra de Pinales and S. Diego to Arroyo de S. Alejo at a Yavipais r., leaving the former route; 18th, 1} 1. down the arroyo N. W. over hills to valley of Lino with much wild flax, 3} 1. w. to a r .; 19th, } l. N. to Aguage de Sta Margarita, over the Sierra Morena, 2 1. w. to Pozo de Avis- pas into a valley 4 1. wide, and 4 1. more to a r .; 23d, 2 l. s. w. to a pozo and r .; 44th, up the Sierra E. 2 1., 1 1. N. to r. with 2 pozos, in sight of a valley near the river, 4 1. to a r. of the Cueromaches. 25th, 2 l. s. w. to Sierra of Santiago, w. to Aguage de Sta Ana, 15 l. s. w. to Rio Colorado, 2 1. s. down the river to Punta de los Jamajabs; 26th, 2} l. s. down river to r. of S. Pedro; 27th, 1 1. s. to another r .; 28th, 3 l. s. E. to r. de la Pasion. The Ind. here said he could safely go through the country of the Yavipaistejua to the Co- comaricopas, but he preferred to keep on; 31st, 2 l. s. s. w. to r.
Aug. 1st, 2 1. s. to Sierra de S. Ildefonso, at end of the Jamajab country, a good place for 2 missions; 2d-5th, down the river s. 14 1. to Rio Sta Maria (now so named, Bill Williams Fork); 6-8th, 14 1. s. to r. of the Jalchedumes, before named S. Antonio; 11th, 2 1. w. s. w. to r. Sta Coleta near the river; 12th, 23 1. s. w. to r. near laguna de Trinidad; 14th, crossed the Colorado on a balsa to r. de Asuncion (on the California side); 16th-21st, 7 1. down river; 22d, recrossed the river and went 1 1. s .; 23d, 1} l. s. to last r. of the Jalchedumes; 24th, 4 1. s. s. w .; 26th, crossed the river, 1} l. s. w. to a great pool, 5 1. s .; 4 1. s. E. to Puerte de la Concepcion. Returned to Bac by the same route Anza's exped, had come, arriving Sept. 17th. Diary dated Tu- butama Jan. 30, 1777.
396
PIMERÍA ALTA, OR ARIZONA.
him to New Mexico, but he deemed it unsafe to make the trip, fearing also that his coming might be deemed by the authorities an intrusion; and so, having passed two nights in a corner of the court-yard at Oraibe, and having written a letter to the padre at Zuñi, he left this inhospitable tribe, and found his way back to the Colorado, down that river to the Yumas, and thence back to his mission of San Javier del Bac in Sep- tember.
Padre Garcés supplemented his diary with extensive information respecting the geography of the country and the disposition of the different native tribes, add- ing also his views as to the methods by which the new spiritual conquest might best be effected. Though differing on some details, Anza and all the friars agreed that missions should be established on the California side of the Colorado, under the protection of a strong presidio. The natives were eager for such establishments, Palma, the Yuma chief, visiting Mex- ico to advance the cause; the government was favor- ably disposed; promises were freely made; and it was supposed there would now be no delay. Yet for various reasons, including the departure of Anza for New Mexico, the Apache warfare and consequent difficulty of obtaining men and money, and divers controversies in Mexico, nothing whatever was done for three years. Then Garcés went again to the Colorado in 1779, and was soon joined by another friar and a guard of twelve soldiers. Meanwhile the Yumas had become tired of waiting and were disgusted by the petty nature of the mission enterprise in comparison with promises of the past; other tribes were hostile to the Yumas; and Palma had lost something of his authority. In 1780 the formal founding of two mission pueblos was ordered; but the idea of a presidio was abandoned, and a new system was devised, under which each mis- sion was to have ten soldiers and ten settlers. Friars and officials qualified to judge in the matter protested against the system as suicidal, and the result fully
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