The
notes before me say: "All these settlements and missions were
founded in fertile valleys, and by streams and springs, which
produced luxuriant crops of wheat, corn, and beans, and in many
parts grapes and other foreign fruits were cultivated."
In the western part of the Territory were the missions of St.
Pierre, St. Paul, St. Matthias, St. Simond, St. Francisco, Merci,
the ranches of Eau Cheri, Eau de la Lune, and others; on the
Santa Cruz the missions of San Xavier del Bac, Santiago, San
Cayetano, and San Philipe, the towns of Tueson, Tubac, Reges, San
Augusta, and many others. San Xavier del Bac is still in
existence. It is a mission church of great size and beauty,
magnificently ornamented within; forty thousand dollars in solid
silver served to adorn the altar. Upon the San Pedro river were
the missions of St. Mark, San Salvadore, San Pantaleon, Santa
Cruz, and the towns of Quiduria, Rosario, Eugenia, Victoria, and
San Fernando--the latter at the mouth--with many more. To the
east some small settlements were found on the Valle del Sauz, on
the Mimbres, at the copper mines north of the Mimbres, and to the
south the immense grazing and stock-raising establishment of San
Bernardino, where since have been raised hundreds of thousands of
cattle and horses. The Indians in the vicinity of the missions
were reduced first to obedience by the Jesuits, and then to
slavery by the Spaniards.
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