Aborigines. The Tancards [[note12, p. 705]] are a nation of Indians who rove on the banks of Red river, and are 600 men strong. They follow the buffalo and wild horses, and carry on a trade with the Spaniards. They are armed with the bow, arrow, and lance. They are erratic and confined to no particular district; are a tall, handsome people; in conversation they have a peculiar cluckling, express more by signs than any savages I ever visited, and in fact language appears to have made less progress. They complained much of their situation and the treatment of the Spaniards; are extremely poor, and, except the Appaches, were the most independent Indians we encountered in the Spanish territories. They possess large droves of horses.
There are a number of other nations now nearly extinct, some of which are mentioned by Dr. Sibley in a report he made to the government of the United States on these subjects. A few, and very few indeed, of those nations have been converted by the missions, and these are not in that state of vassalage in which the Indians further to the south are held. [[Notes17], [21], [22], pp. 709, 713, 714.]
Government and Laws. Perfectly military, except as to the ecclesiastical jurisdiction.
Morals and Manners. They being on the frontier, where buffalo and wild horses abound, and not engaged in any war with savages who are powerful, have adopted a mode of living by following those animals, which has been productive of a more wandering disposition round the capital (St. Antonio) than in any other of the provinces. Cordero, restricting by edicts the buffalo hunts to certain seasons, and obliging every man of family to cultivate so many acres of land, has in some degree checked the spirit of hunting or wandering life which had been hitherto so very prevalent, and has endeavored to introduce, by his example and precepts, a general urbanity and suavity of manners which rendered St. Antonio one of the most agreeable places that we met with in the provinces.
Military Force. There were in Texas at the time I came through 988 [888?] men, from the actual returns of the troops which I have seen, 500 of whom were from St. Ander and New Leon, under command of governor Herrara. The disposition of those troops is as follows: 388 at St. Antonio, 400 [300?] at the cantonment of [Blank, 300 marked on map low down] on the Trinity, 100 at the [crossing of the] Trinity, and 100 at Nacogdoches. The militia, a rabble made somewhat respectable by a few American riflemen who are incorporated amongst them, are about 300 men, including bow and arrow men.
Religion. Catholic, but much relaxed.
History. To me unknown, except what can be extracted from various authors on that subject.
GENERAL REMARKS ON NEW SPAIN.
To become acquainted with all the civil and political institutes of a country requires a perfect knowledge of the language, a free ingress to the archives, and a residence of some years; even then we can scarcely distinguish between the statute laws and common law, derived from custom, morals, and habits. Under those circumstances, it cannot be expected that I shall be able to say much on the subject, as I possessed none of the above advantages. I will, however, offer a few observations. To a stranger it is impossible to define the limits of the military and ecclesiastical jurisdictions; in every affair which relates to the citizens, and in fact with the soldiery, the force of superstition is such that I am doubtful whether they would generally obey one of their officers in a direct violation of the injunction of their religious professions. The audiences of Mexico and Guadalaxara were formed, no doubt, as a check on the immense power of the viceroy. The number of members composing each is to me unknown, but they are formed of the viceroy as president, with two votes, generals, and bishops. To their jurisdictions the appeals from the judgment of the intendants and all subordinate officers may be made in civil cases; but the military and ecclesiastical decisions are distinct. Notwithstanding all this semblance of justice, should an individual dare to make the appeal and not succeed in establishing the justice of his claim to redress, he is certainly ruined. Where justice is so little attended to, when opposed to power and wealth, as in the Spanish provinces, the appeal is a desperate remedy. This tribunal or legislative body enacts all the laws for the general regulations of their divisions of the kingdom.
The captain-generalcy of the internal provinces appeared to me to be much more despotic, for the laws or regulations were issued in the form of an order merely, without any kind of a preamble whatsoever, except sometimes he would say, "By order of the king"; and such was the style of governors of provinces.