No. 443. ence they knew that the time the Indians navigated it was from August to February, which was the season when the Indians made their voyages to Essequibo; and that those who went from February and later were obliged to remain until the beginning of the winter season, as happened at the present with these from Tupuquen, who had not yet returned. Notwithstanding these reasons, it was my own experience and practice that convinced me, and as it appeared to me useless to remain, I resolved to return and make a report to the Governor of all that happened, and inform him of the proper season, and thereby save greater expense, which would be occasioned by remaining. Twenty-first day: I informed Father Mariano, my companion, of my determination of returning to the capital and reporting. In regard to the supplies furnished for the voyage, Father Mariano and the Father of Cura said that the Cassava bread would be sent to the new cattle-farm of Tumeremo, and the meat would remain at Cura for the use of the village. This new cattle-farm of Tumeremo is established, according to what they say, at a distance of 6 or 7 leagues from Cura, on the east side, and from that cattle-farm towards the east there is a river named Curumo, which flows south (like the Yuruary), seeking its outlet in the Cuyuni, and although not so large as the Yuruary, it is navigable at the same time, and is nearer to the mouth of the Masuruni, where the first habitations of the Dutch are. They say too that, according to the best information of the Carib Indians, from the mouth of this Corumo downwards there are no rapids or any impediment to hinder the transit of any boat at all seasons, and without the difficulties in the shape of rapids which they say exist by way of the Yuruary and Cuyuni down to the mouth of the Corumo, where I thought of returning to come out at Tumeremo. Twenty-second day: I dispatched the Caribs and rowers to their respective villages, and the Father and I remained with the Spaniards until the following day, to return by Angel Custodio, leaving here the boat which had been rowed from Angel Custodio, not being able to take it. Twenty-third day: Father Mariano and I with the other Spaniards left Cura for Angel Custodio, having previously taken care to warn the Father at Cura that until such time as the said voyage should take place to the Cuyuni, it would be very important that no permission should be given to the Indians to go to the Dutch, on account of the bad conse quences that might follow if it became known to the Dutch that an exploration of the Cuyuni and its neighborhood was projected. We said it might bring upon the Father, for example, the misfortunes of the expedition of the Parime, and advised him that he should also warn Father Leopold of Tupuquen and Father Peter of Guascipati. No. 443. Twenty-fourth day: I left Angel Custodio for Tupuquen, and having given this said precaution and warning of circumspection to Father Leopold, I then remained until the following day with the animals that were furnished me. Twenty-fifth day: I departed from Tupuquen for Guascipati, and warned Father Peter Martin in like manner as those of Cura and Tupuquen, namely, that I knew that as soon as the river was high the Indians of this village would go down to Essequibo; for this purpose I remarked they had a great quantity of hammocks made, and on my asking for whom they were, they replied to take to the Dutch of Essequibo, and that for each hammock they received a piece of calico and six flasks of spirits or a Trenquera (?). Twenty-sixth day: I left Guascipati for Carapo, and with the intention of changing animals I passed all the rest of the day there in Carapo. Twenty-seventh day: I left Carapo and arrived at the village of Santa Maria the following day, 28th, and having reached on this day the town of Upata I remained there until Monday, the 7th April (on account of being ill), leaving in charge of the Sergeant in command of the escort the two militiamen who had accompanied me, and likewise delivering over to the Lieutenant of the said town the three residents. Then, with the animals which they provided for me from Altagracia, I continued to Caroni. On the eighth day I arrived at Caroni, where I was furnished, by order of the Father Prefect, with a sailing boat and six Indian rowers from the village of Puga, and I departed for this capital on the tenth, leaving with the Father Prefect an account of the animals and men which had been given me for my journey in each village as I was going and returning. On the twelfth day I arrived at this capital with Corporal Antonio Mora, having intact and complete the 200 cartridges and 5 lbs. of powder which were delivered to me, and of the 100 lbs. of tobacco I took from the town of Upata for the Indians, having only consumed 50 lbs., the rest remaining in my possession until further orders of the Governor. No. 444. Certificate of Election of Officers of the Capuchin Missions, 1787. [Reprinted from Blue Book No. 3, pp. 333-334.] The undersigned certify in the most formal manner that, on the 25th day of the month of April of the present year, we celebrated our triennial Chapter in the Mission of San Joseph de Cupupuy, in which the Revered Father Fray Buenaventura de San Celonio was elected Prefect of our Missions, and for Assistants the Reverend Fathers Fray Buenaventura de Sevadel and Fray Buenaventura de Santa Coloma, and in accordance with our institutes the same reverend Fathers elected for their offices [stations] and Presidencies the reverend Father missionaries as follows: No. 444. Carony The Very Reverend Father Prefect; and for President, Father Fray Serafin de Arens; Procurator and Secretary, Fray Ilario de Tarragona, Lay Infirmarian. Monte Calvario: President, the Reverend Father Fray Pascual de Barcelona. In testimony whereof we give the present, signed with our hand and sealed with the seal of the Mission, and countersigned by the Secretary of the Mission in the Mission of the Most Pure Conception of Caroni, on this 30th day of April, 1787. List of Catalonian Capuchin Missions existing in 1788, made by Fray Buenaventura de San Celonio, May 20, 1788. [Reprinted (with corrections) from Ven. Sp. Docs., Vol. 3, pp. 221-222.] Detailed statement of all the settlements existing which the Reverend Catalonian Capuchin Missionary Fathers have founded in this Province of Guayana, pursuant to the authority thereunto granted them by the King our Master (whom God preserve) in several Royal decrees issued for that purpose, under whose executive Government they are by virtue of the authority they have from His Majesty; setting forth the year of the founding of each settlement, which statement I, the Prefect of No. 445. Guayana, send to the Governor of the said Province, he having so requested me, in a letter dated May twentieth, of the year seventeen hundred and eighty-eight, as follows: When founded 1724. Mission of the Purísima Concepcion de Caroni. 1730. Mission of Santa Maria de los Angeles de Iacuaru. 1733. Mission of San Joseph de Cupapui. 1734. Mission of Nuestro Serafico Padre San Francisco de Altagracia. 1734. Mission of San Miguel del Palmar. 1737. Mission of the Divina Pastora de Yarivario. 1748. Mission of Nuestra Señora de Monserrate del Miamo. 1752. Mission of San Miguel de Carapo. 1754. Mission of Santa Eulalia de Murucury. 1755. Mission of San Joseph de Lionicia de Ayma. 1757. Mission of Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Gucuirati. 1760. Mission of Nuestra Señora Santa Ana de Paracaicura. 1767. Mission of the conversion of San Pablo del Cumamo. 1771. Mission of San Buenaventura de Guri. 1779. Mission of San Miguel de Hunata. 1770. Village of San Isidro de la Barceloneta. No. 446. Certificate, dated August 20, 1788, of Buenaventura de San Celonio, Prefect of Missions, as to the Founding of Tumeremo. [Reprinted from Blue Book, No. 3, p. 335.] To the Governor and Captain-General, from Fray Buenaventura de San Celonio, Preacher, Missionary Apostolic, and Prefect of the Missions of the Catalonian Capuchin Fathers of the Province of Guiana. 1 respectfully beg to inform you that a Mission of Guiana Indians has been founded this year, 1788, in conformity with the rules laid down by His Catholic Majesty, under the title of Maria Santissima de Belen de Tumeremo. I therefore humbly request your Excellency will be pleased to supply the ornaments, books, sacred vessels, bells, and other articles necessary for the celebration of divine worship and the administration of the Holy Sacraments, required for the service of the church of the said village. And in testimony of its foundation and actual existence I hereby affix my signature and great seal of our office, and countersigned by the Secretary of this Mission of the "Purissima Concepcion of Caroni," this 20th day of August, 1788. No. 447. Letter from Governor Miguel Marmion, to Juan Guillelmi, CaptainGeneral of Caracas, dated August 4,1 1788, as to the founding of Tumeremo. [Reprinted from Blue Book, No. 3, pp. 335–336.] I address the inclosed Memorial to you, which the very Reverend Father Prefect of the Capuchin Fathers of Catalonia, of the Missions of Guayana, has presented to me, in which he solicits that there be provided ornaments, missals, sacred vessels, bells, and other necessary church furniture for divine worship in the church of the village, newly founded under the name or title of Nuestra Señora de Belen de Tumeremo, and in view of the fact that your predecessor told me in a despatch of April 1786 that in similar cases I should transmit my report very confidentially, setting forth the time at which the foundation was made, the number of the individuals forming it, the hope of its permanency, &c., I now do so in the following form: - From the copy of the letter No. 1, you will perceive that the reverend Father Prefect and Assistants applied to this Government on the 8th February last, reporting that they had determined to make a new foundation. From that of No. 2 is seen the answer I gave, and from No. 3 the measures I took to fulfil this obligation, and finally they wrote to me on the 31st May last past copy No. 4, in a style that was very displeasing 'An obvious error; possibly August 24. |