The Jesuits, 1534-1921: A History of the Society of Jesus from Its Foundation to the Present TimeCampbell, Thomas J. (Thomas Joseph)
History
The Jesuits, 1534-1921: A History of the Society of Jesus from Its Foundation to the Present Time
Campbell, Thomas J. (Thomas Joseph)
Jesuits -- History
At a distance of three leagues from this Casa and on the other side of
the river are the ruins of another edifice, which appears to have been
still more sumptuous. Indeed the ruins at that place would indicate that
at one time there had been not merely a palace but a whole city, and the
natives assured the missionaries that there were other buildings further
north which were marvelous for their symmetry and arrangements. Among
them was a labyrinth which appears to have been a pleasure house of some
great king. Excavators have discovered in various places, sometimes
leagues away from these great buildings, shapely and variously colored
slabs, and two leagues from the Casa Grande there was found the basin of
a reservoir large enough to supply a populous city and to irrigate the
fertile plains around for great distances; while to the west was a
lagoon which was emptied by a narrow sluice. The regularity of the
circular form of this lagoon and its rather contracted dimensions would
suggest that it was the work of men were it not for its extraordinary
depth. Holes had been cut into the solid rock which subsequently were
found large enough to be used as storehouses for provisions for troops.
These ruins, however, do not appear to have interested Kino to any great
extent. There were other ruins that worried him about that time. His own
missions seemed to be facing universal destruction. He himself was being
denounced in Mexico as conveying false information to the government
about his Indians; they were accused of being in secret alliance with
the Apaches, who were destroying the country and defying the Spaniards.
Kino again and again had denied the truth of these charges, but he was
not only not believed but was held up as a deliberate liar.
On March 29, 1695, the Pimas of Tubutama burned the priest's house and
church, profaned the sacred vessels and then, starting down the river to
Caborca, had, after murdering Father Saeta and desecrating the church,
killed four servants of the mission. An armed force was quickly sent
after them and succeeded in killing a certain number in the battle that
ensued. Fifty of them then gave themselves up on a promise of immunity,
but on arriving in camp they were brutally murdered. The troops then
hastened to Cocospera, fancying that they had restored peace, but they
were no sooner out of sight than the Pimas laid waste the whole Tubutama
Valley and destroyed every town on the San Ignacio River. Where was Kino
all this time? Quietly waiting to be killed at Dolores. He had concealed
the sacred vessels in a cave and was kneeling in prayer, expecting the
tomahawk or a poisoned arrow. But no one came. He was too much beloved
by all the Indians to be injured in the least, even in their wildest
excess of fury.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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