Across the Neches from the Nabedache, only a few leagues away, and adjoining the
Neche tribe on the north, was the relatively little known tribe called by Jesus
Maria the Nacachau, and by Hidalgo the Nacachao. We have seen that Jesus Maria
described the Neche tribe as being separated from the Nabedache only by the
Neches River. Later he says, "Toward the north, where the above-mentioned Necha
tribe ends, is that called the Nacachau." The Neche and Nacachau villages were
thus close together. Near them the second mission of San Francisco was founded
in 1716. Ramon says that the mission was founded in the village of the Naiches,
and the "Padres Missioneros" say that it was for the "Naicha, Nabeitdâche,
Nocono, and Nacâchao."1
Southeast of the Neche and the Nabedache villages, according to Jesus Maria,
were two villages half a league apart, called the Nechaui and the Nacono. Of the
Nechaui we do not hear again, but from Pena (1721) we learn that the Nacono
village, which he called El Macono, was five leagues below the Neches crossing.
This would put the Nechaui and the Nacono villages five leagues down the Neches
River, perhaps one on each side.2
1 Jesus Maria, Relación,
1691, 107-108; Ram6n, Derrotero (1716), in
Mem. de Nueva Espana, XXVII, 158; Padres
Missioneros, Representa-ci6n (1716), Ibid.,
163; Peña, Diario (1721), Ibid., XXVIII,
38-41; Rivera, Diario (1727), leg., 2140;
Bonilla, Breve Compendia, 1772, in THE
QUARTERLY, VIII, 35, 38. As I have indicated
above, the Memorias copy of Ram6n's
itinerary states that the mission was
founded in the village of the "Nacoches," a
miscopy for "Naiches." The map on page 256
was made before I discovered this error in
the copy, which I had first used. My opinion
now is that, with this correction, the
sources would not be violated by placing the
Nacachau tribe somewhat farther north than I
have there represented it.
2. Jesus Maria, Relaci6n,
108; Peña, Diario, op. cit., 36.
As the Nacono visited Aguayo on the west
side of the Neches, I have represented the
village on that side in my map. Of course,
the reason is a very slight one.
Espinosa in his diary says that the Nasoni
mission was founded for the Nacon6, but this
seems to be a form of Nasoni, for by others
it is uniformly called the mission of the
Nasoni or of the Nadaco, or of both. See,
Hidalgo, letter to Mesquia, October 6, 1716,
in the Archive General.
This site
includes some historical materials that may imply negative stereotypes
reflecting the culture or language of a particular period or place. These
items are presented as part of the historical record and should not be
interpreted to mean that the WebMasters in any way endorse the stereotypes
implied .
The Native Tribes About The East Texas Mission's, Quarterly of the Texas
State Historical Association, By Herbert E. Bolton, April 1908
