September 23 of 76 Excellent Sir I had written to Your Excellency on July 29 about this same subject, and I have taken it upon myself to reduce both to this one alone so as to not increase writing. In obedience to Your Excellency of February 21 I spoke to the R.P. President like Your Excellency wanted, your pass for your Rev. move, I exposed it later on, in what I think is in order to the monthly mail, and I make it patent to Your Excellency accompanied by the Father's response. There is not the slightest doubt only that it is large in providence, and in everything convenient to these establishments and to me because if I could, I'd notice daily, serving me as discomfort that months pass without orders from Your Excellency. From San Francisco to Monterrey I regulate 20 leagues for the moment, not without hope that with [time] the path will straighten and be shorter. From said to here, to the St. Domingo border of California, there are about 280 leagues. To this established distance I must add that the troops have been reduced; and that all of providence is armed with [2] militia, because the necessity is known, of the one coming, that no man can walk alone, not even four, or five, to the contrary the Gentiles would be disrespected and we should venture and expose ourselves to [damage] already on their part, or on our part. There are no left over mules or horses at the forts, mainly in Monterrey and this one, they tire when hurrying them during work, they are not sufficient enough to continue them working, it is necessary to think about them so they suffer. The retirement of one to another mission is great, the [reshuffling] of the mail may be continuous, some soldiers are insufficiently equipped; for those that get tired and can not arrive at the Mission, the risk is evident leaving them to the [Arrival] of the Gentiles, they are not found when returning, and in very little time the loss will be known. In these lands, there will lack entirely a convenient mail post like those that trail the providence; here they will march from the Fort with the horses that have been designated, if in the mission it is asked, and few are posted, the Father can not take them; the method used will be that the letters will be passed from mission to mission by those who find themselves as guards. Excellent Sir, the soldier's mail will be verified, it seems difficult to just throw it out into Nature's lands than our own, that from one day to the next [3] new things should be discussed and our troops will stop following. If it was up to Your Excellency's most superior pleasure he would concede to Governor Phelipe Neve to dispatch his boat to the other coast; helping Your Excellency dispense the [mail] quality of these establishments with the obligation to write, and dispatch however he can every one, two, or three months. To keep the [mail] going, it is necessary that a group of men be distributed into two Missions, with horses that will not work in anything else. It is up to here that I had written to Your Excellency Excellent Sir according to Father President's dictum, he puts no major difficulty from here to California; but I still do not dare propose to Your Excellency the violence of these Indians, and the little they need to [perform] their barbarities, demonstrating his will that inspires the sovereign. I have served and serve with intent, and I execute with particular pleasure [4] the superior orders of Your Excellency and this short report will help Your Excellency to send me what it is I need to do dealing with the mail. I will do as Your Excellency tells me, will also keep the Governor informed on the news of the 20th of January and it will be necessary for me to reflect which is more proper for Your Excellency's. That Your Excellency's important life go on for an extensive amount of years. Diego and Sept. 23 of 1776 Excellent Sir At Your Excellency's feet Ferndo. de Riva. y Moncada Excellent Sir Bo. Fr. Dr. Antonio Bucareli y Ursua