Jesuits

Non LDM treaure hunting and Old West history.
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alan m
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Posts: 147
Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2011 10:43 pm

Jesuits

Post by alan m »

The Jesuits playa a role in the lost mines and hidden treasures of the Southwest. I first began looking into the possibility that the Jesuits had something to do with the Stone Tablets, I never bought into the Peralta connection, I did not find the smoking gun and as most of you are aware the evidence of any Jesuit connection is lacking, to say the least, but there are some interesting facts about the Jesuits that some of you may not know. There was a considerable amount of secrecy between the Jesuits and the King of Spain, mostly concerning thier trips into the wilderness north of the Gila River. Yea I know Charles Polzer states emphatically that they did not venture north of thr Gila but Jacobo Sedelmeyer claims that he did in his letters from 1750. Another much more intriguing indication comes from an account in Juan Nentvig's Rudo Ensayo. Apparently Juan made three maps of Sonora and one of them was sent to the Viceroy at his request but it did not reach him because the carrier died of fever in Vera Cruz and the map was thought to have been lost. Juan then sent another map, his third and final one to the Viceroy while the first map he had sent to his superior. It was this map that was never intended for the Viceroy to see because it contained information as to the location of not only Indian villages north of the Gila River but also depicted Jesuit estabilishments, one very near the Superstiton's. This map got rerouted and sent to the Viceroy. Now there are two maps on their way to the Viceroy and both of them are different. The difference comes from one of the other German Jesuits who had dressed the map for Juan prior to it being sent as Juan Nentvig could not do it himself due to his failing eyesight.
Meanwhile back at the batcave, the map that was thought to have been lost in Vera Cruz now turns up in Europe and the Jesuits are concerned that it will be published.
This is just the beginning of many such events surrounding the Jesuits prior to thier expulsion in 1767.
This is a good place to start researching the Jesuits, I recommend the following books:
Rudo Ensayo by Nentvig
A Missionary in Sonora, by Och
Sonora, a Description of the Province. by Pfefferkorn

Alan
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