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It took eight cargo Indians two weeks walking to carry supplies to and from SA three times a year

Source: Situado and Sabana #82

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If, for the sake of a rough estimate of the amount of labor involved, we assume the average distance to an inland doctrina to be 49 leagues, and if we further assume that a party of burdeners travelled at the rate of 7 leagues a day, then the average round trip to St. Augustine, without allowing time for turnaround or labor-free holy days, would have lasted two weeks. If, as we earlier calculated, the weight of rations, sacramental wine, and wax to be delivered to each doctrinero was 1800 pounds, delivered 600 pounds at a time, then to supply the average doctrinero, eight indios de carga would have been required to make the trip to St. Augustine and back three times a year, for a total of 336 burdener-days. If as many as 25 doctrineros were stationed in western doctrinas that had to be so supplied, then the Indians of those provinces spent 8400 burdener-days on the road every year delivering the king's limosna to their missionaries. This burden alone was a powerful argument for the developing of Gulf ports.

As far as the Franciscans were concerned, the fact that it took a small army of men to deliver the king's alms of food to their tables was unfortunate but unavoidable. A Spaniard's stomach was affronted by Indian food, and most of the friars were true peninsulares, born in Spain. If one of them, in a misguided attempt to relieve the Indians, neglected to send for his rations, his brethren fully expected him to decline in health and discontinue his ministry, to the Indians' eternal loss (Jesus, [1630]).

And, although they knew better than to bring this to the Crown's attention, the road to the doctrinas ran both ways. If the wagons that were emptied in New Mexico could rumble back to Mexico City laden with hides, salt, and pinon nuts, why should Florida's indios de carga spend half of their time on the road with empty packs? Doctrineros and caciques used them on the outgoing trip to deliver native products-sides of bacon, rope, saddles, earthenware, and deerskins-to be sold in St. Augustine.
(Bushnell SS)