However many legends of other kindsthere may be, the buried treasure or lost mine legend is the typical legend ofTexas…

The people who tell these legendsrepresent many standards and strata of life, but the ultimate source of theirlegendary gold and their tales is common: Mexican or Spanish.

The nativeTexan frequently makes no distinction between “Spaniard” and “Mexican”; thewealth of legend, however, is generally Spanish. And that wealth would fade theactual riches of Potosi into paltriness. Now, how comes it that illimitablewealth is so popularly ascribed to the long Spanish dominion in Texas and to thebrief Mexican occupation that intervened between the downfall of Spanishsovereignty and the achievement of Texas independence? Were the Spanish greatgainers in Texas? Did Santa Anna’s armies mark their trail with gold?

The facts are that the Spanish inTexas were always hard up, that the occupation of the territory was a financialloss, that Texas was occupied as a buffer, first against the French inLouisiana and then against the United States, with but little attempt atmineral exploitation and always with a drain on the treasury…