MCGEE] ANDKADE'S EXPEDITION-^1841 ' <S9 



reached Carrizal August 16, and had detachments at the coast to meet 

 the squadron the next day. Both the vessels and this detach meiit 

 were out of water, and next morning Espence, taking a few soldiers 

 and an Indian guide, made liis way to Tiburon in search of springs; 

 but "on arriving it turned out that the Indian had deceived the party 

 or did not wish to reveal tlie water." Nevertheless they lauded, and 

 Espence hoisted the Mexican flag, "taking possession of the island in 

 the name of the Mexican Government, as the first civilized person to 

 touch tiie soil."' Afterward he divided his force, and he and the 

 sailors wandered far, spending the entire day in vain search for 

 water. Toward evening he "made the men wade into the sea up to 

 their necks, and in this manner mitigated somewhat their burning 

 thirst." Meantime the soldiers had traveled inland some or 8 miles, 

 and found water at the head of an arroyo (apparently a temporary 

 tinaja west of Punta Narragansett), but it was surrounded by Indians, 

 who at once gave battle. Such was their thirst that the soldiers 

 held their ground, drinking one at a time under the protection of 

 their comrades. At length they killed two chiefs (one of whom wore a 

 jacket taken from one Hijar, robbed on the Cienega. road a few days 

 before), and succeeded in withdrawing to a small eminence and shel- 

 tering themselves behind a rock. Later they effected a retreat without 

 loss, and of course without water, so that they arrived at the shore 

 even thirstier than the sailors. Making their way back to the main- 

 land during the night, the party were relieved the following day by 

 mule-loads of water sent over from Carrizal. On August 20 Colonel 

 Andrade marched to the coast with most of his force, leaving a detach- 

 ment to guard the route; and the next day Espence transported to the 

 island 11'5 troops, 16 horses, and some mules and cattle, without other 

 accident than the drowning of a mule and a steer "by the strength of 

 the current". Suffering much from thirst, the troops pressed inland to 

 the watering-place already discovered, where they camped. The next 

 day Colonel Andrade, with Lieutenant Jesus Garcia, worked north- 

 ward, finding another watering-place (doubtless Tinaja Anita) 3.J 

 leagues distant from the first; and this was made headquarters for the 

 force. Several parties were sent out in search of water and Indians. 

 A few watering-places were found, and a number of women and children 

 with a few men were captured, though the journals indicate that the 

 excursions were of limited extent only. Meantime Espence brought 

 over the baggage and provisions; and on August 24, leaving a launch 

 and a rowboat for the use of the troops, he sailed northward through 

 the strait, and three days later, after passing many bars of sand, enteied 

 the bay at the extreme north (Bahia Agua Dulce), opposite Punta 

 Tepopa, finding sharks swarming in thousands. Here he found fresh 

 water 250 paces from the beach— the water which sustained Hardy 

 eighteen years before, and Ugarte over a century earlier still. He 

 found no Indians here, but a number of jacales and balsas (which he 



