LOADING MUIvKS ON A ]^e:rRY N^AR BROWNSVILLK 



The production of mules is an important industry in Texas, and, in spite of the large 

 supply, there is an ever-growing demand. Good mules bring nearly double the price of 

 horses in the local markets. 



were the Spaniards, who sailed along the 

 Gulf coast in 15 19; they also made in- 

 terior explorations as early as 1535, but 

 without effort to colonize. Chevalier La 

 Salle reached the shore of Texas on 

 New Year's day, 1685, and sailed into 

 Matagorda Bay believing it was one of 

 the mouths of the Mississippi, which he 

 had discovered three years before. There 

 is now at Port Lavaca an iron cross 

 which is believed to be the identical one 

 with which La Salle took possession in 

 the name of the King of France. The 

 colony he established was short lived 

 after the assassination of its leader. If 

 it had survived it would doubtless have 

 been destroyed by a Spanish expedition 

 which was sent against it. 



In 1689 or 1690 the Spanish estab- 

 lished a mission settlement at San An- 



tonio, but were forced to abandon it in 

 1694 because of the hostility of the In- 

 dians. Fearing an incursion of the 

 French from Louisiana, a fort was es- 

 tablished at San Antonio in 171 8 by de 

 Larcon, Spanish Governor of the Mexi- 

 can State of Coahuila. At this time was 

 built the mission of San Antonio de Va- 

 lero, later known as the Alamo. 



This was the beginning of the San 

 Antonio settlement, which was chartered 

 by Ferdinand Third of Spain in 1731, 

 with the name San Fernando, but later 

 was known as Bexar and finally San An- 

 tonio. The early settlers of the place 

 Avere immigrants from the Canary Islands. 

 For more than a century San Antonio 

 was the headquarters for most Texas in- 

 terests, so that it was the scene of many 

 of the struggles of the old days — fights 



1333 



