Expedition Into Texas, 1675 



343 



Indians by Father Dionisio San Buena- 

 ventura. 



May 10, 1675. — Having left the place 

 called San Raymundo and traveled to- 

 ward the north about 3 leagues, we 

 reached a river that ran from west to 

 east, which our Indians said was called 

 Agua Azul (Blue Water). There were 

 a great many fish in this river of all 

 kinds, and it was a very beautiful place, 

 with many poplars, willow, mesquite, 

 and guisache trees and plains of green 

 grass. It was uninhabited and we took 

 possession of it in the name of the king, 

 our master, and in sign thereof erected 

 a high wooden cross. We called this 

 river Rio de San Josefa. The mission- 

 ary fathers gave religious instruction to 

 the Indians. 



May ir, 1675. — Having left the place 

 called Rio de San Josefa and traveled 

 about 3 leagues toward the north, 

 through a very grassy plain, with many 

 mesquite trees, we reached a very broad, 

 full, and swift river, its width being 

 about 400 varas. This our Indians said 

 was called the Rio del Norte. We 

 found it uninhabited and deserted but 

 for a few ranches of those Indians who 

 construct their huts of grass ; as we 

 had traveled above the ford, our Indians 

 determined to cross where the river was 

 divided into three streams. It was 

 necessary to construct rafts of wood to 

 cross over the middle one. In crossing 

 the first the water reached above our 

 stirrups and almost to the covers of our 

 saddle trees. It was 200 varas wide 

 and a vara and a half in depth all the 

 way through, and there were willow 

 trees on its banks and on an island in 

 the middle. It was very pleasing, and 

 there were many large fish and turtles 

 caught, to which we bear witness, hav- 

 ing held them in our hands. We took 

 possession in the name of the king, of 

 said river and territory. This stream 

 appeared to run from west to east. We 

 gave it the name of San Buenaventura, 

 and in sign of possession erected a high 



wooden cross. Father Dionisio San 

 Buenaventura gave religious instruction 

 to the Indians. 



May jtj, 1675. — Having left the place 

 called Rio San Buenaventura del Norte 

 and traveled toward the north about 4 

 leagues, we reached a creek between 

 some ranges of hills, where we found 

 54 Indian warriors of the Yoricas and 

 Jeapes tribes, with loads of buffalo meat. 

 We examined them through Don Au- 

 gustin, the interpreter, in their language 

 and the Spanish. Having asked them 

 many questions, they said they had 

 come to kill buffalo to get meat for the 

 sustenance of their families and ranches, 

 and having no food in their country, 

 necessity had compelled them to come 

 so far in search of it ; that there was a 

 great number of them, they could not 

 say exactly how many ; that they de- 

 sired to become Christians and to be 

 placed in settlements and receive re- 

 ligious instruction from the missionaries; 

 that the fear they had of other tribes, 

 who were their enemies, had prevented 

 their going to seek them ; that two of 

 their number had been killed, those who 

 had done this being the Ocames, Pata- 

 quakes, and Yrbipimas ; and that in 

 proof of their submission to the king, 

 our lord, they would go with us as far 

 as the Indian tribes of the Sierra Dacate 

 and Yacasole, and they would send to 

 their ranches for their people to come 

 out to wherever our chaplain could give 

 them religious instruction. We named 

 this place San Gregorio Nasianseno. 



May //, 1675. — We started, having 

 with us the Indians of the Yoricas and 

 Jeapes, already mentioned, and traveled 

 from the place called San Gregorio 

 Nasianseno for about three leagues to- 

 ward the north. We reached a water- 

 ing place in a plain without other trees 

 than mesquite. We found it uninhab- 

 ited and unpossessed. We took posses- 

 sion of it in the name of the king, and 

 in sign of possession thereof erected a 

 high wooden cross and named the place 



