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The National Geographic Magazine 



San Bisente Ferrer. The missionary 

 fathers gave religious instruction to the 

 Indians. 



On the same day and in said province 

 and place called San Bisente Ferrer, the 

 Indians and Spaniards killed two buffalo 

 for our people to eat ; the form of these 

 animals is very ugly ; they resemble 

 bulls and cows ; the skin is covered with 

 wool ; their shoulders are high, which 

 makes them look humpbacked ; they 

 have a short neck and their heads are 

 covered with long woolly hair, which 

 hangs over their eyes and interferes 

 with their seeing well. Their horns 

 are short and thick, but like those of 

 a bull ; their rump and buttocks are 

 shaped like those of a hog ; their fore- 

 feet and knees, and from there up until 

 the junction with the shoulders, are 

 covered with long woolly hair, like the 

 beard of a goat. Their tail is naked to 

 near the end, where it has a heavy tuft 

 of hair. The females had four teats. 

 They were about the size of neat cattle ; 

 they looked at people in a sidelong way 

 like wild boars. 



In this same place, San Bisente Ferrer, 

 on this same day and month and year, 

 before me, Fernando del Bosque, lieu- 

 tenant of the alcalde maior, appeared 

 an Indian chief of the Bibit nation, who 

 said he was a Christian and had been 

 baptized in Saltillo, and another Indian, 

 who said he was chief of the Jume 

 nation. They were examined through 

 the interpreter, Don Lazaro Augustin, 

 in their language and the Spanish 

 language. Being asked several ques- 

 tions, they said they bad desired for 

 a long time to become Christians, and 

 some of their people had gone to the 

 town of Saltillo and succeeded, but the 

 greater number of them were unable to 

 go, for it was far and the}' could not 

 bring their people, for which reason 

 many of them had died from smallpox 

 without receiving the waters of bap- 

 tism, and they wished and asked to be 

 gathered together in a settlement and 



to receive instruction in the Christian 

 doctrine. This the}' had not been able 

 to do themselves ; nor had they been 

 able to join the remainder of the tribe 

 for fear of the barbarous Indians, who 

 would kill them and the people they 

 had with them, being one hundred and 

 five persons, great and small — fifty-five 

 warriors and the remainder women and 

 children. 



In said place, San Bisente Ferrer, on 

 said day, month, and year, before me, 

 said lieutenant, appeared, six Indian 

 warriors who said they belonged to the 

 Pinanacas, Xaeser, Teneinamar, who 

 are of the party of Don Estaban, 

 Gueiquesale. They were examined by 

 Don Lazaro Augustin, interpreter, in 

 their idiom and the Spanish language. 

 Being asked why they had come to see 

 me, they replied that they had come in 

 the name of their chiefs and to make 

 homage to his majesty the king, and 

 that they wished to live under the 

 Christian doctrine and to remain in a 

 settlement. 



May 75, 1673. — Having left the place 

 called San Bisente Ferrer with our com- 

 pany, the missionary fathers, Spaniards 

 and Indians, we traveled toward the 

 north, and reached a river about four 

 leagues from the place called San Bisente 

 Ferrer, which our Indians said was called 

 in their language Ona, which means 

 salty. We took possession of it in the 

 name of the king, and in token thereof 

 erected a high wooden cross. We named 

 this place San Isidro Labrador. We 

 found many live oak and mesquite trees 

 and herds of buffalo, fine pasturage, and 

 many fish in the river. It was unin- 

 habited. 



In said place and said province, said 

 day and year, in said place called San 

 Isidro Labrador, before me, said lieu- 

 tenant, appeared the chiefs, Xoman, 

 Tereodan, Teaname, Tumamar, with 

 their people, whom we examined 

 through sworn interpreters acquainted 

 with the Mexican and Castilian Ian- 



