312 Expedition to the 



" Here we are," said he, " all men and warriors. Shaking 

 hands together, let us hold fast, and be friends forever." It 

 was said by the interpreter, he prefaced his observation by- 

 saying he was glad to see that his new brothers had the fa- 

 ces of men, and looked like men and warriors. 



After a delay of a few days, the Cado chief professing 

 the most friendly disposition towards the exploring party, 

 withdrew with his young men, to his own village. On the 

 11th July, the officers of the party having as yet no certain 

 knowledge of the designs of the Spaniards, re-embarked on 

 board their little fleet, and began to ascend Red river, from 

 the Coashatay village, having engaged the Cado chief to 

 watch the motions of the Spanish troops, and to give timely 

 notice of anv thing interesting to the expedition. The river 

 above the Coashatay village became very crooked and wide, 

 and the water was so low that the boats were often aground, 

 though they drew no more than from sixteen to twenty inches 

 of water. 



On the 26th July, in the afternoon, three Indians appeared 

 on the sand beach, who were found to be the runners sent 

 frcjm tite Cado chief, agreeable to previous engagement. 

 They brought information that the Spaniards had returned 

 to Nacogdoches for a reinforcement, and new instructions; 

 that six days since, they had arrived at the Cado village, 

 about one thousand strong; that they had cut down the U. S. 

 flag in the Cado village, and had said it was their intention 

 to destroy the exploring party. They had taken from the 

 Cado village, two young men to conduct them to a handsome 

 bluflP, a few miles above, where they were now encamped, 

 to await the arrival of the party. The Indian messengers, 

 and the Cadoes who had remained, appeared much alarmed, 

 and entreated the commanding officer to return, saying, if 

 they met the Spaniards, not one would come back alive. The 

 distance to the Spanish camp was three days' journey. On 

 the following day, the party made a deposite of some of 



