Escandon and Settlement of lower Rio Grande, 1738-1779
145
than present Oso Creek. From here he went on for seven leagues, still to the south, and came to a lake which he called Lago de la Santisima Trinidad. In his diary he declares that this appeared to be an arm of the sea. The natives told him that the sea was about six leagues to the east of the lake. Orobio y Basterra noted that there were three large creeks that flowed into the salt w.1ter lake. A glance at a map will show that the supposed lake was the northern extremity of Baffin's Bay, which forks into four long, finger-like projections. With the hope of reaching the mouth of the Rio Grande, he continued his march still to the south for a distance of about eighteen leagues. The land became more barren and dotted with small salt lakes. Both the men and the beasts began to suffer for lack of sweet water. He finally reached a point which he called San Francisco Xavier, where a large salty shallow lake was found. He was now well south of Baffin's Bay, probably in Kenedy County, in the vicinity of present Rudolph or Raymondville. Here he held a consultation and he was informed by the guides that there was no sweet water to be found in the general direction they were following, until the Rio Grande was reached, which, according to the natives, was still a long distance away. It would be better, they said, to turn to the west. As the exploring party had experienced a lack of water for the horses during the last few days, depending on shallow holes dug in the sandy plains for their supply, Orobio y Basterra decided to change his course to the southwest. After seven days the troops finally reached the Rio Grande on March 8, at the crossing known as El Cantaro, about fifty-two leagues from its mouth, somewhere between present Camargo and Mier. Captain Orobio y Basterra had traveled approximately eighty-five leagues from the Guadalupe to the Paso del Cantaro on the Rio Grande. In the course of his march he had explored and mapped the country in this area for the first time; he had discovered that the Rio de las Nueces did not enter the Rio Grande as supposed; and he had described accurately present Corpus Christi Bay, which he named San Miguel Arcangel, noting that this particular locality offered all the facilities for the founding of a large city. 13 Ezploratio1t of tlze northern bank of tlie Rfo Grande from San Juan Bautista to the coast, 1747. While Captain Orobio y Basterra, pursuant to his instructions, explored the unknown coast region from the Guadalupe
llJoseph de Escandon to the Viceroy. Queretaro. October 27, 1747. A. G. Al., Provincias lnternas, vol. 179, pt. I, pp. 241-247.
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