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Ottr Catleolic Heritage in Tezas
river accompanied by four officers, thirty-five soldiers, and an Indian chief named Santiago. He arrived at the mouth about three o'clock that afternoon, after traveling twelve leagues, over country generally flat. Since his description is one of the first exact accounts regarding the features of this area, the entire passage should be quoted. "There are some marshes," says Escandon, "and some esteros which were crossed with some difficulty. From these and the already mentioned lagoons, water could be obtained for irrigation by means of ditches. The river had no other trees than some willows. Along its banks there are thickets of mesquite almost all the way to the sea. Before reaching the sea, about three hundred varas away, a small arm branches from the river, about ten varas wide and two deep, which runs to the south until it enters the first lagoon or lake, through which it is connected with all the others as far as the bar. The water runs to or from the lakes according to how the wind is blowing. We crossed it by means of a log bridge. "On the 28th, a barge was built [in order] to try with its help to sound the river, and crossing to the opposite bank to examine another branch which forks from it about half a league to the west and empties into the sea about a quarter of a league to the north. . . . The main channel or bed of the Rio Bravo or Grande del Norte is slightly more than fifty varas wide, where it enters the sea. Here there is no bay. It is slightly more than three varas in depth, but its stream is so abundant, that for a distance of more than a league, its waters are noticeable, and the waves being unable to thwart them, they maintain their sweetness. . . . The depth at the bar is four varas at the most. I suppose small ships could enter the river, but for a distance of more than sixty leagues it offers no protection [for navigators], for the land is too flat and its banks are too low. The mouth was found to be at twenty-six degrees, four minutes of north latitude." 15 Upon examination it was found that the northern branch of the river was about seventy varas wide but actually carried less water. The main channel was about fifteen varas wide and at low tide had a depth of only two. This arm entered into the sea through two high sand dunes, about four hundred varas high, beyond which there was a large lake, where ships might find refuge from winds blowing from the east and southeast, but would be left exposed, however, from the north, south, and west. Along the coast were found some empty bottles and some logs and
ISEscandon to the Viceroy, October 26, 1747. A. G. M., Provincial lnternas, vol. 179, pt. 1, 231-234.
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