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Ottr Catlzolic Heritage in Texas
and whose banks were steep and heavily wooded. Not far from the creek the walls of the old pueblo and the ruins of its mission and the irrigation ditch, made to take water from the creek, were visible. The ground that was once cultivated was capable of taking two and one-half fanegas of grain (two hundred and fifty pounds of seed). Upon inquiring from the Indian guides if there were any other springs or creeks nearby, it was learned that there were none, except for two springs that flowed from the foot of two large mountain ranges some distance to the northeast. Some of the Cibolos who accompanied Idoyaga explained that their people were forced to abandon their mission because of Apache hostilities. It was Father Fray Gregorio Osorio (now deceased) who persuaded the Cibolos to move closer to La Junta. No one since dared to reestablish the pueblo and mission. 24 Where was the Pueblo and Mission of the Cibolos? Idoyaga set out from San Cristobal, which was some four or five miles northwest of present Presidio, ·and traveled nine leagues due north and three leagues northeast. Allowing for detours in this rough area, he probably went some thirty miles at the most in a straight line in the directions indicated. If we take a map and plot the course, it will be found that the Pueblo and Mission of the Cibolos, once under the care of Father Fray Gregorio Osorio, was in the vicinity of present Shafter, on Cibolo Creek, which evidently got its name from this tribe of Indians. 25 Exploration of the country to and beyond Ruidosa. From the aban- ·doncd Pueblo of the Cibolos, Captain Idoyaga returned to San Francisco mission where he remained from December 6 to the 15th. Chief Juan Antonio Principe offered to guide him to El Cajon (The Canyon) where the hostile Indians were said to be encamped. He organized a party of twenty soldiers, twenty volunteers, thirty Indian allies, and forty mission Indians from San Francisco. Each man took four remounts. The group set out on December 15 and following a general northwestern course traveled seven leagues to an abandoned rancherta of Tecolote (Owl) Indians driven away by the Apaches. The next day they went seven 2'The summary of the expedition of Captain ldoyaga and his inspection of the missions and pueblos at La Junta are taken from Q~aderno que Co~i~~za con la carta Orden del Exmo. Senor Virrey y demas dili~e~CJas en esta exped1c1on . . : en 1 J t d l R . A G / A.,dien&ia de Mexico, 89-2-23 (Dunn Transcripts, a UD a e OS 105 • • • • • ., ff 1746-1747), pp. 16-82. . 25Might this not be Mission of Santa Maria La Redonda about which few facts are available in the documentary sources used?
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