Our Catliolic Heritage in Texas
this plain, which was terminated at its upper extremity by another hill on which stood Mission Nuestra Senora de la Candelaria. As in the case of its sister mission, San Francisco had about three fanegas of maize growing at the time. On the same side of the river, about three quarters of a mile upstream from San Francisco Xavier, stood iVIission Nucstra Senora de la Cande- laria, erected, like the others on a small knoll or prominence. There was a spacious plain above the mission which when surveyed was found to be nineteen hundred and sixty-one varas long and eight hundred varas wide. Here there were planted three fanegas of corn. On this same plain, at a distance of sixteen hundred and sixty-one varas from Mission Candelaria, the lodgings of the forty-eight men, stationed at San Xavier for the protection of the mission, had been erected. The location of the garrison was well chosen, being in the direction from which Apache attacks were generally made. In summarizing the findings, it was declared that spacious plains capable of cultivation were found on the south side of the river both at Santa Rosa and Santa Maria and ample water was noted at all the points examined. In the last two named places irrigation seemed more practical, but no facilities for the construction of irrigation ditches were noted either at the junction of the two streams, or at the point of the second survey five miles above. 7 Exploration of Little River, A11gust, I750. Eca y Musquiz, accom- panied by Fray Domingo Arricivita and his aides, undertook the inspec- tion of San Andres River (Little River) on August 2. The first survey was made at Paso de los Bidais, not far from the point where the San Andres entered the San Xavier. Here it was found that the stream was eleven varas wide, and carried about a foot of water (about a third of a vara) at its greatest depth. The bed, however, was some thirty varas wide. The bottom was sandy and filled with gravel and the banks were rather steep. The river seemed to flow down from the west. The party then ex- plor~d the river upstream for a distance of twelve leagues, some thirty miles, during the next three days, and found the country increasingly rough as they ascended. No other specific measurements were made, but it was recorded that large, deep pools were found along the river bed at intervals, in which fish abounded. The general consensus of opinion was
I
I I I I
I
i
I
'
I
7Testimonio de las diligencias ... Arckivo del Colegio, 1750-1767, (Dunn Transcripts).
Powered by FlippingBook