Our Catleolic Heritage in T e:xas
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were quickly to tire of mission control and to rebel against the monotony of ordered life.' On December 17, the expedition continued to the south along the river, passing through several rancherias of the Zuma Indians. They were all poor people, who lived chiefly on baked palms, called mescal, declared Mendoza. The chiefs of the various villages along the way welcomed the Spaniards kindly and assured them they were anxious to become Christians and be reduced to pueblos. They declared their people were constantly being attacked by the Apaches and they pleaded with the Spaniards to protect them against this fierce enemy. Mendoza promised the chiefs that he would help them and would try to secure a mission for them when he returned from his expedition. They camped for the night at one of the largest villages of the Zumas, which they called Nuestra Senora del Pilar de Zaragoza. In the course of the day, the little band had traveled eight leagues, or approximately twenty-four miles, along the west side of the Rio Grande. 5 On December 18, they came upon a deep creek which emptied into the Rio Grande, about twenty-four miles from the large pueblo of the Zumas. This creek or stream can easily be identified from the description given by Mendoza. He declared that it was a deep arroyo which formed a fan- like delta of rocks and stones where it entered the river and that there was a pleasant valley with abundant grass and wood. Taking into con- sideration the winding road he had to follow and the fact that he had covered about seventy-four miles from San Lorenzo to this spot, it seems that be was at this time opposite present day McNary or its immediate vicinity.' He called the place Nuestra Senora de la Limpida Concepcion. From here the expedition continued its march the following day and traveled about eight leagues, or approximately twenty-four miles, in a general southwestern direction, camping for the night at a place which they called Nuestra Senora de la Soledad, about nine miles from the river and opposite a large mountain from which a stream of water flowed toward the river. They were now in the vicinity of the only high peak of the Mexican sierra, almost due west of Fort Hancock and McNary, slightly south of the last mentioned place. The country here is rough and the 'Diario y derrotero ... de Mendoza, in Ibid.; Testimonio de los Auttos fhos so&re la_ sublebacion, y Alzamiento de los Yndos, Sumas; de las Misiones de Sn. Tiago de la Zienega de el Coyame, y Junta de el Rio de el Norte. A. G. I., Audi- en&ia de Guadalajara, 67-3-12 (Dunn Transcripts, 1710-1738). 'Diario y ~errotero .. . Entry for December 17. In Ibid. 'Ibid. Entry for December 18.
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