Early Exploration of Big Bend Country, I683-I7 J I
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river and camped at a place which they called Nuestra Senora de Atoche. The country, declared Mendoza, opened to the south. This is correct, because being just south of Chinati Mountains, the country opens towards Presidio which lies to the southwest. They traveled about twenty-four miles on this day. On the following day the going was difficult and only three leagues were covered. It was observed at this time that the moun- tains were now to the west and the country opened towards the south and east. On December 27, they noticed a high mountain to the north of their line of march and observed that the Rio Grande flowed due east along a fairly wide valley. On December 28, they were at a place they called Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe. The camp was located between two ranges of mountains, one to the north, about three leagues distant, and one to the south about a quarter of a league. This last one was on the opposite side of the Rio Grande, which seemed to flow east. There were heavy woods of syca- mores in the surrounding country. On December 29, they reached a place which they called La Navidad de las Cruces. Here they found a 'large number of rancher,as of the Julime nation, settled on both sides of the Rio Grande, whose course, it seems, they were still following. These Indians knew the Mexican language well and were all industrious in the cultivation of the soil. They planted and harvested both corn and wheat. It was here that the main body of the expedition overtook the Reverend Fathers Fray Nicolas Lopez, Custodio of New Mexico, Fray _Juan de Zavaleta, Commissary of the Inquisition, and Fray Antonio de Acevedo. Many of the Indians requested the waters of Baptism and over -one hundred of them were baptized with much rejoicing by the zealous ,missionaries. The land in the vicinity was extremely fertile and the ·weather favorable to its cultivation. There were abundant grass and fire- ·wood. The expedition remained here until December 31, while the mis- sionaries ministered to the Indians and the horses rested from the journey. 9 From the point where they crossed the Rio Grande between Belen and Nuestra Senora del Populo, to Navidad de las Cruces, the expedition traveled twenty-four leagues, or approximately seventy-two miles. But in following the tortuous course of the river, which in this area is extremely difficult, they hardly went half of that distance in a straight line. Con- sequently the settlement or pueblos of the Julimes on the Rio Grande -must have been slightly above present day Presidio and Ojinaga. There
9/bid. Entry for December 29.
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