Early Ezplorotio11, of Big Bend Country, 1683-I73I
323
gested by Bolton, 16 the expedition must have traveled almost due north from the Pecos, otherwise it would have struck the source of the Devil's River in the vicinity of Barnhart. 17 Mendoza and his men stayed here· for three days before continuing their journey. On February 5, after travefing three leagues, they came upon a very large river that seemed to gush forth from a group of rocks, which was called "The Place of the Dogs." The name was very appropriate, declared Mendoza, because there were many dogs in this stream, who lived in the water, but were the same as other dogs. He remarked that it was said that these dogs were very fierce and killed the buffalo when they came to drink water. This stream, like the previous one, flowed east. It was here that Mendoza noted the first pecan trees. As the expedition had been reduced to meat only fo'r many days, the men ·were glad to vary their diet with the pecans. The oak trees were so large that heavy carts could easily be built out of them, Mendoza pointed out. There were many wild hens in the region, which made a lot of noise at dawn. The river had some clam shells, as the Rio de Las Perlas, which it joined lower down. The buffaloes were numerous all along the river. The expedition followed the course of this stream to the east until they reached a river which they called San Pedro, which was evidently the main stream of the Concho. It took them nineteen days to travel eighteen leagues. They halted frequently along the river to allow the horses to feed and rest in order to hunt buffalo, which were very numerous. After the expedition reached this region, it seems that Juan Sabeata did not wish Mendoza to go farther. He began to make false reports of the presence of Apaches, until Mendoza became disgusted and ordered him out of the camp on February 19, together with several Jumano scouts that had been accompanying the expedition. Two Piro Indians left camp with them. 18 Jl,f endoza had been on tlze Conchos before. JVlendoza identified this river, which he called San Pedro, and which doubtless was the main stream of the Conchos, as that visited by Diego de Guadalajara thirty years before. He was in a position to know, because he had been a member of the former expedition. 19 The instructions given to Mendoza by GoYernor 16 Bolton, o-p. cit., 334, note 3. 11 /bid. Entry for February 2, 1684. 1 •Diario y derrotero . . . de .Mendoza. Entry for February 19, 1 684. 1 'Bolton, "The Spanish Occupation of Texas, IS 19•1690," Southu:esler11 His- torical QuarterlJ, XVI.
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