343
Early Exploration of Big Bend Co1'ntr,y, r683-r73r
from the neighborhood of Shumla to a point south of Dryden before returning to the Mexican side. He remained in camp unti! April 28, waiting for news from various Indians he had sent to explore the country and to find a route which could be followed by the expedition. On this day the scouts returned and reported that they had explored Las Animas Mountains, which were about forty leagues beyond. In all that distance they said there were no suitable watering places; the mountains were very rough; and although they had examined the country to the north and south of the river, they had not been able to find a way by which the expedition could continue. Three of the Indians had been left, too tired to travel, near the Rio Grande, in the mountains. Berroteran called a council of his officers, and, after discussing the difficulty of continuing the march to La Junta de los Rios along the Rio Grande, it was unanimously decided it was impossible to do so with the reduced supplies at hand. He consequently ordered the detachments from Coahuila to return to their presidios by way of Santa Rosa de Nadadores and to explore the mountains in that neighborhood. He asked them to report to him whatever they found, by way of Saltillo, in order that he might inform the viceroy. Return mare/, of Berroteran. On April 29, the detachments from the Province of Coahuila started back home as ordered. The remainder of the expedition, which was composed of soldiers from Nueva Vizcaya set out across the country to their respective presidios, traveling that day about eighteen leagues. They halted and camped without water, continuing early the next day until they came upon what they thought was the Rio Grande, where they found the three Indian scouts who had stayed behind, worn out with fatigue. After many similar forced marches, Berrotecin succeeded in arriving at the Presidio de Conchos in Nueva Vizcaya on May 16. He i~mediately notified the governor of his return and was ordered to send the various detachments to their respective presidios and to make a personal report of the expedition to the governor that he might transmit the same to the viceroy. Accordingly, on l\'lay 22, 1729, Berrote- ran made his report and sent a detailed diary of the expedition placed under his charge to explore the country from the Presidio of San Juan Bautista to La Junta de los Rios. 41 41 The det:.ils summarized in the preceding pages concernin~ the expedition to explore the Rio Grande are taken in their entirety from the official Oiari,l de la Campana executada de orden del Exmo Seiior Marqu~s de Casaiuerte, por On. Joseph Derroteran, Capitan de! Presidio de Conchos, para el reconocimiento de las
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