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Our Catholic Heritage in T ezas
ranc/ier,as were in the vicinity and that they would be glad to act as guides. 35 Forced to continue the march because of the unsuitable location of the camp, the expedition moved with much labor on May 3 1, and the missionaries went on "with keen regret since this was the Feast of Pente- cost." That night it rained and at dawn the next morning it was still raining. With much difficulty four Masses were said "in which we besought Our Lord to grant us favorable weather-." The day cleared by nine and the party marched as far as the San Gabriel River and there stopped next day to celebrate the Feast of Pentecost, being the third day of the octave. A solemn Mass and the Veni Creator were sung by all the missionaries, a military salute was fired, and Communion was received by many persons. From June 3 to June 12, the members of the expedition experienced much trouble in finding their way through the woods and across the numerous streams in their path. They were forced to change their course several times from northeast to southeast. On June 7, they were com- pletely at a loss to trace their course, but on the 12th they came upon a delegation of about forty Indians of various nations, four chiefs among them, who led them to their ranclieria, where a large jacal had been pre- pared for their reception. One of the chiefs, who had the largest number of followers turned out to be a Yerbipiame who knew Ramon. This Indian had led thieving expeditions to the presidio on the Rio Grande many years ago. The natives all showed unmistakable signs of joy and welcomed the Spaniards gladly to their rancher1a. With well studied tact, Ramon placed his camp about a rifle's shot from the Indian village. He then went to the bower made of leafy branches for his reception. There, about two thousand Indians, men, women, and children, some apostates and others who had never been baptized, came and kissed the hand of Ramon and the missionaries. 36 The rest of the day and all of the 13th, were spent mixed band, wanderers, who planted few crops, but lived upon the buffalo and small game. Bolton, Atlta11ase de Afezieres and the Lollisiana-Te:i:as Frontier, x768- 1780, I, 23. 35 The version given by Father Espinosa varies considerably and is somewhat more detailed than that of Captain Ramon. "See_ing a smoke," he says, "we inves- tigated it and found six Yeri piamos (sic for Yerbipiame) and Mixcales Indians. Two of these were brought into camp that afternoon, one a Christian from the Mission of San Juan Bautista del Rio del Norte. The other four went on to notify their chiefs of our approach." Diario y Derrotero ... Provincias /nternas, Vol. 181, p. 108. Hfather Espinosa says there were about five hundred persons of all ages and fails to mention whether they were apostates or not. According to him the expedi-
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