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Permanent Occupation of Texas, 1715-1716
53
in carrying on a lively trade with the Indians, who appeared very good- natured and genuinely pleased with the coming of the Spaniards. It was the Indians who requested Ramon to halt for a day to trade and rest. Ramon warned all the soldiers and members of the expedition to be fair in their dealings with the Indians so that these savages might not get the wrong impression of the Spaniards. The Indians had buffalo and deer skins which they exchanged freely for the things the soldiers had to give them. That day was also the Feast of St. Anthony of Padua, and the mis- sionaries took occasion to celebrate it with a High Mass, offered for the success of the expedition. During the celebration, the soldiers fired a salute and the numerous Indians were deeply impressed with the cere- mony. A feeling of good comradeship prevailed throughout the day, even the dogs of the Indians jumped "among the goats to have sport with the kids." The Indians ate heartily of the food that was given them and the other delicacies for which they traded their skins. The following day the main stream of the Brazos, which they called Rio de la Trinidad, was reached, but finding it impassable on account of the high water, only the smaller stock was that day transferred to the opposite bank. "Sixty Indians took the goats across, one by one, for which [service I ordered] two goats and an ox killed for them," says Ramon. Just a short distance beyond this point, not more than a league, the expedition came upon the second branch of the river which, although not so wide, was found to be deep. It became necessary to make barges, but these were quickly built with the help of the numerous Indians that now accompanied the party. Ramon states that "the Indians were delayed [in their work] a short while, by an alligator that seemed ready to swallow one of them, a common occurrence, for which the natives fear the reptile very much. I relieved this anxiety by shooting the alligator through the eye, as this is the only vulnerable spot. The Indians were greatly impressed with my marksmanship." By the 18th the expedition reached a small stream which was named Corpus Christi. There the group met four Tejas Indians and two women, buffalo hunters, who expressed great joy at seeing the Spaniards and threw their arms around them. The happiness of these inhabitants became even greater when they were tion first met a delegation of Indians on June 10, when a group of Yervipiame, Ticmamaras, Mesquites, and one Teja came into camp. He says that in addition to the tribes mentioned, there were found at the rancheria some Pamayas, Payayas, Cantonas, Mescal, Xarames and Sijames. Tous, of>. cu., 16-17.
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