Tlie Dominican iltlartyrs of Texas, 1553-1554
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Mendez, of whose fates they were ignorant. Returning to the river, they found there the canoe which they had used before. The five started to row up the stream in search of a friendly Indian village. The three Dominicans who boarded the canoe were Father Fray Juan Ferrer, the one who had prophesied the evil outcome of the expedition, and Brothers Fray Juan and Fray Marcos de Mena. As they went up the river they noticed in the distance what appeared to be two small islands. Being tired, it was decided to rest for a while on one of them. Just as the boat was preparing to land, the island sud- denly disappeared, and the astonished missionaries saw two whales swim- ming down the river towards the gulf. 20 The large waves raised by the monsters as they swam away upset the boat and the five occupants were fortunate to find refuge on a real island a short distance away, where they remained for the night, too exhausted to try to go on to the opposite bank. Next morning, with the driftwood which they found on the island, they built a raft in which they crossed to the south or Mexican side of the river. It seems that they changed their minds and decided now to go back to their former companions. Taking up the march once more, they came upon a group of Spaniards, who had been killed by the Indians a short distance from the river. Some were still alive but so weak that they were unable to get water. The missionaries gave them what help they could, and when night came, they laid down with the dead and the dying, exhausted by the exertion in their weakened condition and the loss of blood from their wounds. Refreshed by a few hours sleep, they got up before daybreak and started on their journey once more. By nightfall they caught up with another small group of survivors. It seems that the entire party had separated after they crossed the Rio Grande and each one had tried to find help for himself. The Dominicans joined the group they had over- taken, and the march was continued the next day towards the gulf. Before nightfall the wearied wanderers again reached the seashore. Following the coast line closely, and living on the scanty food they could find, they went on for twenty days. During this time they were unmolested by the Indians and this proved a great relief to the almost exhausted Spaniards. At the end of the twentieth day, they came upon a large river "which
2 0/bid., pp. 284-285; Barcia, Emayo CrnnnMgicn, p. 30,
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