173
Explomtion of t/1e Big Bend and Pecos Country
Tomas. Here they found a cross which had been erected the year before by Fray Rodriguez and his companions. 35 Espejo enters present day Texas. From Santo Tomas the explorers passed over the Rio Grande into Texas. Since this is the first recorded crossing into Texas territory at this point, it will be well to quote in full the account of the incident given by an eyewitness. "'vVe went on this day" [ December 10 J, says Luxan, "as previously stated, half a league farther [from Santo Tomas] to a pueblo situated on the opposite bank of the river which Chamuscado's men called Del Norte (sic) . The pueblo was on a high ridge with many flat-roofed houses; below were many other houses forming a sort of suburb. Its cacique was called Casica Mayo. In this pueblo they kissed the hand of the Father and brought presents as in the others. They named this pueblo San Juan Evangelista. Here they found another cross which the said Gasper de Luxan and his companions had erected; this they had in a neatly kept plaza ... "They slept there that night and the next morning they went to another pueblo, the largest of all, whose cacique was called Q. Bisise and whom all other caciques respected . Here they kissed the hand of the said Father and brought gifts like the others. In all these pueblos they were received with much rejoicing and music which they made with their mouths, as I have described (sounds similar to those of the flute) . .. In this pueblo and in all the others they told us of how Cabeza de Vaca and his two companions and a negro had been there. The Indians of this city (pueblo) are all farmers, as the river is very appropriate for it, because it forms many damp islands and bays. And even though they live in the pueblos they have flat-roofed houses in their fields, where they reside during harvest time." 36 The Spaniards named this second town, which was on the east side of the Rio Grande, opposite the mouth of the Conchos, Santiago. Thus they spent eight days resting among the various towns of the friendly Jumanos, during which time they visited all the settlements in the vicinity of La Junta de los Rios on both sides of the Rio Grande. They tarried here in order to wait for Father Heredia, who had been left behind. But seeing no sign of him and being told by Juan Cantor that the 35 The diary of Diego Perez de Luxan, published by Hammond for the first time as Volume I of the Quivira Society Publicat ions, will be the chief source for the remainder of the account of this expedition and will be hereafter cited as Luxan's Na rrative. Hammond, op. cit., 59-6 I. 36 Luxan's Narrative, 61 -62, also see map after page 143.
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