Exploration of tire Big Bend and Pecos Country
179
borhood of Fort Davis, having followed along the only possible road from present Balmorhea to this point. The following day they traveled eight leagues, "most of the way through a glen with holm oak groves, wild grape vines, and many Mexican cherry trees with ripe fruit. A stream of water flowed all along this dale." This was present Alamito Creek passing through modern Marfa. On August 14 they continued their march over plains and camped in "a very large valley, where there were some pools of rain water." Here they rested until the sixteenth, when they traveled six leagues more "over bad roads through a very rough sierra" and they reached the Rio del Norte "nine leagues from the pueblo which seems to be San Bernaldino of the Patarabueyes." They had gone approxi- mately forty-one leagues from the point on the Pecos, where they met the Jumano Indians hunting, to the Rio Grande, which it seems they struck north of the juncture with the Conchos, perhaps in the vicinity of present Ruidosa or Candelaria. The description of the route followed is so detailed and so. vivid that it is not difficult to identify it today. 46 \Vhen they arrived on the Rio Grande they were once more in the heart of the Jumano country; that is, the division called the Patarabueyes. These Indians were genuinely glad to see the Spaniards again. "All the 1·anclierias there gave us a great reception," says Luxan, "according to their custom and gave us quantities of ears of green corn, cooked and raw calabashes, and catfish. They put on great dances and other rejoicings as a sign of peace." Here the little party rested for two days. On August 20, they resumed the march down the Rio Grande to San Bernardo, at the juncture of the Rio Grande and the Conchos, where they arrived on August 21, after traveling nine leagues. They now crossed the Rio Grande, it seems, and on the following day visited Santo Tomas, on the north bank of the Conchos at its mouth. Although they wanted to visit other rancherias, the flood stage of the river prevented them from carrying out their intention. For three days they stayed at Santo Tomas, trading amicably with the natives. On August 26, Espejo and his com- panions started on the last lap of their journey back to San Bartolome along the Conchos River. On September 10, 1583,' 7 the little band finally arrived in San Bartolome, after an absence of ten months, during which time they had explored for the first time the course of the Pecos River "Luxan's Narrative, 125 . ' 1 l bid., 12 5-128. Espejo in his account says September 20. See Bolton, o;. cit., 192.
Powered by FlippingBook