Exploration of tlte Big Bend and Pecos Country
185
the plains in search of the buffalo and Quivira. According to the state- ment made by the Indian Jusephe (Joseph), the sole survivor who joined the Onate expedition and later led him across the plains, Bonilla and his men went from the old pueblo of Pecos to a large Indian settlement of Vaqueros, probably the same Querecho ranclterta visited by Rodriguez and Espejo a few years before, slightly to the southeast of Pecos. From here they wandered on over the plains aimlessly, or as Bolton puts it, they went "leisurely wandering from side to side" and found many herds of buffalo. They were at this time evidently in the great plains along the upper waters of the southern Canadian in the Panhandle of Texas. The many streams which the Indians declared they crossed in this region were very likely the small tributaries that flow into this river and the Red. From here they now traveled fifteen days to the north, according to Bolton, but more likely east-northeast, until they came to two large rivers "beyond which were rancltertas, and, farther ahead, a very large pueblo in a great plain ten leagues long, which they crossed in two days." One of the two rivers crossed flowed through the town. The houses were of grass and the Indians had plentiful crops. The town must have been along the Canadian, perhaps in the vicinity of its juncture with Mustang Creek. It is evident, from the description of the Indian survivor, that they were still in the great plains and within the present limits of Texas. The bold, restless adventurers moved on. Three days later they came upon an immense buffalo herd, the largest they had seen, proving clearly they were still in the plains or buffalo country, perhaps in its very heart, along the southern branch of the Canadian River. It was here that Bonilla and his lieutenant appear to have had a serious disagreement as a result of which Humana, in a fit of anger, killed the leader. Under the command of Humana the little band continued its march in search of Quivira for ten days across the plains until they came to a large stream "about a quarter of a league wide." This was perhaps the northern branch of the Canadian. Five of the Indians who had accompanied the Spaniards deserted the expedition at this point, among them Jusephe. The fugitives tried to make their way back to New Mexico, but four of them were lost in the plains and only J usephe succeeded in reaching his goal. Before he arrived in the pueblos of New Mexico, however, he was captured by the Apaches, among whom he lived for almost a year, until he heard of another group of roaming Spaniards in New Mexico. It was then
Powered by FlippingBook