188
Our Catlzolic Jieritage in T e:ras
Ten leagues beyond, the little band came upon the first buffalo, a lonely old bull, at a spot some twenty-seven leagues from Pecos, or about seventy- five miles from old Pecos. The Spaniards were much amused by the almost helpless animal, who was killed without much trouble. Continuing across the plains, they found a large herd about seven leagues beyond. The idea of building a corral and trying to capture some of the animals was now conceived. Zaldivar and ten soldiers, guided by some Indians, went to a river which flowed six leagues ahead, where many buffaloes were to be found. "But when he [Zaldivar] reached the river the cattle had left, because just then many Indian herdsmen crossed it, coming from trading with the Picuries and Taos . . . where they sell meat, hides, tallow, suet and salt in exchange for cotton blankets, pottery, maize, and some small green stones which they use." The ranclieria of the Indians consisted of fifty tents "made of tanned hides, very bright red and white in color and bell-shaped, with flaps and openings, and built as skilfully as those of Italy, and so large that in the most ordi- nary ones four different mattresses and beds were easily accommodated." 60 They were now about forty leagues from Pecos, and must have been on the headwaters of the Canadian, near Alamosa, according to Bolton, but more likely in San Miguel County, several miles beyond modern Estrada. The minute description of the use of dogs by the Indians encountered here leaves no doubt that these were the Querechos, met in this region by everyone of the preceding expeditions since the days of Coronado. After spending two days here, they resumed the march on October S, for fourteen leagues during the next three days. About eight miles beyond, a suitable location for the construction of a corral was found and an attempt to capture some live buffalo was made. This was about fifty miles from their previous camp and must have been near present Logan close by where Ute Creek joins the Canadian. Let Ofiate relate this curious experiment to ensla~e the monarchs of the plains. "The corral constructed, they went next day to a plain, where on the previous afternoon about a hundred thousand cattle had been seen. Giving them the right of way, the cattle started very nicely towards the corral, but soon they turned back in a stampede towards the men, and rushing through them in a mass, it was impossible to stop them .. ·. For several days they tried a thousand ways of shutting them in or of surrounding them, but in no manner was it possible to do so ... Seeing therefore that the full grown cattle could not be brought alive, [Zaldivar] ordered
'°"Account of the Discovery of the Buffalo, " in Bolton, op. cit., 226.
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