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more, the natural inclination which the natives had shown towards Christianity, and the fact that Garay had some vessels that were idle at the time, moved him to dispatch the expedition without delay under Diego de Camargo. 39 It is of the utmost importance to determine, as near as possible, the exact location where Camargo and his men attempted to establish their first settlement. It has been already stated that the river to which they were making their way was about fifty leagues to the north of Vera- cruz, which would place them on the Rio Grande. This supposition is strengthened by a very significant incident. Shortly after the arrival of the colonists at their destination, the chief of Panuco sent a messenger to Cortes, who was now in Mexico City. He informed the conqueror of Mexico, to whom he had sworn allegiance through a special envoy a short time before, that a group of his countrymen had again appeared off the coast and had landed on a river which was located a good distance from Panuco, perhaps as much as five or six days' journey to the north. The chief desired to know if the men were friends of Cortes. If so, he would befriend them, having sworn fealty to the conqueror. Until he could hear from Cortes he promised he would send the strangers some chickens, slave girls, and provisions. 40 This incident, related by Cortes himself, is the strongest evidence to prove that Camargo and his followers landed on some river other than the Panuco, most likely the Rio Grande, judging from the distance, and there seriously attempted to establish a colony near its mouth. Had they landed on the Panuco, the chief would have so informed Cortes. Let us follow now the adventures of the little band led by Camargo, in all probability to the Rio Grande. After the arrival at the mouth of the river, they ascended its course for a distance of about seven leagues, evidently going a little farther up than Pineda, and landed near a group of Indian pueblos. Here they were received by the natives, who were, perhaps, the same who welcomed Pineda a short time before, while he careened his ships. But after a while it seems the Indians tired of their visitors. The Spaniards appear to have depended entirely upon the natives for their maintenance. This probably made the Indians lose respect for them. Seeing that the Spaniards were not very numerous, they may have decided to drive them away. There is also the probability that Camargo and his followers, after they established themselves in the land, began
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39 /bid., III, 148. 4 °Cortes, Carla de Relacion, October 30, 1 520, in Barcia, I, 4.
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