Tlie Searcli for La Salle, 1685-I689
crossing tw~n ty leagues beyond Cerralvo, so the expedition was instructed to proceed along this route. Three companies were assembled in Cadereita and Alonso de Leon was again placed in command. Before following the course of the expedition. it will be well to give a brief sketch of its leader, who was destined to find the French colony two years hence and to set fire to the old French fort in 1690 before he went on to the country of the Tejas and founded the first missions in East Texas. Alonso de Leon was born in Cadereita, in the year 1640. H«! was the son of a man famous in his own right as a pioneer Indian fighter and a man of letters, who was the trusted friend and adviser of Governor Martin de Zavala. In 1650, his father took him to Spain, where Alonso Jr. completed his education. Before returning to Mexico, he joined the Spanish navy in 1657, "to serve His Majesty, as a volunteer, without pay." His service in the Armada was short, for by 1660, he was already back in Nuevo Leon, where, after the death of his father, he was constantly engaged in the defense of the frontier. By his own merit he rose from a private to the rank of general and in 1689 became Governor of Coahuila. 28 Towards the end of February, the expedition set out from Cadereita and making its way to Cerralvo, proceeded to the Rio Grande, which it crossed beyond this outpost, continuing then as close to the river as pos- sible, along the Texas side, until it came to the mouth on March 20. Along the way they encountered numerous hostile Indians who attempted to check their march. After reaching the coast it seems that they tried to explore it to the northeast and went as far as a large salty river, very wide and deep, which obstructed their passage beyond. Looking at the map, it is safe to assume that this large, wide river of salty water was the entrance to Baffin's Bay, which is about half way between Brownsville and Corpus Christi. Setting out from the mouth of the river to the north, they must have crossed Colorado Creek, a short distance beyond Browns- ville and continuing close to the coast, they would have inevitably come to the bay "which they could not pass in going northward, for which reason the hope of discovering [ the colony] was frustrated, much to the regret of everyone." 19 28 H istoria de Nuevo Lef1n, published by Genaro Garcia, Doc11me11los lneditos, Vol. 25 ; Dunn, Spanis/r. and Frenc/1 Rivalry; Bolton, Spanis/r. E x ploration in tlte Soutl,- 1vest. 29 Historia de N11wo Leon in Garcia, Documentos lneditos, Vol. 25, pp. 310-31 t. The brief account found in this book is the only information available up to now on the second expedition by land.
Powered by FlippingBook