334 Our Catliolic Heritage in Texas and showed him many signs of affection. De Leon distributed to them cotton garments, blankets, beads, rosaries, knives, and arms, and ordered five beeves to be killed for them. A count of the ranclieria revealed there were four hundred and ninety persons in all. Amidst the rejoicings and good feeling that prevailed, there was a ghastly sight to remind the Spaniards of the fierce nature of their friends. "In front of the hut," where the Frenchman was feasted, says the chronicler, "was driven a stake four varas high, on which were fastened sixteen heads of Indians, their enemies, whom they had killed." 51 But the Spaniards were fortunate in securing a trustworthy guide in this ranclzcria. This was an Indian of the Quems tribe, called Quen- Coquio, who lived near the Rio Grande. According to his own story, his wife had been captured some time before and carried away by enemy Indians while he was absent from home. When he learned of this, he had gone out to look for her and had come accidentally upon the French settlement, where he spent four or five days. Finding no news of her, he had returned to the Rio Grande, gone to the Mission of Caldera, and told Father Massanet what had happened to him. Little importance was given to the story at that time, but when Alonso de Leon organized his expedition, Father Massanet recalled what had been told him and recom- mended that when the Rio Grande was reached a lookout for the Quems Indian should be kept. It seems that while in the ranclteria described, he came and offered to lead the expedition to the French settlement, declaring that the other white men like the Spaniards lived in six or seven houses and that they had women and chiidren with them. 52 Continuing their march in a general northeastern direction they arrived on the Rio Grande on April 1, after traveling about eighteen leagues. It ha.s been suggested that they were at this time near San Juan Bautista,5 3 which would place them five or six miles below present Eagle Pass. It is more likely that they were about half way between present Laredo and Eagle Pass, because to reach the latter place, they would have had to travel a much longer distance and would have had to go due north instead of northeast. Furthermore, knowing the distance from the point where the expedition crossed the river to the first large stream which they called Nueces, we find that if they had crossed at San Juan SIWest, "Itinerary," in op. cit., VIII, 205. There is a copy of this Derro/ero in San Francisco El Grande Archive, Vol. X. SZHistoria de Nuevo Leon (Garcia, Docume11tos, XXV, 323-324); Cf. Casis, Carta, in Bolton, op. cit., 358. SSBolton, op. cit., 390, note 2. San Juan Bautista was not founded until I 698.
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