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Om, Catlzolic Heritage in Texas
350
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Maria Casanas. The first two, however, were assigned to the new Mission of San Salvador, an offshoot of Massanet's old Mission of Caldera in Coahuila, and were prevented from going on to Texas. The old French- man, Jean Gery, doe_s not appear to have gone on the expedition. He seems either to have been killed, or to have died in the interim. At any rate, he quietly drops out of history and no longer confuses the Spaniards with his disjointed stories. The faithful Quems Indian was to act again as guide. There was among the offi'cers a certain Captain Gregorio de Salinas Varona, who had recently arrived from Spain after a long period of service in Flanders, who was destined soon to become a prominent figure in the history of the northern frontiers of New Spain. Captain Francisco Martinez, who had acted as French interpreter in the previous entrada, was among those who now entered Texas for the purpose of establishing missions. Everything was finally in readiness, and on March 26, the cattle and stock set out from Monclova, while the main body of the expedition did not break camp until the following day. Following the · route of the previous entrada, they reached the village where the friends of Jean Gery lived, on April 2. Two days later, they resumed the march and halted on the bank of the Rio Grande. Here every man attended Mass the next day and received Holy Communion before crossing the river. Following the same route as on the previous trip, they arrived at the Nueces on April 9. The next day they crossed the Frio, and on April I I they crossed the Hondo. While camped on this river, two soldiers who had become lost on the previous day, informed the governor that the Indians were having a meeting about six leagues away. Setting out with twenty men and following the river to the west for a distance of five leagues, he camped that night on its bank, and on April 14, turning to the north, he came to a ranclier1a on a river about two leagues away. He gave the Indians presents and learned from them that there were two Frenchmen living beyond the Guadalupe. Returning to his camp, the march was resumed on the fifteen th. It was not until April 24, that the expedition reached the Guadalupe and found the site of the former camp. Takir.g twenty men with him, Governor Leon descended the next day to the ruins of the old French fort on Garcitas Creek. On April 26, the site was carefully examined and everything was found in the same order it had been left. The place where the cannon had been buried was undisturbed. Satisfied that the camp had not been visited in his absence, De Leon ordered that fire be set to the ruins, and Father Massanet, who
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