157
C01wmunications Between Santa Fe and San Antonio
prames to a large river which he called the Brazos, but which was in reality West Fork, one of the streams constituting the headwaters of the Trinity. He must have come upon West Fork in the vicinity of Jacksboro. From Jacksboro he continued generally to the south, at times inclining to the west, and after travelling forty-six leagues over heavily wooded areas, crossing many small streams and some open country, he came t0 a river which he called the Pedernales. This cannot possibly be the Pedernales of today, because to reach this stream, he would have had to cross the Colorado, the San Saba, and the Llano and to have travelled a much longer distance than forty-six leagues. The river he called Peder- nales probably is one of the streams that form the upper waters of Leon River which he seems to have struck at or near present Comanche, as is apparent from the distance covered and the general direction followed until September 2 I. He noted that the stream was heavily wooded and flowed eastward. In the same general direction, but inclining too far to the west, Mares went forty-two leagues before reaching a large river of reddish water which he called San Rafael del Colorado. In the course of the march he had at times to meander considerably. It seems, therefore, that the river was the Colorado which he crossed in the vicinity of modern Waldrip. He changed his course to the south, and at or near modern Brady, crossed Brady Creek which he called San Miguel, and about ten miles beyond, in the vicinity of present San Saba, he reached the San Saba River which he erroneously called the Chanas (Llano). He continued almost due south, and, at or near Mason, crossed the Llano on October 1, mistaking it for the San Saba. He made special mention of its beauty. He proceeded south and crossed the Guadalupe on October 7 near Kerrville, where he seems to have begun following the route of the present highway via Bandera to San Antonio where he arrived on October 8, and reported to the governor who was now Rafael Martinez Pacheco.1° Mares had traversed 373 leagues, or approximately 932 miles, but, like Vial before him, he had failed to follow a direct route. Either his Indian guides wished to go by the popular and well-known pueblos of the Taovayas, or Mares himself desired to visit them on this occasion. The route to the Taovaya villages was fairly direct, but from the Taovayas to San Antonio his guides led him in a roundabout way, going too far west. In reporting the arrival of Mares to San Antonio, Governor Mar- tinez Pacheco explained that Cristobal de los Santos had reached San
10 Diario of Jose Mares. A. G. M., Historia, Vol. 43, document I 3.
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