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Communications Between Santa Fe and San Antonio
heavily wooded and flowed east. He camped on present Honey Creek, a few miles northeast of Oxford. On January 22, shortly after leaving Honey Creek, Mares and his party came to the Chanas River (Llano) which they probably struck at or near Llano, considering the general direction of their travel and the distance covered. It is interesting to note that the party here met Lieutenant Curbelo from the garrison of San Antonio, who was out on a private trading expedition. They spent the rest of the day with Curbelo. When they resumed their march, the party proceeded more slowly. They camped somewhere on Buffalo Creek not far from modern Cherokee. Here they met a group of Indians who apparently were either Apaches or Taovayas, and had with them a Spanish captive. Mares had been instructed by Governor Pacheco to buy any captives with whom he might come in contact. He accordingly bargained with the wily Indians and succeeded in ransoming the captive for eight horses. From tlze San Saba to tlie Colorado. On January 27 Mares and his companion started over relatively rough country, through heavy woods, crossed a relatively high mesa and a plain, and, after travelling fourteen leagues, reached the San Saba somewhere in the vicinity of Algarita, several miles west of the present city of San Saba. Shortly after crossing the river, he turned west for three leagues and camped in a dry ravine, probably at or near modern Richland Springs. The weather was getting bitter cold. On January 28 they again turned north by west and travelled seven leagues to a creek almost filled with snow, in the vicinity of Placid. The next day, inclining more towards the north, they went seven leagues more and reached the Colorado at or near Fife. Mares and his friend followed the Colorado to the west for four leagues, then turned north for nine leagues. Here, on February 1, they discovered a wide buffalo trail which they followed for five leagues in a general northern direction. For the next three days they kept almost due north, slightly inclined to the west, and after covering twenty-four more leagues arrived at a Comanche ra,ic/,er,a located in a ravine. Front the Colorado to the Ranclieria de Comanclzes. From the direction of travel and the distance covered, Mares and his party must have passed by the sites of Santa Anna and Coleman, and due north through Baird to the headwaters of the Clear Fork of the Brazos. The ranclieria probably was in the vicinity of present Lueders. They were now on the great plains. The weather was severe, yet Mares
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