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Our Cat/1olic Heritage in Texas
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pushed on for five days, going west and northwest for sixteen leagues. On February II he camped near two small mesas on the banks of a stream that flowed east. It seems that he established his winter quarters in the vicinity of present Hamlin, perhaps some six or eight miles due north, on Double Mountain Fork, another one of the streams that form the upper waters of the Brazos. Here he decided to stay until spring. From tlze Double Motmtain Fork to tlze Comanclze ranclterias in B1·iscoe County. On March 6 Mares resumed his journey. He took an almost due north course, with a slight inclination to the west. He was now on the high plains of northwest Texas. After going some twenty leagues on March 16 and crossing several creeks and ravines, some with salt water, he came to a fairly large river which he thought was the Brazos. This was in all probability the South Fork of the Wichita River, which he crossed at or near Guthrie, a few miles east of the present road between Dickens and Matador, and continuing through Quitaque, he came upon the first of the Comanche ra11clterias on Prairie Dog Town Fork in Briscoe County, perhaps at the entrance to the relatively deep canyon of this stream. It seems the Comanches chose the canyons or deep ravines for their ranclzerias in the great plains, because they could be less easily detected by enemies in a country where observers can see as far as the eye can reach, and because the canyons and ravines afforded protection against biting northers, as they swept across the plains. Three leagues beyond the first ranclieria there was another. Here the chief gave Mares two young boys to accompany him to Santa Fe. Mares spent almost two weeks with the Comanches before resuming his journey. On April 6 he set out again, and going north, came to a river which he called Sangre de Cristo. This was the South Salt Fork of the Red River which he crossed in the vicinity of Ashtola. Frotti tlze headwaters of the Red River to Santa Fe. He now turned west and after crossing some mesas and plains for thirteen leagues, probably to present Lita, then turning north for ten leagues, he reached Amarillo Creek, just about where modern Amarillo is; and reverting west across the plains, he arrived at Rio Blanco in New Mexico on April 13. He ascended this small stream to its source, in the vicinity of Frio. Ten more leagues west brought him to a point somewhere between West and Ima. Then passing east of Sierra de la Luz, he resumed his westward course to Gallinas River on April 23 in the vicinity of Lourdes; thence he
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