Ottr Catliolic Heritage in Texas
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With him were to go Francisco Xavier Fragoso who was to keep a careful diary; three natives of New Mexico, Jose Maria Romero, possibly a brother of the Romero who had been sent in 1763 to San Saba, Gregorio Leiva, and Juan Lucero; and Santiago Fernandez, commander of a squad of soldiers who were to escort the party as far as the J umanos. Fernandez, in addition to escorting Vial, was to foster the friendship of all the Indians visited, particularly the J umanos to whom he carried especial gifts and greetings. 15 The two travelled together as far as the Jumano pueblos, which from the description appear to be the Taovaya villages, but which Fernandez asserted were on a river which he called the Blanco, contrary to the established narrie of the Red River, known to the Spaniards as well as the French by this time. But let us follow the explorers on their journey. Vial-Fernandez expedition to tlie ]mnanos. On June 24, 1788, they set out from Santa Fe, and following the regular road, went to Pecos pueblo. Here they turned to the south, keeping a mesa on their right, crossed the Pecos at the usual place and camped at Bernal. They now took an easterly course and crossed the Gallinas River at or near Lourdes, and the next day, after going some twenty leagues from Bernal, they camped at a spring in the midst of a grove of cottonwoods, which they called Pajarito. This was very likely at or near present Garita, on one of the small streams flowing into the New Mexico Conchas which in turn flows into the South Canadian. They spent a day at the spring to rest after crossing the mountains, and resumed their march on June 29. The next two days they went over some plains and mesas and on June 30 they camped on Mesa Tucumcari, probably near Montoya. Three leagues beyond, to the east, they came upon a Comanche randee,·1a in a ravine. los Texas de orden su-jerior voy a -jracticar en com-jania de Dn. Pedro Vial, comisionado a este -jro-,<isito, yo el abajo y a lo ultimo firm.ado (Francisco Xavier Fragoso). Villa de Santa Fe veinte y quatro de junio mil setecientos ochenta y ocho. A.G. !if., Historia, Vol. 43, document 17. Copies also in Historia, Vol. 52, document 17, and Historia, Vol. 62, document 7. There is an abbreviated copy of this diary in the Land Office, Austin, Texas, which covers the journey only from Santa Fe to San Antonio by way of Natchitoches, ending with the entry for November 18, and omitting descriptions of places visited. 15Derrotero, diario y calendario de leguas que hago Yo el abajo firmado (Santiago Fernandez) en descubrimiento desde esta de Santa Fe a los P11eblos de Jt,manos -jor orden Su-jerior del Sr. Governador Dn. Fernando de la Concl1a, a cond11cion y guia de Pedro Vial, 'Yes como siguen. Santa Fe, December 17, 1788. A. G. M., Historia, Vol. 43, document 15. Copies also in Historia, Vol. 52, document r 4, and in Historia, Vol. 62, document 5. Date erroneously given as December I 6. Cf. Bolton, Texas in tl,e Middle Eignteent!, Century, I 3 I, n. 45.
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