163
Comnmnications Between Santa Fe and San Antonio
It had fifty-six tepees and was ruled over by Chief Naisaras. The Indians invited the travellers to rest and to smoke the pipe. When told they were going to the J umanos, the Comanches assured them they were travelling in the right direction. Several of the Indians offered to accompany them for a short distance, and together they went on to three other rancleerias located in the vicinity, towards the east, at intervals of two or three leagues. 16 They evidently passed north of present Tucumcari, as they distinctly stated that they kept a high, black mesa to the right or south of their line of march, and fairly wide plains to the left or north. Continuing east, they seem to have followed the present road by way of San Jon, through Baird to Glenrio, at which point they crossed into present Texas and came into the high plains. On July 3 they travelled over plains so flat and devoid of trees that Fragoso wrote, "They are so vast that not a hill or mesa was discernible as far as the eye could see." That day they passed thirteen lakes and came to the source of Blanco River. 17 They had covered approximately sixty-five miles since leaving Glenrio. From the description of the country and the reference to the lakes, it is easy to identify the route followed. They came slightly south of the present road to Amarillo, passing by the numerous lakes found to the southwest of this city and in the vicinity of present Canyon, struck the Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River which they called the Blanco River. They continued along this stream through Palo Duro Canyon for two days, and came to a small Comanche rancherz,z of four tents, where they saw many horses. This was the same rancleerf.a visited by Mares at the eastern extremity of the canyon in Briscoe County, a few miles north of Silverton. They passed the eastern end of Tule Creek during the second day. By following Prairie Dog Town Fork eastward, they seem to have arrived in the vicinity of Estelline by July 8. They noted that by now the river had become very wide, almost a gunshot in width, and that the hills began to flatten out. On July 9 they halted briefly at another Comanche rancleeria of fourteen tents, located along what they called the Rio Blanco, the same stream they had been following. This was probably between modern Quanah and Eldorado. Chief Pachinacazen welcomed the visitors, and they had a peace smoke before resuming the 16 Fragoso and Fernandez kept separate diaries. The details summarized are found under the respective entry under July I of the two diaries previously cited. 17 Fragoso, Derrotero, diario J calculacio11, entry for July 3, 1788. It is interesting to compare this description with that of Coronado's march across the plains.
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