Ottr Catliolic Heritage in, Texas
journey. The Comanches assured them they were on the right road and that all they had to do was to follow the river. 18 Still in an easterly direction and following the river valley, they came to another ranclieria of Comanches on July 11, who again reassured the travellers they were going in the right direction. This must have been in the vicinity of Vernon. The next day they crossed the Red River to the north bank and saw a range of mountains far to the north. They were probably near present Grandfield; and the mountains seen in the distance were the Wichita Mountains in Comanche County, Oklahoma. They crossed Coche Creek near Taylor, Oklahoma, and Beaver Creek in the vicinity of Ryan, indicating in the diaries that both streams flowed into the Blanco River (Red) from the north. They inclined to the south on July 15 and crossed the river, noting the Little Wichita which joins the Red from the south. They soon came to a wide Comanche trail where they were met by three chiefs, Zoquacante, Cochi, and Pisinape, who took them to their rancluria on the river. This was the largest Fernandez had seen, consisting of three hundred seventy-two tents. The probable location was in the vicinity of Fleetwood, not far from Ryan, Oklahoma. At this ranclieria Fernandez left a number of his tired mounts to be cared for until the return from his visit to the J umanos. 19 Chief Sofa (Sofais), who had guided Vial to Santa Fe and who had gone to San Antonio with Mares, now accompanied the party to the J umano villages (Tao- vayas) .20 During the next five days they went north fourteen leagues, then east for almost the same distance, then south for thirteen leagues and again turning east, crossed the Red River and arrived at the first of the Jumano or Taovaya pueblos on the Red River, north of modern Spanish Fort and in the vicinity of Grady and Belleville in Oklahoma. The Indians seemed pleased at the visit and inquired what was the occasion of their coming. Fernandez explained they had come to see them, and to accompany the explorer, Pedro Vial, on his way to Natchitoches. The first pueblo had seventeen houses, made of straw or grass. The other two pueblos, Fernandez estimated, were approximately of the same size. The river flowed near by and separated two of them from the other. 11 Fragoso, op. cit., entry for July 9. Cf. Fernandez, Derrotero, diario :Y calen- dario, entry for July 9. 19 Fernandez, Derrotero, diario :Y calendario ..., entry for July 1 5. Cf. Fragoso, Derrotero, diario :Y Calculacion, for same date and July 16. 2 °Fernandez consistently called them Jumanos, but Fragoso, who kept the diary for Vial and who knew the Indians well, clearly stated that they went to visit the Taovaya pueblos. See Fragoso, Derrotero, entry for July 20.
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