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Our Catliolic Heritage in T e:xas
probably at Tuscosso Creek, where they found some Spaniards from Nacogdoches had settled. This old ranch was probably a mile or two west of present Swift. At sundown they arrived in Nacogdoches. Description of Nacogdoclzes. The town was located in the middle of a wood of various kinds of trees and consisted of eighty or ninety houses, mostly of timber. The population was made up of Spaniards and French- men, some two hundred fifty persons. Here Vial and his companions were welcomed by Lieutenant-governor Gil Ibarbo. Either because of their fatigue or their journey through the woods and swamps, the party was stricken with chills and fever. All but Vial were confined to bed, and it was not until October 23 that they were sufficiently recovered to make preparations to continue their journey. 27 From Nacogdoclies to tlie Brazos. On October 24 the party resumed their westward march and by October 26 had crossed the Neches and halted at San Pedro. This was probably on the creek of this name at or near modern Weches. They identified Loco Creek which they crossed almost at the point where it flows into the Angelina. Continuing south- west from Weches and after travelling fifteen leagues, or some thirty-five miles, they camped on October 28 at the old site of the Bucareli settle- ment just south or west of the Trinity River. This probably was a few miles north of Midway and just south of Lucy Womack State Park in Madison County. 28 From old Bucareli they went west possibly to present Madisonville and then turned south for almost forty or fifty miles before reaching a place which significantly enough they called Corpus Christi, probably where De Leon and Massanet celebrated this feast a hundred years before. This was at or near Navasota. About fifteen miles beyond, he crossed the Bayou on November 1, in the vicinity of Clay. Five days later, on November 6, after going some seventy miles in a general southwestern direction, he crossed the Colorado at or near La Grange. He observed that he was off his regular route. Turning slightly more to the west for some fifty miles, he came to the Guadalupe in the vicinity of Gonzalez. On his way to San Antonio, he passed three ranches, El Carrizo, Raton, and Chayopines. He arrived at his destination on November 18. 11/bid., entry for September 23-24. 21 Bolton has placed the location of Bucareli in Madison County at the old Robbins' Ferry. Cf. Bolton, Texas in tlte Middle Eigltteentli Cent11r,y, 406.
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