169
Communications Between Santa Fe and San Antonio
Description of San Antonio. Vial and his companions were received by Governor Martinez Pacheco. The presidio, wrote Fragoso, was located in the middle of the Villa de San Fernando. There were some seven hundred persons living in the Villa. The houses were for the most part of wood, but there were a few of stone and mortar, built with taste. Along the river they noticed there were five missions. The stream had its source in a spring about half a league to the north of the Villa. Soon after their arrival, the entire party again fell sick with chills and fever and were in a serious condition until February, 1789. Although out of danger after this date, they felt too weak to continue to Santa Fe. By June they were finally ready to complete the last lap of their journey. 19 Vial's retum trip to Santa Fe. Guided by four Comanches, Fragoso left on June 25 for the headwaters of the San Antonio. Vial stayed in San Fernando conferring with the governor. Following the same route Mares had taken, Fragoso crossed the Guadalupe near Spring Branch on June 25, and waited the next day for Vial who, with a corporal and eight soldiers, joined him. These were to escort the explorers as far as the Colorado. Together they now continued along the same route of Mares to the Pedernales which they crossed near Hye, but here they inclined slightly to the east and came to the Colorado a few miles south of Kingsland. Vial noted that at the crossing the river was deep but narrow. They followed the river north along its eastern bank and at the end of the day the corporal and his soldiers left Vial and Fragoso with their Comanche guides to continue their journey. 30 For sixteen leagues they followed the Colorado closely, going almost due north, but in the vicinity of Bend, because the river turns more to the west, they abandoned the river route and struck due north for twenty- three leagues, until July 13, when they came upon a band of young Comanche braves who were on the warpath against the Apaches. One of the four guides could not resist the temptation to join the warriors. From the distance and direction of travel it probably was in the vicinity of Comanche and Dublin. Continuing north, they came upon a ra11c/1ena which Fragoso called Jumanos. This was eighteen leagues from their last stop and probably was near Stephenville. StiII going north. perhaps 19 Fragoso, Derrotero, diario :Y calc11lacion . .., entries for November 18-June 2 S, 1789. The copy of this diary in the Texas Land Office omits this description, as well as those of Nacogdoches and Natchitoches. 30/bid., entries June 25-July s.
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