Plans for tlee Reorganization of tl,e Frontier
tained, and from there he set out for the Presidio of San Saba. The route followed was to the northeast. Three leagues from Santa Rosa the expedi- tion crossed the Rio de Sabinas (Coahuila), where headwaters were eight leagues to the south, and halted at a point called Zenzontle (mocking bird), after having travelled eight leagues during the day. On July 11, they marched sixteen leagues to the Villa Nueva de San Fernando de Austria. The course lay northeast. During the day they passed Paraje de San Jose, crossed the Arroyo de La Laja, and went by the headwaters of San Ildefonso River. The next day Rubi's party covered thirteen leagues to the north northeast, crossing two small streams, the San Antonio and the San Rodrigo, both in Coahuila. On July 14, the Rio Grande was crossed at or very near the present site of Del Rio, and after travelling four leagues to the northeast, they came upon Las Moras Creek, which was followed to its source, where they camped for the night. On this day they must have passed the site of present Brackettville. In crossing the Rio Grande a Pausan Indian and two horses were drowned. Resuming the march on July 18, they crossed Cibolo Creek, nine leagues northeast of the headwaters of Las Moras Creek. A league L'!yond the Cibolo to the east they came upon the Valley de San Jose, commonly called El Cafi6n, through which the upper Nueces flows. The va!ley was about a league and a half wide and some twelve leagues long, extending from north to south. Following the valley they turned north for five leagues and came upon the Mission of Nuestra Senora de la Candelaria located on a small stream of cool and delightful water. The following day they went northeast and crossed the Nueces after tra,·elling two leagues and continuing hence to the north for two more they arrived at the Mission of San Lorenzo de la Santa Cruz, located east of the Nueces. Here a detachment of thirty men from San Saba was kept for the protection of the missionaries and the Indians. La Fora drew a map of the mission and of the surrounding country. During the next two days they marched almost due north, following the bed of the rh·er upstream, and passing by present Barksdale to the headwaters of the Nueces Ri\'er, near present Rockspring. Continuing along their course. they reached the Chanas (Llano) River some distance below present Junction. For two more days they followed the Chanas first, and then crossed o,·er to the San Saba and came to the Presidio of the same name on July .?5. 176i, where they remained until August 4. Having completed the inspection they went on to San Antonio. La Fora used the time to draw a careful map of the presidio, a copy of which has been presen-cd.
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