René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle (1643-1687) left France with four ships filled with soldiers, settlers, and servants to build a settlement in the New World. By error, or as some contend, on purpose, he shifted off course, making landfall at the inlet to Matagorda Bay.
The St. Francois one of his ships, was captured by the Spaniards. The main supply ship, the Amiable, sunk at the Cavallo Pass to Matagorda Bay. And to make matter worse captain of the ship Joli or Joy (depending on which records reviewed) disobeying La Salle's commands, returned to France.
La Salle was now left with one ship, the La Belle. Salvaging the timbers from the Amiable, they framed a wooden stockade and designated it Fort St. Louis. From Fort St. Louis, La Salle took the La Belle to investigate the Texas coastline. They sailed into many bays and rivers, even the Rio Grande, dubbing it the River of Palms. Then tragedy would strike again. The La Belle sank in Lavaca Bay. Now the party marooned, in an unknown land, and surrounded by the cannibalistic Karankawas, were on their own. La Salle after this, set out with a party to search for the Mississippi one day. It would be his last doing, as some of La Salle's men would shoot him dead then started fighting among themselves and the murders ended up killing each other, so the report goes (take it with a grain of salt). One thing seems certain, La Salle was killed by his own men near present-day Navasota, Texas The remaining men of the party not involved in the homicide returned to the fort. It would be soon after that a epidemic of small pox broke out and most fall dead to it. The others? Well some it is believed became dinner, while yet others were sold into slavehood.
Joutel, Henri (ca. 1640? ca. 1735) is a notable witness to the historical account of the La Salle expedition. Joutel, observed the Karankawa heads were shaven beside a piece of hair long enough to be braided on the top. Another distinctive mark was the small circle of blue tattooed over each cheekbone. Throughout life each one retained a splendid mouth full of white teeth. The men donned small cloth patches, the women, knee length Skirts, beast bare, the children all together naked. Some had small disks of tin, iron, brass, or other metal tied to their throats, others had deerskin bracelets on the left wrist and the men wore small shells, glass beads and such around their necks. Below is part of his account of the events. The Belle resembled the type of vessel known as 'a barque longue' shown below.
Excerpt:
A Journal of the Last Voyage Perform'd by Monsr. de la Sale, to the Gulph of Mexico, to Find Out the Mouth of the Missisipi River by Joutel, Henri, 1640?-1735
. . . narrowly escaped being taken Savages, and they believed the
others had fallan into their Hands.
Monfieur de la Sale order'd us immediately to
handle our arms, and to march with Drums
beating towards the Savages, who seeing US in
that Posture faced about and went off
Monfieur de la Sale being desirous to join those
Savages, to endeavour to get some information
from them ordered Ten of us to lay down our
Arms and draw near them, making Signs to
them, at the same Time, to come to us. When
they saw us in that Posture and unarmed, most of them also laid down their Bows and Arrows and came to meet us, carreffing us after their
Manner, and stroaking first their own Breasts
and then ours, then their own Arms and after-
wards ours. By these Signs they gave us to understand
that they had a Friendship for us,
which they exprefs'd by laying their Hands
on their Hearts, and we did the fame on our
Part. And Six or Seven of those Savages went along with
us and the rest kept three our men, in the
Nature of Hostages Those who went with us were made much of, but Monfieur de la Sale
could learn nothing oft them, either by Signs or
otherwise ; all they could make us understand
was, that there was good hunting of Bullocks
in the Country. We observed, that their Yea
consisted in a Cry, fetch'd from The Bottom of
the Throat, not unlike the Call of a Hen to
gather her Chickens. Monfieur de La Sale gave
them some Knives, Hatchets and other Trifles,
with which they seem'd We1l pleased, and went away Monsieur
(34)
Monsieur de la Sale glad to be rid of those People, because he was willing to be present when the Flyboat came in but his ill Fate
would not permit it. He thought fit to go himself along with those Savages and follow'd
him thinking to have found our men in the
famed Place where we left them; but preceiv'd on
the Contrary, the Savages had carried
them away to their Camp, which was a League
and half from us and Monsieur de La Sablonniere
lieutenant of fort being one of those the Savages
take with them. Monsieur de la Sale
resolved to go himself to fetch him away, an
unhappy Thought which cost him dear.
As We were on our Way towards the Camp
of savages happening to look towards the
Sea we saw the flyboat l'Aimable under sail
which the savages who were with us admired,
Monsieur de la Sale observing it narrowly,
told us, those people steered wrong
standing towards Shoals, which made him
very uneasy at. But still we advanced. We arrived at the camp of savages, which stood upon an
eminence fifty cottages made rush mats and others of
dried skins and built long poles bow'd round at the top, like
great ovens and most of the savages sitting watch. We were still
advancing the village when we heard a cannon shot. The noise whereof struck dread among the savages fell flat ground. But Monsieur de la Sale and we were believed it a signal that our ship was aground which was confirmed by seeing them furl their sails
(35)
However we were gone too far to return ; our
Men must be had, and to that Purpose, we
proceed to the hut of the Commander in
Chief. As soon as we arrived there Monsieur de la
Sale was introduced. many of the Indian Women
came in were very deformed and
all naked, excepting a Skin girt about them,
which hung down to their Knees. They would
have led us to their Cottages, but Monsieur de la
Sale ordered us not to part, and to observe
whether the Indians did not draw together, for
that we kept together, standing upon our Guard,
and I was always with him .
They brought us some Pieces of Beef both fresh and dry'd in the Air and Smoke, and
Pieces of Porpoise, which they cut with a Sort of Knife, made of Stone, setting one Foot upon
it, and holding with one Hand, while they cut
with the other. We saw nothing of Iron among them. They had given our Men, that came with them something to eat, and Monsieur de la
Sale being extraordinary uneasy, we soon took Leave
of them to return. At our going out, we observed about forty Canoes, some of them like some of them like those Monsieur de la
Sale had seen on the Mississippi, which made him conclude he was not far from it. We soon arrived at our Camp, and found
Misfortune, Monsieur de la Sale had apprehended, was but too certain. The Ship was
stranded on the Shoals! The ill Management
of the Captain. or of the Pilot, who had not
steered by the Stakes placed for that Purpose. . .
(36)
and th weather being cold they lighted a
fire, about which they laid down and all fell asleep ; the Sentinel they had appointed doing the same. The Indians returning to their
Camp and perceiving our Men had carry away
two Canoes, some Skins and Blankets, took it for a Declaration of a War, reflected to be
revenged, and discovering an unusual Fire, perfectly concluded that our Men had halted there. A considerable Number of them repair'd to the Place, without making the least
Noise and found our careless People fast asleep,
wrapped up in their Blankets, and shot a full
Volley of their Arrows upon them all together
on a Sudden, having first given their unusual Shout before they fail on.
The Sieur Morangas awakening with the Noise,
and finding himself wounded, started up and fired his Piece successfully enough and some others did the like, where upon the Natives fled. The
Sieur Morangas came to give us the Alarm, though he was shot through one of his arms, below the Shoulder, and had another haunting
Wound on the Breast. Monsieur de la Sale immediately sent some armed Men to the Places who could not find the Indians, but when Day
appeared, they found the Sicurs Oris aid and Desages
dead upon the Spot, and the Sienur Gayen much hurt and all the rest safe and sound. (42)
. . . the Indians, who came frequently in the
Night to range about us, howling like Wolves
and Dogs ; but two or three Musket Shots put
them to Flight. . . . (46)
. . . They made a
Fire, perhaps to dress some Meat; but ne-
neglecting to stand upon their Guard, they were
surprised, and all six of them killed by the Savages;
who also broke their Canoe, and thus
revenged themselves for the Irruption Monsieur de la Sale had lately made among them. More Time being elapsed than Monsieur de la Sale had allotted those Men to return, he
grew uncanny, and went himself along the Coast,
to see if any News could be had to them, and
keeping along the Shore, he found the sad remains of those unfortunate Wretches', whose Carcasses scattered about, were torn and almost
devoured by Wolves or wild Dogs (59)
By February, 1687, La Salle's party was reduced to thirty-six persons. Bad-tempered, haughty and harsh, he alienated even those who had remained faithful to him to the end. He died, shot dead at point blank range by some of his own men. It was the nineteenth of March, 1687. Three of his companions had been murdered just before him. The conspirators who committed the murders then set about killing one another.
Joutel, however, escaped both assassination by La Salle's murderers and the massacre at Fort St. Louis. Instead, he led six other survivors northeast through Texas and Arkansas until they struck the Mississippi, which they then followed upstream to the French settlements. They reached Illinois in September, 1687, where they spent the winter, and arrived at Quebec in July and France in October, 1688, more than eighteen months after leaving the doomed Texas colony. After his return home, Joutel nearly disappears from the historical record. He was interviewed in 1722 by historian Pierre-François-Xavier Charlevoix (1682-1761) and may have died as late as 1735.
1705 French map by Nicolas de Fer entitled "Les Costes aux Environs de la Riviere de Misisipi."
Excerpt:
Léon used the same route from Mexico to reach Fort Saint Louis and Matagorda Bay, starting out in late March of 1690. From there they went to the Neches River. After building a mission there, they heard tales of French children being held hostage for ransom. They went to investigate the matter. Part of their account is listed below.
Excerpt:
The Armada de Barlovento was a fleet of Spanish War ships established to seek and destroy any European advancements into the new world and also to ward off high seas piracy. After capturing a pirate ship, they found they had some of La Salles deserters who told them about La Salles plans to establish a colony. Five expeditions were sent to find this intrusion of New Spain. Some of them were led by Juan Enríquez Barroto, Francisco López de Gamarra, Andrés de Pez y Malzárraga, and Martín de Rivas, none of which would find the settlement, though on one voyage they would discovered the wreck of La Salle's ship, Belle and . This was all taking place roughly during the Alonso de Leon land expeditions as well.
Excerpt: The five land expeditions were all made by Alonso de
Leon, a soldier of Nuevo Leon, and son of a conspicuous
pioneer of the same name. In 1686 he led a company from
Monterey to the Rio Grande, followed the right bank of that
stream to the Gulf, and explored south along the coast to
Rio de las Palmas. Making another expedition in 1687, he
succeeded in crossing the Rio Grande, but was turned back
by a river called Salado or Solo. In this same year he was
made governor of Coahuila and captain of the new presidio
of Monclova. Being informed early in 1688 that a French-
man was living among the Indians across the Rio Grande, in
'May De Leon crossed the river, captured Juan Jarri, as the Frenchman was called, and sent him to Mexico. In the following year, 1689, accompanied by Father Massanet, De
j. Leon again crossed the Rio Grande, went to Matagorda Bay
and found the remains of La Salle's settlement, and on the
Guadalupe River held a conference with the chief of the
Nabedache, one of the Tejas tribes.
Note: Following a dramatic discovery, the Texas Historical Commission announced in early 1995 that one of LaSalle's ships, the La Belle, had been found near Matagorda Bay. Now over 310 years old. Background information and periodic reports on the status of the can be found HERE
Alonso de Leon from 1686 to 1690, undertook five different expeditions into Texas from Nuevo Leon, seeking the colony founded by La Salle with the intention of demolishing it. On his fourth expedition on 22 April 1689 De Leon located the remnant of the French Colony. The native Indians had already wracked the fort, and most of the French were dead. Del Leon then aided Fray Massanet to build two missions in 1690 among the Tejas Indians nearby the Neches River.
Léon was a soldier of Nuevo Léon, became governor of Coahuila and captain of the presidio of Monclova. Preceding the 1689 dispatch, Léon forged three forays into Texas in 1686, 87 and 88. Robert Cavalier, Sieur de La Salle, and settlers settled at Matagorda Bay, Texas. Troubled by this intrusion into Spanish terrain, these search and destroy expeditions were set forth.
The expedition came upon a huge cottonwood tree it's first few days out, which later would be the grounds of mission now known as the Alamo. The first Indian settlement they came to, sported heads, won in battle, of other Indian tribes. They would go on to find the French settlement, or rather the remains. Their story is below.
Itinerary of the Expedition made by General Alonso De Le6n
for the Discovery of the Bahia del Espiritu Santo and the
French Settlement. 1689.
March.
DATE. &n sp; LEAGUES.
Wednesday March 23, it was arranged that the detachment
of soldiers and camp-followers who were in Coahuila should
set out. Accordingly, they marched one league down the
river. 1.
Thursday, the 24th, the whole body set out. The detach-
ment, being ordered to go down the river,2 traveled down the
other bank to its junction with the Nadadores. They trav-
elled that day seven leagues toward the north.3 All this
country is uninhabitable. 7.
&nbs ;
Friday, the 25th, we traveled down the Rio de Nadadores,
along the south bank, between two ridges which they call
Baluartes. On the bank of the river we passed a cottonwood
tree,4 the only one within a great distance. We traveled
that day seven leagues, keeping the same northeast course.
All the country is level and affords good pasturage. 7.
&n sp;
Saturday, the 26th, we traveled down the river as on the
day before, to its junction with the Sabinas. We traveled
east, halting a league from the junction. The country is level
and affords good pasturage.5 [6].
1Translation by Miss Elizabeth Howard West, in Texas State Historical
Association Quarterly, VIII. 199-224.
2 They crossed to the south side, and followed the right bank to a point
three leagues below the junction with the Sabinas (Miss West). See the Sigiienza
map.
3 The Sigiienza map gives the distance as seven leagues (Miss West).
4 The Alamo became a well-known landmark and was regularly noted in
later diaries.
5 The Sigiienza map supplies the distance lacking in the Memorias tran-
script of the diary.
Sunday, the 27th, we went down the river Sabinas and
crossed it toward the north. Passing along the bank we
sighted the soldiers who were coming from the Nuevo Reyno
de Leon to join us here according to agreement.' As we came
together a salute was fired on each side. After we had traveled three leagues to the east, a general review and individual
count was made of all the soldiers, drivers, and other servants,
and of the baggage as well.2 3.
Monday, the 28th, we traveled to the northeast, a distance
of six leagues. After crossing some unwatered plains, we
halted at a pool of rain-water. 6.
& bsp;
Tuesday, the 29th, we set out toward the northeast. Be-
fore daybreak the French prisoner sent out one of the Indians
whom we were bringing because of their loyalty, to tell the
Indians, his acquaintances, that we were going through their
village. As a result, more than seventy Indians, some armed,
others unarmed, came out to meet us a league before we arrived at the village, and accompanied us thither. They had
a hut ready, covered with buffalo hides; there they put the
Frenchman, toward whom they made many demonstrations
of affection.3 In front of the hut was driven a stake, four
varas high, on which were fastened sixteen heads of Indians,
their enemies, whom they had killed. They were five nations,
joined together (according to the account the Frenchman
gave), entitled Hapes, Jumenes, Xiabu, Mescale, and another.
We counted eighty-five huts. We distributed among them
some cotton garments, blankets, beads, rosaries, knives, and
arms, with which they were very much pleased. Five cattle
were killed for them, too, so that all persons of all ages might
1 The party from Monterey went down the Caldera River (De Le6n, His-
toria de Nuevo Le6n, p. 319).
2 The original list is printed in De Le6n, Historia de Nuevo Le6n, pp. 320-
321. It shows eighty-eight soldiers and religious, the French prisoner, called
Andres, twelve muleteers, thirteen servants, seven hundred and twenty horses
and mules, eighty-two pack-loads of flour, biscuits, and other provisions, and
three pack-loads of presents for the Indians. See ibid., p. 318, and Massanet's
Letter, p. 353.
3 The Indians at this point are referred to in the diary of 1690 as ""the In-
dians of the Frenchman."" In De Le6n, Historia de Nuevo Leon, p. 322, the names
are given as the Apes, Mescales, Jumanes, and Ijiaba.
eat. There were four hundred and ninety of them. We
crossed a creek about the time of evening prayer.' 4.
&nbs ;
Thursday, the 31st, it was necessary to halt at this point
because of the suffering of the horses occasioned by lack of
water.
April.
nbsp;
Friday, April 1st, we traveled down the river five leagues,
traversing some low hills. There was no lack of water-holes
along the way. The route during the most of these five
leagues was toward the north. We halted on this south bank
in front of the ford.2 The river was forded, and found easy
to cross the next day. Now we had with us a faithful Indian
guide,3 who assured us that he knew the country, and that
he would bring us where there were some men like ourselves,
in a settlement of six or seven houses; that they had wives
and children, and that they were about six days' journey
distant from the said Rio Bravo. This Indian can not speak
Castilian, but we got some light on what he was saying
through another Indian who acted as interpreter, albeit a
poor one. 5.
Saturday, the 2d, we crossed the river and went about
one league north, to avoid some ravines and low hills. After-
ward we went mostly northeast, until we reached some pools,
five leagues away. We named these El Paraje de los Cuervos,
because more than three thousand crows appeared at night-
fall. The way was level and untimbered. 5.
& bsp;
Palm Sunday, the 3d, we marched northeast three leagues,
through level country, and afterward two more through sev-
eral thickets of mesquite. We crossed some little dry creeks;
and then we came upon one that had water in it, on the bank
1 The Sigiienza map gives a journey of four leagues for March 30, which is
omitted entirely from the Memorias copy of the diary. From a comparison of
distances between the Sabinas and the Rio Grande with the diary and map of
1690, it seems probable that the map is correct. The 1689 map gives the distance
as twenty-three and the diary of 1690 as twenty-two leagues.
2 Of the Rio Bravo. See De Leon, Historia de Nuevo Le6n, p. 324. The
crossing was not far from San Juan Bautista.
3 The Quems.
Holy Monday, the 4th, we marched northeast most of
the day, east-by-north occasionally, a distance of 8 leagues.
At first the land was level, then there was a little mesquite
thicket; and after that we got into a larger one, three leagues
long. We came upon a river, which, as we could see, even
though it contained little water at the time, overflows its
banks in time of rain more than half a league from the main
channel. We called it the Rio de las Nueces,4 because there
were many pecan trees. It is somewhat rocky, and all its
rocks are flint and very fine. 8.
Holy Tuesday, the 5th, we crossed the river. We had to
go half a league down its bank, and then we went through a
glade. Then came a very dense thicket. We had to cut a
passage into it for almost a league with our cutlasses and axes,
1 Evidently one of the branches of the Nueces River.
2 As pointed out by Miss West, the calculations were a degree or more in
error.
3 Pedro Medina's Arte de Navegar was first published at Valladolid in 1545.
The Italian astronomer Andrea Argoli's Ephemerides was first published at
Rome in 1621.
4 The present Nueces, and not that which figured in the Spanish expeditions
to the Jumanos. The 1690 diary and map mention Arroyo de Caramanchel between Arroyo de Ramos and the Nueces River.
because of the numerous prickly pears and mesquite which
blocked up the way. Afterward we got into a mesquite
thicket in which at intervals we had to make a clearing. We
traveled about seven leagues. We came upon a river to which
we gave the name Rio Sarco,' because its water was blue.
We went, I repeat, seven leagues, with many turns. 7.
Holy Wednesday, the 6th, we traveled about three leagues
to the northeast, and two to the east. The country we passed
through was level, with fine pasturage, with very pleasant
glades, and, occasionally, little motts of oak. We came to a
river, which we named Rio Hondo. Apropos of this river,
its descent on each side is about forty feet; near it, on both
banks, are some insignificant hills, some of them timbered.
The water was plentiful, so that the horses were easily sup-
plied. As we went down toward the river we found some large
white rocks, on some of which we saw some crosses cut, and
other figures artificially made with great skill, apparently a
long time before. 5.
Holy Thursday, the 7th, we went more than four leagues
down the river without crossing it, sometimes east, sometimes
southeast; we halted on the hither bank. The country is of
the same sort here as at the last stopping-place; level, for the
most part, though there is a little mesquite timber. Ever
since the thirtieth of last month, when we passed the village
of the Five Nations,2 we have found along the line of march
traces of Indians, made some time ago; but not a single
Indian has appeared.
Holy Friday, the 8th, we crossed from the other bank of
the Rio Hondo, and traveled east-northeast, most of the
day near the river. We came upon two ravines near together.
Here, it appears, the river rises in time of flood as much as
six feet. After the ravines comes a little creek in a thicket.
Here it was necessary to change our course for a while, to let
the loaded mules cross, which they did with difficulty, some
bogging up. After crossing this creek, we came to some very
level land, and then to a large mesquite thicket. In the
1 Elsewhere called the Rio Frio, with which Clark identifies it (The Begin-
nings of Texas, p. 17).
2 See the entry for the 29th of March.
midst of the thicket were some pools of water, where we
halted. We traveled that day eight long leagues, to the east,
as has already been said. 8.
Holy Saturday, the 9th, we set out to the north, but on
account of some thickets that were in the way, it was necessary to make some turns, sometimes north-by-east, some-
times north-northeast. We traveled that day five leagues.
The land was very good. We crossed a dry creek that day,
but a league farther on we found one with good water, with
abundant pasturage and many oak-trees near by. We named
this creek Arroyo del Vino, because we opened a cask' that
day and divided its contents among the men. Under the trees
we found well-grown nuts, as large as those of Spain, but very
hard to open. We saw many wild grape-vines, whose fruit,
as we were told by the Indians we had brought with us, is in
its season very pleasantly flavored. Our horses stampeded
at this camp about nine o'clock at night, and they could not
be stopped, though fifteen soldiers were on guard. Accord-
ing to the count made the following day, one hundred and
two got away. 5.
Easter Sunday, the 10th, soldiers set out in different directions to look for the horses, which they found at various
points. This search detained them till evening prayer,2
therefore the camp was not moved that day. We made a
reckoning of our latitude which we found to be 27° 55'.
Monday after Easter, the 11th, we set out to the east.
We crossed two creeks of good water, and immediately after
came to a great wood of pecan and oak-trees, more than five
leagues in extent, all fertile and pleasant land. After having
to travel twelve leagues to get water, we came that day upon
a river, which was very large, though it had not much water,
and which had a good ford. We named it the Rio de Medina.
The descent to it is about fifty or sixty feet. All the rest of
the way there were oaks and pecans. The course that day
was east half the way, and northeast half the way. 12.
Tuesday after Easter, the 12th, we crossed the river, and
found the ford very easy. We traveled five leagues to the
east, over some low hills, without any timber; we crossed
1 Of wine. 2 Vespers, would be a better rendering.
Wednesday, the 13th, we advanced to the east, sometimes
east-northeast, six leagues. About half a league from the
camp we passed by the point of a little hill on which ends a
clump of oaks, and which we left on the right hand. Among
them were small piles of stones placed by hand. We followed
some low hills; there were about two leagues of oak timber
which had to be partly cleared away; but after this all the
country was level till we reached a little creek. 6.
Thursday, the 14th, we moved forward, east-northeast, in
search of a great river which the guide told us we should find
and which we reached at two in the afternoon. We travelled
six leagues, the first three over some hills, and the rest of the
way over some hills that were timbered and marked with
ravines. It was necessary in some places to clear away the
timber so as to pass through. The country was the most
pleasant that we had traversed; the river is not very full and
has a good ford; its banks are covered with timber. Six
/buffaloes-the first we had seen for a hundred leagues-were
killed along the way. We gave this river the name of Our
Lady of Guadalupe, whom we had brought from Coahuila as
our protectress,2 and whom we had painted on our royal
standard. 6.
nbsp;
Friday, the 15th, the day dawned very rainy. None the
less, however, our whole party set out toward the ford of the
river, which was about a league away. We crossed the river,
but as the water prevented our forward movement, we halted
1Apparently the present San Antonio River. The name Medina now applies to only the upper waters of the stream (see Clark, The Beginnings of Texas,
p. 17).
2 That is, they carried her statue or picture. The river was crossed not
far from Victoria, perhaps a little below it.
Sunday, the 17th, after sleeping close by the Indian village,
we again set out to the north. After traveling five leagues
we found some ranchos' of Indians known to our French
prisoner. We found out from them by minute inquiry the
route of the four Frenchmen who were going to the Texas;
we found out, moreover, that they had passed on horseback
four days before. Here a consultation was held as to what
decision should be reached, with the result that it was deter-
mined, as the main force was far away and the country unknown, to write a letter to the Frenchmen and send it to them
by an Indian. Accordingly, the letter was written in French
by the royal alferez, Francisco Martinez. Its contents, in
substance, were as follows: that we had been informed of
their escape when some Christians on the coast had been killed
by the Indians of that vicinity; that they might come with
us; that we would wait for them three or four days in the
houses of the village from which they had set out. This letter
was signed by the governor and by our chaplain, Padre Fray
Damian Manzanet, religious of our patron San Francisco.
The letter added as a postscript some lines of Latin, in case
any one of the four should be a religious, exhorting them to
come. Putting in paper for a reply, we dispatched this letter
by an Indian carrier who assured us that he would overtake
them. About evening prayer2 an Indian came from the North
to see the Frenchmen, of whom he must have had news.
When we asked him through the Frenchman whether it was
far from here to the Texas, he replied that it was not many
days' journey and said that it had been three days since the
four Frenchmen had gone on from his rancherfa.
Monday, the 18th, in view of the harm the camp might
have suffered, even though we had left it well guarded, we
set out in search of it. On the way thither the governor received a letter stating that the drove of horses had stampeded
the night before, and that a hundred-odd had been lost; that
some had been found, but thirty-six were still missing. At
this we quickened our pace to the camp. There we heard
Houses or huts.
2Vespers.
Tuesday, the 19th, since neither the soldier nor the horses
had appeared, two squadrons of soldiers set out in different
directions to look for them; the governor went in person;
but despite their diligent efforts the lost were not found.
[The search-party], therefore, slept in the open, to continue
the search. Indians from different rancherias came to the
camp that day; we gave them tobacco and other things, and
charged them to scour the country in search of the soldier
and the horses that were missing, promising them due return
for the service.
Wednesday, the 20th, the party did not set out, because
neither soldier nor horses had appeared. The efforts of the
day before were repeated with new squadrons of soldiers.
Just after they had left the lost man came, guided by several
Indians. He said that that night [after he had been lost] he
had come to an Indian rancheria where he spent the night;
that he had been undecided whether to stay there, because
of his suspicion that they were going to kill him, but that he
had been treated with great kindness. It was no little good
fortune that he escaped from danger at the hands of so bar-
barous a race. Though the astrolabe was broken, we righted
it that day as best we could and made an observation of the
sun, and found ourselves in latitude 28° 41' north. 2
Thursday, the 21st, our party advanced sometimes east,
sometimes east-by-north, sometimes northeast-by-north. Our
line of march lay through some wide plains which for long
stretches were treeless. At the end of eight leagues we came
to a creek of good water. Here the Indian guide told us that
the settlement was on the bank of this creek3 and in its
vicinity. The land was all very pleasing; and we came across
many buffalo.
Friday, the 22d, as we were near the settlement, our party . . .
1 His name was Juan de Charles (De Leon, Historia de Nuevo Le6n, p. 327).
2 The Autor Anonimo gives the latitude as 28° 4' (Historia de Nuevo Leon,
ibid.).
3 Garcitas River. See Massanet's Carta, p. 361, above, notes 2, 3.
Saturday, the 23d, we set out with thirty men to recon-
noitre the bay to the south, trying to follow the creek below
the settlement. We took the French prisoner for a guide,
because he had told us he knew the bay and had been all
over it in a bark. In view of this assurance we let him guide
us. He did not guide us down the creek, because he said it
had no crossing. We went [instead] five leagues to the south-
west; then, after going around the head-waters of two creeks,
we went three leagues farther, to the east, when we came upon
the shore of the bay. Here we slept, as we arrived at twilight.
Sunday, the 24th, very early in the morning, we set out
along the shore of the bay, which at that season was at low
water. There are many lagoons of salt water around it whose
marshes prevented us at some places from crossing on horse-
back. For long stretches, therefore, we went on foot, leading
1 See a drawing of the fort and of the inscription in De Leon, Historia de
Nuevo Le6n, pp. 330-331. Additional details are given there. See also De Leon's
letter of May 18.
2 From this it is inferred that a special description of the French settlement
was contained in the autos drawn up by De Leon.
3 The distances given by the map total one hundred and thirty-seven leagues;
those of the Itinerary one hundred and nineteen, some being omitted. (Miss
West.)
the horses. The arm of the sea which appeared to us the long-
est runs in toward the north, another smaller one to the south,
and the other, the smallest, toward the settlement mentioned
in this diary.
We went eight long leagues along the shore, till it pleased
God that we should discover the mouth, through which one
enters the bay. This was probably about two leagues from
the place we could reach on horseback. We were greatly re-
joiced at this discovery, in token of which we fired a salute
with our arquebuses. The Frenchman affirmed that this was
the mouth of the harbor, through which he had entered when
he came into these parts with Monsieur Felipe So-and-So.
The mouth of the harbor, so far as we could judge, is about
two short leagues across. There is a bar of low land across
it which is closer to the mainland on the side toward Vera
Cruz than toward Florida. The Frenchman says that ships
enter through the narrowest passage. On the south the river
which we named Nuestra Seniora de Guadalupe falls into the
bay. We did not actually see its mouth, because it was im-
possible to reach that point; but we came to that conclusion
because when we crossed it we saw that it was near the bay,
and also because the Frenchman made a statement to that
effect.' The arm of the sea which extends inland on the
north of the bay is so wide that we could not see land on the
other shore.2 On the shore of the bay, which we ran for about
eight leagues, we saw a topmast of a large ship; another-a
small top-gallant mast, a capstan, some barrel-staves, and
other timbers, which must have belonged to some ship that
was lost in the bay or along the coast whose harbor we had
sighted.3 After seeing and exploring the mouth of the bay,
we went back the same way we had come, and we camped for
the night on the bank of a creek near a little mott. Here
had been an Indian village, but it had been abandoned for
some time. We found in the village a book in the French
language, a broken bottle-case, and other things which gave
1 As a matter of fact, the Guadalupe River does not flow into Matagorda
Bay.
2 The reference is to the main body of Matagorda Bay.
3 These things were the wreckage of L'Aimable and La Belle, two of La
Salle's vessels.
On the 25th of April we set out from there and went to the
camp. There we found2 an answer to the letter that had
been written to the Frenchmen who had gone to the Texas.
The letter, read by the alf6rez, contained in substance that
within two days they would come to where we were, for by
that time they were tired of being among barbarians. There
was only one signature-that of Juan Larchieverque3 of Bay-
onne. It was written with red ochre. The distance trav-
ersed, in going to reconnoitre the bay and in returning, was
fifty-two leagues. On that day, Monday, the 25th, the main
camp remained stationary.
There was a very large river which the French prisoner
said was toward the north and flowed into the bay. We
found it at a distance of about three leagues,4 and followed
its bank to where some lagoons form an impediment. It is
a very large river; larger, it seemed to us, than the Rio Bravo;
so large that a small vessel can navigate it. We determined
to see its discharge into the bay, even though it should be a
1 Next year a place in this vicinity was called ""Arroyo de las Canoas,""
probably referring to these canoes. (Itinerary of 1690, entry for June 20.)
2 See Massanet's letter, p. 363, note 1.
3 Jean L'Archeveque. See p. 364, note 3.
4 The Autor An6nimo says six leagues (Historia de Nuevo Le6n, p. 335).
The stream was the Lavaca, but has been wrongly identified by some writers
as the Colorado, a stream fifty miles or more distant. The stream called the
San Marcos further inland was the Colorado.
Friday, the 29th, the main body halted.
Saturday, the 30th, the main body again halted.
1 The Garcitas.
2The Autor An6nimo says 29° 3'. The figures of the diary are evidently
a misprint. The actual latitude of La Salle's fort was not far from 28° 40'.
3 Vespers. 4 He had found them near the Colorado River.
1 Called Santiago Grolette in Massanet's letter, p. 364, above.
2The Autor An6nimo, who was in the expedition, writes: ""This captain
of the Tejas was not in his own country there, but a long distance from it.""
(De Leon, Historia de Nuevo Leon, p. 339.) See also De Leon's letter of May 18.
May 10, the governor went ahead' with some companions
to send a dispatch to His Excellency, giving an account of
this discovery. We arrived at the presidio of Cohaguila
today,
May 13th, at nightfall. Here ends the diary. To
insure its authenticity, it is signed by the governor,
ALONSO DE LEON.
1 Adelant6. He went ahead with fifteen men, the two Frenchmen, and
Martinez. On the 18th Martinez was sent to Mexico with the Frenchmen and
the despatches. (De Leon, Historia de Nuevo Le6n, p. 342.)
. . . Sunday, the 9th, after mass we set out northeast-by-north
over level land and, crossing two wooded valleys, entered a
mesquite grove and found the ford of the Nuezes River.
Here we camped in a meadow on the bank of the river, having
marched this day five leagues. 5.
&nbs ;
Monday, the 10th, having crossed the river on a passage-
way of trees,2 we set out towards the east, and traveled two
leagues. Then we marched towards the north another two
leagues and, making a detour3 to the east over level land, but
with some mesquite brush, crossed the Sarco River. The
company camped here, having marched this day seven
leagues. 7.
& bsp;
Tuesday, the 11th, we set out towards the north over some
plains, crossing some knolls. We camped by the Rio Hondo,
having marched six leagues. 6.
&nbs ;
Wednesday, the 12th, we were delayed with the company,
to search for two comrades who were lost in a severe rain-
storm the preceding day. We marched 0.
Thursday, the 13th, at noon, the two comrades arrived,
and at the same time we learned from some Indians that six
leagues from this place there was a gathering of Indians where
a Frenchman had come. With twenty soldiers I set out this
day towards the west along the northern bank of the river.4
At about five leagues I camped for the night. 5.
Friday, the 14th, at dawn, I continued my march and,
making a detour towards the north over a plain, arrived at
the bank of a river where the Indian encampment was. A
great number of them, both large and small, came out to see
us and, upon giving them tobacco and biscuits, they informed
us that two Frenchmen were on the other bank of the Guada-
lupe River. One Indian had a French musket. Having heard
(footnote) 1 This stream is not mentioned in the 1689 expedition.
2 ""Por un ailadero de arboles,"" omitted from C.
3 The same detour is mentioned in the 1689 diary and map, under date of April 5.
4 C adds that Captain Don Gregorio Salinas Varona was among the twenty.
Sunday, the 23d, after mass the company set out east by
northeast through some live-oak groves and camped near the
Guadalupe River, where there is an arroyo close to the river.
We marched five leagues. 5.
&nbs ;
Monday, the 24th, the company set out down stream and,
having crossed the river with much difficulty,' because there
was so much water, we camped on the other bank, having
marched two leagues. 2.
&nbs ;
Tuesday, the 25th, I set out with twenty soldiers,2 leaving
the company in the aforesaid place, and went towards the
east to reconnoitre the Bay of Espiritu Santo. This day we
marched fourteen leagues and camped on the banks of some
small pools of water. 14.
Wednesday, the 26th, we arrived at the French settlement,
which we saw last year.3 Having ascertained from its form
that it was as before, and having learned where the artillery
was buried, we burned the wooden fort; and, going two leagues
further, we recognized in the bay what were apparently two
buoys, one at the mouth of the San Marcos River and the
other at one side, indicating the same channel. The sun was
not observed as the day was cloudy. From there we returned
up the arroyo of the French settlement, to see if we might
meet some Indians from whom to obtain information, but,
not having met any, we camped on the bank of the ar-
royo,4 having marched this day, in going and coming, four-
teen leagues. 14.
&nb p;
Thursday, the 27th, we returned to the camp, having
marched up the arroyo of the French in search of some In-
dians of whom to obtain news. After making some detours
we reached the camp. We marched this day twenty
leagues. 20.
1 The crossing was at the same place, or not far from the same place, as
that of the 1689 expedition. In 1689 the distance from the Guadalupe to the
French settlement was given as seventeen leagues east-northeast. In 1690 the
settlement was reached by going nineteen leagues eastwardly, the difference
being probably one of estimating.
Thursday, the 11th, we continued our journey towards the
northeast about twelve leagues, to a high hill which had a
clump of very high trees, where we found some Indians camped,
who informed us of another Frenchman who was near there
in a rancheria. I sent an Indian to summon him and another
Indian afterwards told us that other Frenchmen had arrived
at the entrance to the Bay of Espiritu Santo. At the same
time I sent two soldiers to the camp in order that four should
come with supplies and a relay of horses, so that, if the French-
man should not come, we might go in search of him. We
crossed the San Marcos River this afternoon in order that,
since it had rained heavily, it might not rise and keep some of
us on one side and some on the other. We marched this day
sixteen leagues.l 16.
&n sp;
Friday, the 12th, in the morning the French boy arrived
with three Indians and said his name was Pedro Muni; at
the same time came the soldiers whom I sent to summon
from the camp. We therefore advanced towards the northeast
until we reached it. We marched this day six leagues.2 6.
Saturday, the 13th, the company set out from San Joseph
towards the east about three leagues, and another three towards
the northeast, crossing some valleys and arroyos with little
water. Stopping upon the bank of an arroyo, we gave it the
name of San Francisco de Asis.3 We marched six leagues. 6.
Sunday, the 14th, the company set out for the Colorado
River, crossing some valleys towards the northeast and, halting
on its banks, we gave it the name of Espiritu Santo River,4
having marched six leagues. 6.
&nbs ;
Monday, the 15th, the company set out down stream and
at a distance of half 5 a league crossed the river. Passing
Francisco Martinez continued north with the camp, crossing the San Marcos,
and proceeded to the place where De Leon had left his companions, at San Ilde-
fonso, having traveled eight leagues.
(footnote) 1 C adds that the camp moved this day to a better site, called San Joseph,
three leagues northeast.
2 C adds that they found the camp, which awaited them, six leagues from
the river, towards the north.
3 Evidently the Yegua River.
4 The Brazos River.
5 C states that the camp moved east three leagues, crossed the river, then
one league northeast, then north one league to San Juan, going the same distance. . .
Thursday, the 22d, at dawn we set out in the same
northerly direction over some very large plains to the bank
of the Guadalupe River, and about ten o'clock at night we
halted near a small wood, having marched this day fourteen
leagues. 14.
&nb p;
Friday, the 23d, we set out towards the north for about two
leagues, where we found the track of the company which had
gone by, and after about three leagues we came up with them
at the ford of the Guadalupe River, where we halted, having
marched five leagues. 5.
&nbs ;
Saturday, the 24th, St. John's day, the company set out
from the said place, and, crossing the Guadalupe River, we
continued our march to an arroyo which is before the Real
de Agua Salada, where we camped, having marched this day
seven leagues. 7.
&nbs ;
Sunday, the 25th, the company set out from the said place,
and passing by the Real de la Salada, we reached the Arroyo
del Leon, where the company halted, having marched this day
seven leagues. 7.
&nbs ;
Monday, the 26th, the company set out from the said
place, and we reached the Medina River,3 where the company
halted, having marched this day five leagues. 5.
&nbs ;Tuesday, the 27th, the company set out from the said
1C says four were killed and two wounded.
2 C says twelve leagues north.
3 C says they crossed the Medina and gives the distance as six leagues.
Letter of Fray Damian
Massanet to Don Carlos de Siguenza, 1690
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