The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 8, July 1904 - April, 1905 Page: 206
xiii, 358 p. : ill., maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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206
Texas HIistorical Association Quarterly.
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 said1 Rio
Bravo. This Indian can not speak Castilian, (es bosal" but we
got some light on what he was saying through another Indian who
acted as interpreter, albeit a poor one. 5.
2. Saturday, the 2nd, we crossed the river2 and went about
one league north, to avoid some ravines and low hills. Afterward
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 nightfall. The way was
level and untimbered. 5.
3. Palm Sunday, the 3rd, we marched northeast three leagues
through level country, and afterward two more through several
thickets of mesquite (despues huvo otras dos de algunos Monte-
cillos de mesquites). We crossed some little dry creeks; and then
we came upon one that had water in it, on the bank of which we
halted. Altogether we travelled that day five long leagues." We
named this creek the Arroyo de Ramos,4 because we found it on
Palm Sunday. There we observed the altitude of the sun with an
astrolabe, though a defective one, and found our latitude to be
26 31'.6 I must call attention to the fact that the tables on
which this observation was based were made before the so-called
Gregorian correction. This correction was made in the year 1582, in
which the equinox was on the tenth of March. Following the Ephe-
1The Rio Bravo has not been mentioned before. The use of the word
dicho, therefore, would seem to be a further indication of a copyist's omis-
sion. See p. 205, note 3.
2The Rio Bravo (Map). The Letter states that this river is variously
known as Rio Bravo, Rio Grande, Rio Turbio; that all that could be
learned about its source was that it came from the Gran Quivira.
"The meaning here is "at least five leagues, and possibly more."
'Rio de Ramos (Map). Both this river and the Nueces are there rep-
resented as flowing into the Rio Grande. Apparently the, Ramos is in
reality a western affluent of the Nueces.
'There is a mistake in the reckoning of at least one degree, possibly two.
The Rio Grande crossing was made above the junction of the Salado, which
is not far from 270; the Nueces crossing, about eight leagues northeast
from the place of observation. (Map.)
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Texas State Historical Association. The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 8, July 1904 - April, 1905, periodical, 1905; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101033/m1/213/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.