The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 41, July 1937 - April, 1938 Page: 313

Mezquia Diary of Alarc6n Expedition Into Texas, 1718 313
more than five hundred and fifty horses, more or less. The camp
stopped at this place until April 7, inclusive.
On the 8th [of April] the camp went to the place of Las Rosas
de San Juan4 which is about four and a half leagues distant. The
road from the river to the camp of El Cuerbo, which is about a
league and a half distant, is rough because of the hills that traverse
it. The rest is good and level.
On the 9th the governor left the mission of San Juan del Rio
del Norte,5 and he stopped at the said place of Las Rosas. The
place is delightful because of the many flowers with which it
clothes itself. Here (they say) water is never lacking although it
is not running. On the banks of the stream are many small bushes
which in these lands are called rosas de San Juan.
On the 10th we went on and stopped at El Carrizo, which is
about seven leagues distant. The road is good and level. At three
leagues are found some magueyes, and after these are passed, at
about half a league there are two deep creeks with some live oaks.
After that, at two leagues, another creek presents itself, dry and
very overgrown with live oaks. The rest of the way is wooded
with mesquites. This road is good and abundantly supplied with
water because of the large pools which the running water forms,
but it is not enough for irrigation." We stopped at this place
until the 12th.
On the 12th we arrived at Caramanchel, which is three leagues
and a half from the aforesaid place. The road is good although in
places it is wooded with mesquites and much cactus. At the
entrance to the said place a wood of large live oaks presents itself.
The pools at this place are large although the water does not
taste good.
On the 13th we stopped because it was raining early in the
4The route of the expedition and the translations of the various places
named by the diarists have been carefully given in the translation of the
C1liz diary. See note 1. Therefore, they will not be repeated here.
sThis mission was founded in 1699 and became the nucleus for a group
of mission settlements near present Guerrero, Coahuila, from whence all
the expeditions thereafter started which went to East Texas. It was also
known as San Juan Bautista del Rio Grande.
6It is interesting to note that the Spaniards were constantly looking for
places where irrigation would be possible. See a similar note in Hoffmann,
Diary of the Alarc6n Expedition, p. 91, note 9.