The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 22, July 1918 - April, 1919 Page: 219
521 p. : ill. (some col.), ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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The First Europeans in Texas, 1528-1536
there were some esleros or lagoons of rainwater, which remained
collected after the floods of the Rio Grande receded, and these
usually lasted all the year. No one had settled on these lands, ex-
cept the barbarous Indians, who, up to the time of the hearing',
supported themselves there, and continued their ranchos in the
center of these lands. The witness was of the opinion that the
settlement of these lands would lead the Inclians, by reason of
their association with the settlers, to give way to reason, and sub-
mit themselves to law and God, as already was gradually hap-
pening.
On June 4, 1777, the special judge, with surveyors, the inter-
ested parties, assisting witnesses, and other experts and officials,
began a formal inspection and survey of these lands. They re-
ported that the lands were situated about fifteen leagues from the
village of Reynosa (Viejo), and were low and of hot temperature.
The windings of the Rio Grande formed bends, which contained
dense stretches of canebrakes, thickets and brambles. Here were
willows, ash, elms, hackberries and other trees natural to the
region. A resaca ran from the river, in direction between north
and east, and there was a lake or pond therein, which was encir-
cled by little short palms, elms and brambles, and a great deal of
prickly pear (nopal). A very dense and wide wood ran about due
north, dividing the open places, which were not very extensive.
In an estero, or arroyo, which wound inland toward the center of
the land, were two small lakes of fresh water and one of salt water.
More to the center of the lands, far from said arreoyo or, estero, was
found a little well, made by the Indians, with very little water.
Here the inspecting party found grouped a nation of heathen In-
dians, who called themselves los Pauragues. These Indians in-
vited the party to dismount and some of them did so. One of the
Indians guided them, so that they might find their way out of
those lands. They pressed through very imprenetrable thickets,
which they could not have gone through without that guide, who
took them westwardly, through a very narrow path the Indians
had made. They came to some high lands, or hills of sand, well
covered with grass. Near those high lands, there was a kind of
brake, with a great many elms, anacuas, and escobas.
They also inspected many habitations of old ranchos on the edge
of the woods, then unpopulated. On the west side of these lands
there was a very big and solid forest, extending from north to219
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 22, July 1918 - April, 1919, periodical, 1919; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117156/m1/233/: accessed April 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.