The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 10, July 1906 - April, 1907 Page: 308

Texas Historical Association Quarterly.

A STUDY OF THE ROUTE OF CABEZA DE VACA.
JAMES NEWTON BASKETT.
II.
4. From the Iron Region to the River of Permanent Houses.
Let us go back now and compare the narratives on the hypothesis
that the route ran almost directly westward from the iron region
to the Rio Grande, as is the more probable, since Cabeza's party
say as much to the last Indians encountered before they reached
the Rio Grande: "We told these people that our route was toward
sunset."' So it was, then, thirty leagues out from the Rio Grande,
but what it had been before this is not directly asserted, though no
change is mentioned after their turning west into the mountains
toward the "beautiful river."
Immediately after the mention of the tribe on the beautiful
river, near Cabeza's iron region, Oviedo says2 they reached a great
people of 2,000 souls, in five groups of ranchos, who killed
hares, deer, etc., "on the way." These are the same people with
whom Cabeza passes through or along the valleys, after he had
"traveled among so many different tribes and languages that no-
body's memory can recall them all."" Oviedo does not note
how far it was to this new people, but simply says these went
on with the white men, and never left them. In these
ranchos, says Oviedo, they gave the Spaniards an abundant supply
of pifions "where the trees are full throughout those sierras4 in great
quantity." Cabeza implies" that it was in the country of the
beautiful river that the "small trees of the sweet pine" grew.
HIereby hangs a little matter worth looking into: after leaving
1Cabeza, 146.
2P. 606.
'Cabeza, 142.
'In THE QUARTERLY for January, 1898, Ponton and McFarland quote the
original of this passage with the word serranias here from Bandelier,
where it is rendered "mountain ridges." In the Oviedo to which I have
access, it is as .above.
"P. 140.

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