The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 48, July 1944 - April, 1945 Page: 347
617 p. : ill., maps, ports. ; 24 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Texas--
Here was born
America's Petroleum Industry
The first recorded use of American petroleum
by the white man is believed to be that made
by the survivors of the De Soto Expedition.
The tiny handmade ships, making their way
westward along the Texas Gulf Coast en route
to Mexico, were beset by a storm and put ashore
approximately three and one-half miles, west of
Sabine Pass, Jefferson County, about July 25,
1543.
The Gentleman from Elvas- believed to have
been Alvaro Fernandez - in his chronicle, pub-
lished in Evora, Portugal, in 1557, wrote:
"The vessels came together in a creek, where
lay the two brigantines that preceded them. Find-
ing a scum the sea cast up, called copee, which
is like pitch and used instead on shipping, where
that is not to be had, they payed the bottoms of
their vessels with it."
Thus this copee, probably from an asphaltic
seepage which persists even to this day, served
the useful purpose of making the boats seaworthy
again. The expedition reached Mexico, and Fidalgo
Fernandez lived to put on record a priceless bit
of American and Texas history.
The Texas Mid-Continent Oil & Gas Association
Research and Service organization of the
Texas Petroleum Industry
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 48, July 1944 - April, 1945, periodical, 1945; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth146055/m1/347/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.