Diary of Father Pedro Font
Colonizing Expedition, 1775-1776
May 1 SP -- The two commanders continued their correspondence.
May 2 SP -- We set out from the mission of San Gabriel at four in the afternoon, and arrived at the Arroyo de San Gabriel at five, having travelled two leagues.
May 3 SP -- We set out from the Arroyo de San Gabriel at half-past six in the morning, and, at a quarter to six in the afternoon, halted in a plain about a league on this side of the Río de Santa Ana, having travelled ten leagues.
May 4 SP -- We set out from the plain at seven in the morning, and, at a quarter past six in the afternoon, halted in a small pass which leads into the valley of San Joseph, having travelled nine leagues.
May 5 SP -- We set out from the pass at six in the morning, and, having travelled thirteen leagues, halted, at seven in the afternoon, in the Cañada de San Patricio near the source of its stream, a little short of the place where we halted on our outward journey.
May 6 SP -- We set out from the Cañada de San Patricio at a quarter to seven in the morning, and, at four in the afternoon, halted at the Pie del Sauce, on the Arroyo de Santa Catarina, having travelled thirteen leagues.
May 7 SP -- We set out from the Pie del Sauce at five in the morning, and arrived at San Sebastián at a quarter-past seven in the afternoon, having travelled fourteen leagues.
May 8 SP -- It was decided to go as directly as possible across the plains and sand-dunes which we were following, and come out at the Pozo Salobre del Carrizal without going down to the Pozos de Santa Rosa, in order to save some distance. We therefore set out from San Sebastián at noon, and, at half-past ten at night, halted in the middle of the dry plain without grass or water, having travelled fourteen leagues, the first three of them almost due east, and the remaining eleven to the east-southeast and somewhat to the southeast.
May 9 SP -- We set out from the dry plain at half-past four in the morning, and arrived at the Laguna de Santa Olalla at a quarter to eleven at night, having travelled twenty leagues: one of them to the east-southeast, ten to the southeast and somewhat to the south-southeast with some deflections to the south and east; and, finally, two to the east-southeast, in which we crossed the line of our outward journey, which makes thirteen leagues to the Pozo Salobre del Carrizal, where we arrived at one in the afternoon. As we found the water here discolored and worse than when we came, and as there was no grass, we decided to go on to the Laguna de Santa Olalla.
May 10 SP -- We set out from the Laguna de Santa Olalla at a quarter to four in the afternoon, and, at a quarter-past seven, halted in the Rancherías del Cojat, having travelled some five leagues.
May 11 SP -- We set out from the Rancherías del Cojat at a quarter to five in the morning, and, at eleven o'clock, arrived at the Puerto de la Concepción on the Río Colorado, having travelled eight leagues. This Puerto de la Concepción, situated a little below the junction of the Gila and Colorado rivers, is a place in which there are some hills of moderate height that form a small pass where the Río Colorado (which expands so widely in its flow through the plains that when it is in flood it is leagues across) passes through a very narrow channel, upon leaving which it again spreads out. For this reason the site has a very pleasant outlook, and is the best place that I have seen on this river for a settlement, for it is close to the river and yet free from its inundations, however much it may rise, though the space is so restricted that there is only room for the church and a few houses on the somewhat rugged little table-land which forms it.
Here we met Father Tomás Eixarch, who had come to live at this place with Captain Palma, because it was better than the one where we had left him on the outward journey, about a league up the river from this pass, and, further, because it was impossible to remain there when the river was high. We were expecting to find Father Francisco Garcés at this place, but he was not there, nor did his companion, Father Tomás, have any news of him since he went up the river to the Jalchedunes. The latest news we had of Father Garcés was on the 15th of April, by a letter which the father himself wrote to the commander from the mission of San Gabriel, where he was during Holy Week, in the early part of April. He had gone thither because, having been up beyond the Jalchedunes, he had found the nation of the Jamajá, who received him peaceably and offered to accompany him to another nation; but inasmuch as a nation unfriendly to them was between, it was necessary to go a long way around in order to get to this other nation. Such was the circuit he proposed to make from the mission of San Gabriel, accompanied by two Indians of the Jamajá nation. He said in his letter that he was returning to the Jamajá nation because it was his duty, and that if he there perceived that he could do any good by going on he would do so, but if not he would return to the Río Colorado, where he would wait for us, that we might go back together. We arrived at the mission of San Gabriel, and there the fathers told us that when Father Garcés went away, he said in speaking of his journey that if he found Indians who would accompany him -- and he did not conceive of any great difficulty in his project -- his intention was to penetrate into the interior and discover a way of getting into New Mexico. We arrived at the Puerto de la Concepción, and here received a confused report that Father Garcés was among the Jalchedunes. So the commander at once sent an Indian interpreter thither with a letter, notifying him that we had arrived and were to resume our journey in three days, which would give plenty of time for the father to come if he was there. But neither Father Garcés nor the messenger came in the three days, nor have we been able to get any further news of him in the interval of these ensuing three months. Whence I infer either that Father Garcés has found a way and means for getting to New Mexico as he desired, or that he has had some great reverse in his apostolic visitations; indeed, as he was ailing, he may have died, or the Indians may have killed him.
May 12 SP -- The letter was sent to Father Garcés, as I said yesterday, and we began to get ready to cross the river, which was now much swollen but flowed quietly in its course. During the time that we were here, I observed that the river rose three or four inches every day, but very gradually, as though its rising were due to the melting of snows. It carried a great deal of brushwood, and the water was turbulent. Captain Palma said that he wanted to come with us in order that he might go to Mexico and pay his respects to the Viceroy, and tell him that he and his Yumas wanted very much to have the Spaniards and the fathers come and live among them. The commander told him of the length of the journey and the delays that would occur, owing to which he would not be able to return to his country for a long time. Palma replied by asking how many years it would be before he could return. The commander told him that it would be a year or more. Then Palma said, "All right"; and, as he persevered in his proposal, he was received by the commander to be taken to Mexico with him. He was not to go alone, however, but with some who would volunteer to accompany him. From among the many who offered themselves, Palma chose two companions, to whom one young Cajuenche was added, and the three, with Captain Palma, accompanied us as far as the presidio of San Miguel, where I left them, and they remained with Captain Anza.
May 13 SP -- [Our people] began to transfer the effects to the other side of the river on a large raft that they made; in the morning one raft-load was taken across, and in the afternoon another, with some of the people, but the raft suffered so much damage that it had to be rebuilt. I tried hard to measure with a rope the width of the river in the gorge, but I was not able to do so, and finally estimated that here the river must be one hundred yards wide, more or less. I observed the latitude of this pass, and found it to be 32° 47'; so I say: At the Puerto de la Concepción, on the Río Colorado, May 13th, 1776, meridian altitude of the lower limb of the sun, 75° 38'.
May 14 SP -- Whilst the raft was being remade, we resorted to the expedient of having the Indian women swim across with a number of articles in trays and large flat bowls, so they spent the whole day in making trips in this fashion. The raft was finished, and at noon a raft-load with some people was taken across. The raft was broken up a second time, so they made two, which were finished at about six in the evening, whereupon the commander decided that we should cross the river. The rafts were loaded with goods, and the commander, Father Tomás, and I, with others -- thirteen of us in all -- embarked on one of them. But as soon as we got into the river the raft began to sink, so two people leaped ashore in great haste, and we eleven who were left found ourselves in danger. A number of Indians, who were on the bank and saw what was happening, threw themselves at once into the water, and, about forty of them surrounding the raft, took us to the other side in twelve minutes amid great noise and confusion, and with no other misfortune to us than a slight wetting.
May 15 SP -- We finished taking across on one raft what was left of the goods, and the few people who remained. In all, six raft-loads and what the Indian women carried took everything, and we were across. We bade farewell to the Yumas with much tenderness on account of the fidelity and affection which they showed us, desiring to know when we should return. We then pursued our way with Father Tomás, waiting no longer for Father Garcés; Captain Palma and his companions joined us. We set out, then, from the Río Colorado at a quarter to five in the afternoon, and, at nine in the evening, halted on the bank of the Gila in the pass, having travelled about seven leagues, the first two in the same direction as when we came, following the same road. The climate that I experienced on the Gila and Colorado rivers is very cold in winter and very warm in summer.
May 16 SP -- We set out from the banks and pass of the Río Gila at half-past five in the morning, and, at half-past six in the afternoon, halted at the Laguna Salobre, having travelled six leagues. It was here decided to leave the road we had taken on our outward journey, and, by going through the Papaguería, to come out at the mission of Caborca, as this was the most direct road to San Miguel de Horcasitas.
May 17 SP -- We left the Laguna Salobre at a quarter past four in the afternoon and, at a quarter to twelve at night, halted in a field of tough grass, called galleta, one league beyond a gully, full of sand, named Los Pozos de en Medio, having travelled eleven leagues: three of them to the south, six to the south-southeast, and two southeast.
May 18 SP -- We started from the field of tough grass at five in the morning, and, at a quarter before two at night, halted in the Llano del Tuzal, before reaching the white pass, having travelled eighteen leagues in varying directions: three to the east by north; two to the northeast; and one to the east-southeast, arriving at the watering-place of La Candelaria, where we stayed until afternoon; afterwards, three to the northeast over rough country, six to the southeast, and three to the east-southeast.
May 19 SP -- We set out from the Llano del Tuzal at five in the morning, and, at half-past eleven, arrived at the Arroyo del Carrizal, having travelled ten leagues, three of them to the southeast, and the others southeast by south.
May 20 SP -- We set out from the Arroyo del Carrizal at a quarter to six in the morning, and, at half-past eight at night, halted at the foot of some hills, having travelled thirteen leagues: six of them to the east; and three to the east-southeast, coming to the destroyed mission called San Marcelo de Sonoitac, where we remained until afternoon; then, two leagues to the south-southeast and two southeast.
May 21 SP -- We set out from the foot of the hills at half-past four in the morning, and, at eleven at night, halted in a field of grass, having travelled seventeen leagues: two to the south-southeast; two to the south-southwest; two to the southwest; and two to the west-southwest, and arrived at Quitobac, formerly a town of visitation of the mission of Sonoitac, called San Luis, where we stayed until afternoon; later, one league to the east-southeast, two to the southeast, one east-southeast, one south, three southeast, and one east-southeast.
May 22 SP -- We set out from the field of grass at a quarter to six in the morning, and arrived near the place called San Ildefonso at half-past ten at night, having travelled fifteen leagues in the following directions: two toward the east-southeast; five to the southeast; one to the south, arriving at San Eduardo de la Aribaycpia, which is a gully filled with sand, where we stayed until afternoon; then three leagues to the south-southeast, two southeast, and two south-southwest.
May 23 SP -- We set out from San Ildefonso at half-past five in the morning, and, at twelve, arrived at the mission of Caborca, having travelled nine leagues: three to the south, three southeast, and three to the east-southeast. All the road through the Papaguería is very winding and twisting, on account of the great scarcity of pasture and, more particularly, of watering-places, so that the necessity of hunting for them is the reason why this road is so hard to traverse. At the presidio of Altar we asked for some animals to relieve those that were entirely worn out by the hard road of the Papaguería.
May 24 SP -- We remained at the mission. I observed the latitude of this mission and found it to be 30° 44'; so I say: At the mission of Caborca, May 24, 1776; meridian altitude of the lower limb of the sun, 80°.
May 25 SP -- Father Tomás Eixarch went away to his mission of Tumacacori. We set out from the mission of Caborca at a quarter past four in the afternoon, and, at half-past eleven at night, halted in the sandy bottoms named El Bamuri, having travelled ten leagues to the south-southeast.
May 26 SP -- We set from El Bamuri at a quarter past five in the morning, and, at a quarter past eight, arrived at the Real de la Cieneguilla, having marched five leagues south-southeast.
May 27 SP -- We remained here today. I observed the latitude of the camp, and found it to be 30° 14 1/2'; so I say: At the Real de la Cieneguilla, May 27, 1776, meridian altitude of the lower limb of the sun, 81°.
May 28 SP -- Although it had been decided to continue our journey today, we tarried in order to take advantage of the opportunity of travelling in company with some other people who were to set out the next day, and to act as their escort; for the remainder of the road is very dangerous on account of the unfriendly Apaches, who have recently committed a number of outrages and murders along it. Even worse than the Apaches are the Seris and the Pimas or Piatos Alzados.
May 29 SP -- We set out from the Real de la Cieneguilla at a quarter past five in the afternoon, and, at ten o'clock at night, halted at the place called Los Cerritos, having travelled seven leagues, two to the southeast, and five east-southeast.
May 30 SP -- We set out from Los Cerritos at a quarter to five in the morning, and, at a quarter past nine at night, halted in a plain one league beyond the fork of the roads, having travelled fourteen leagues: seven to the southeast, when we arrived at the Aguage del Tecolote, where we remained until afternoon; then seven leagues southeast by east.
May 31 SP -- We set out from the plain at a quarter to five in the morning, and, at a quarter past ten at night, halted on a plain on the other side of the slough, having travelled fifteen leagues: five to the southeast and south-southeast as far as the Pozo de Chrysanto, where we remained until afternoon; then ten to the east-southeast with some variation.
June l SP -- We set out from the plain at five in the morning, and arrived at the presidio of San Miguel de Horcasitas at eight, having travelled four leagues to the east-southeast, almost due east.
June 2 SP -- I stayed at the presidio. At noon I observed the latitude of this presidio, and found it to be 29° 30'; so I say: In the presidio of San Miguel de Horcasitas, June 2, 1776, meridian altitude of the lower limb of the sun, 82° 34'.
Our round trip was thus ended at this presidio of San Miguel de Horcasitas, from which the expedition had set out, and on the 5th of June I went to the mission of Ures, where I wrote out this diary, and drew the map accompanying it, all of which I finished on the 23rd day of June, 1776.
FRIAR PEDRO FONT.
(rubric)