For determining the location of these tribes our chief materials are the
Journal of Joutel (1687), the Relación of Francisco de Jesus Maria Casañas
(1691), De Leon's diary of the expedition of 1690, Terán's for that of 1691-2,
those of Ramon and Espinosa for the expedition of 1716, Pena's for that of
Aguayo (1721), Rivera's for his visita of 1727, Solis's for that made by him in
1767-8, and Mezières accounts of his tours among the Indians in 1772, 1778, and
1779. Two only of these are in print, while two of them have not before been
used.1 Besides these and numerous supplementing
documentary sources, there are:
(1) the early surveys showing the Camino
Real, or Old San Antonio Road, whose
windings in eastern Texas were determined
mainly by the location of the principal
Indian villages where the Spaniards had
settlements,
(2) Certain unmistakable topographical
features, such as the principal rivers and
the Neche Indian mounds, and
(3) Geographical names that have come down
to us from the period of Spanish occupation.
It will be interesting, before studying
the location of each one of the tribes
separately, to read the general description
of the group given by Jesus Maria in 1691.
Speaking of the Great Xinesi, he said, "To
him are subject all of these nine tribes:
The Nabadacho, which, for another name, is
called Yneci. Within this tribe are founded
the mission of Nuestro Padre San Francisco
and the one which I have founded in Your
Excellency's name, that of El Santíssimo
Nombre de Maria. The second tribe is that of
the Necha. It is separated from the former
by the Rio del Arcangel San Miguel [the
Neches]. Both are between north and east.2
At one side of these two, looking south,
between south and east, is the tribe of the
Nechaui, and half a league from the last,
another, called the Nacono. Toward the
north, where the above-mentioned Necha tribe
ends, is the tribe called Nacachau. Between
this tribe and another called Nazadachotzi,
which is toward the east, in the direction
of the house of the Great Xinesi, which is
about half way between these two tribes,3
comes another, which begins at the house of
the Great Xinesi, between north and east,
and which is called Cachaé. At the end of
this tribe, looking toward the north, is
another tribe called Nabiti, and east of
this a tribe called the Nasayaha. These nine
tribes embrace an extent of about
thirty-five leagues and are all subject to
this Great Xinesi."4
This description will be convenient for
reference as we proceed.
It may be noted here that the average league
of the old Spanish diaries of expeditions
into Texas was about two miles. This should
be kept in mind when reading the data
hereafter presented.
1. Of the diaries of De León
and Espinosa I cite only the manuscripts in
the Archivo General y Pãblico, Mexico.
These, I believe, are not otherwise
available, and have not before been used
except by Mr. R. C. Clark, who has recently
had access to my transcripts. Of Jesus
Maria's Relaci6n I follow an autograph
manuscript, which, however, appears to be a
copy instead of the original. Of the diaries
of Terán and Ramón I have had access to the
originals, and of the Mezières manuscripts
either to the originals or to certified
official copies. My copy of the Rivera diary
is from the edition printed in 1736. For the
Peña and Soils diaries I have had to depend
upon the copies in the Memorias. On
comparing Memorias transcripts, in general,
with the originals I have found that they
are very corrupt and that numerous mistakes
have resulted from their use. But in cases
where there are no essential differences, I
cite the Memorias copies, because they are
more generally accessible; otherwise I cite
the originals.
2. Meaning north and east of
the point where he was writing, near San
Pedro Creek, Houston County, as will appear
below.
3. My text (see note 3, p.
256) may be correct here. It reads "q esta,
Como almediodia y enel Medio de las dos
N'aciones." It is possible that the copyist
first wrote almediodia by mistake for enel
Medio de and then wrote the latter
correctly, but neglected to erase the words
written by mistake. Other data seem to bear
out this supposition.
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The Native Tribes About The East Texas Mission's, Quarterly of the Texas
State Historical Association, By Herbert E. Bolton, April 1908
