We set out at two o'clock in the afternoon. At about half a league we took the opening to the right, which is the one carrying less water and with some small trees, leaving the one on the left, which is the main stream, for we always tried to stay as close as we could to the mainland of San José. But if others come after us, they should follow the main river, because all the other openings lead to branches which leave it [the main river] and return to it, forming an infinity of islands.[31] We cruised to the south, but there are so many twists and windings that at times we circled the compass. The principal turns are south and southwest, and the course follows this way twice, but the banks are covered with nothing but tule, and so high that one sees nothing but sky, water, and tule. We kept on till eleven o'clock in the evening because there was no place to stop, and slept in the boats. There is land but it is flooded. [The stream] has a depth of 8 to 14 varas and a width of 80 varas, although in some places it widens, as at the turns and bends. At about nine o'clock at night the river divided into two parts, and that which we left goes on to join the big river [Río Grande] which we encountered on the 22nd. It carries more water than the one we followed, and the two join a little before the place where we set up the cross. We did not measure the distance we traveled on account of the bends and turns made by the river.[32] _19th day._ We set forth at five o'clock in the morning and traveled until twelve o'clock noon. The river keeps on in the same way with its windings, covered with tules, but now one meets land that is a little higher but still bare of trees. We ran upon two or three village sites, the people from which have already been made Christians at the mission of San José.[33] We set out again at two o'clock in the afternoon, and after a league's travel found three heathen women seventy years of age, with one husband and one boy, who were San José Christians. They had quite a few fish. This place is known as being good for fishing, and here, as along all the river, are many signs of beaver, although I have never seen more than the signs. This afternoon, already, the river has turned to the east, with an occasional bend to the southwest. We went about three leagues and slept in the land of the Bolbones. Still there are ponds and tule swamps, although it is said that white men have pastured horses only about half a league away.[34]