Diary of Leon's expedition to Bahia del Espiritu Santo from Coahuila. Accompanied by French prisoner with many contacts among Indians, Spaniards- encounter gathering of Indians of 5 naciones - Hapes, Jumenes, xiabu, Mescales, y otra- living in casilla cuvierta de Cueros de cibola- who hang heads of enemies from poles in front of their dwellings; note petroglyphs; journey thru great stretches of Mesquite, Nopales so thick at times they have to dismount; describe Flora, fauna, especially trees, commenting on great numbers, good quality of native walnuts, and buffalo; hear of 4 French traders operating among Indians, trading knives, tobacco for buffalo hides which they transported on dogs; lose over 100 horses in stampede, of which all but 36 recovered; reach French settlement and find it destroyed by Indians- books, bones, broken arcabuces scattered thru wreckage, explore Rio San Marcos; told by Indians that French community at Espiritu Santo suffered epidemic of smallpox (viruelas) which killed more than 100, then were tricked by Indians who came from far away under pretext of desire to trade and killed French in their homes; encounter Texas Indians, some of whom accompany Spaniards back to Coahuila presidio. (T. Sheridan) (1977)