untitled

CHAPTER V
Friar Marcos De Niza

As might well be supposed, the reappearance of Cabeza de Vaca, who had long been considered as dead, created great excitement, and the accounts given by himself and his companions of their adventures and of the lands through which they had passed, were listened to with eager excitement. Especially did the descriptions, given with all the exaggeration characteristic of travelers in strange lands, of the great and populous cities, of the civilized country near the Rio Grande, and of the houses four or five stories high, of which they were composed, excite the admiration and kindle the adventurous ardor of the Spaniards of Mexico. They happened to arrive just when they were greatly interested in that very country, and ready to believe almost any accounts of its riches, however fabulous.

Six years before, in 1530, an Indian, held in slavery by Nufio de Guzman, then governor of New Galieia, brought the first report of that region, which he called "The Land of the Seven Cities.'' He stated that his father, who was a merchant, used to travel into the interior of the country in order to sell ornamental feathers for which he obtained great quantities of gold and silver, which metals were very common in that country. He added that on several of these trips he had accompanied his father and had seen cities which were so extensive and magnificent as to equal if not exceed in grandeur the city of Mexico. These cities were seven in number and in them the precious metals were so plentiful that whole streets had to be devoted to the goldsmiths. To reach this country, he said, it was necessary to proceed directly north between the great oceans, and on the journey was a desert so extensive that it required forty days to cross.

Inflamed by the description of the riches of the country, and not deterred by the dangers and difficulties of the desert march, Governor Guzman lost no time in preparing for the conquest of this new El Dorado, and soon set out with an army of 400 Spaniards and 20,000 Indian allies on the northern inarch for that purpose. All went well so long as he was within the limits of the Spanish occupation in Mexico, and even until he arrived in the vicinity of the Gulf of California at Culiacan. But here a mountainous region was encountered, so wild and inaccessible that it was impossible to find a proper passage; and large numbers of the Spaniards, who had enlisted in the enterprise without fully counting its cost, lost courage and returned to their homes.

Not wishing to return to Mexico on account of political changes there which had brought his enemies into power, and yet unable to proceed further on his expedition, Guzman, concluded to settle in the part of the country were he then was, looking forward to the day when more favorable circumstances would permit him to carry out his cherished purpose. Before this time came, however, he was accused of various political crimes and thrown into prison and, in 1536, Francisco Vasquez Coronado, a man of high position and a chivalric and adventurous spirit, was appointed governor of the province over which Guzman had ruled and which was called New Galicia.

Just as Coronado was proposing to proceed to the seat of his new government, full of ambition as to his career in this difficult field of action, Cabeza de Vaca with his companions arrived in Mexico, where they were received with great enthusiasm, and the marvelous stories of the regions to the north listened to with the most intense interest. Coronado was charmed and excited by the idea of having such a wonderful field for discovery and conquest on the very border of his province, and determined to lose no time in arranging the preliminaries of an expedition which he trusted might be as glorious and important as those of Cortes and Pizarro. Cabeza de Vaca had already set sail for Spain, but Coronado secured the services of Estevan, the Barbary negro, whose knowledge of the country and of the language and customs of the

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Indian tribes was considered of great value, and immediately organized an exploring expedition, which he placed in charge of a Franciscan monk, named Marcos de Niza.

Marcos himself had had much previous experience in Peru and was considered an admirable leader, and he certainly showed himself unexcelled as a narrator of extraordinary things, however he may have fallen short in other particulars. His report to the king, made immediately after his return in September, 1539, is a very formal document, attested by various notaries, in the presence of the viceroy, the governor, and the high officials; and, while it is full of exaggerations, yet we follow its statements here, both because it gives a fair idea of the spirit of the times and also shows on what foundation the celebrated expedition of Coronado in 1540 was based.

His instructions were to proceed immediately and enter the interior, so as to reach the Land of the Seven Cities, taking Estevan as a guide; to avoid all collisions or difficulties with the natives, and to observe and report on all the products of the country, its resources and advantages, together with the character of the people. As in all the expeditions of that day, religion and conquest went hand in hand; and so he was ordered, in case he found a city so important as to be the proper seat of a monastery, to return forthwith to Culiacan to arrange therefore, "for in the proposed conquest the most important matter is the service of our Lord and the good of the natives of the country."

The expedition, which was principally composed of Mexican Indians, started from San Miguel in the province of Culiacan on the seventh of March, 1539, and first proceeding to the town of Petatlan, continued on northwesterly, parallel to the shore of the Gulf of California, and a short distance from it. Everywhere they were received most hospitably by the natives, who brought provisions and flowers as presents, and wherever there were no houses, arranged arbors of the branches of trees as shelters for the strangers.

At length he arrived at the boundary of a desert so extensive that four days were required to cross it, and which seems to have

formed a complete barrier between the adjacent tribes, for the people on the north side were found entirely ignorant of the language used on the south, and so far from ever having seen a white man, they had not even heard of their existence, and hailed the friar as a celestial visitor, calling him "Hayota," which means a "man from Heaven," and showing him every token of respect and adoration. These people, however, were poor and few in number and the Spaniards eagerly inquired for news of the large and wealthy cities of which they were in search, and were encouraged by the information that four or five days journey from the mountains was a great plain where would be found numerous people, living in large towns, who dressed in cotton, and among whom gold abounded. Not only were their household vessels made of this metal, and the walls of their temples plated with it, but the informants particularized sufficiently to say that they "used thin plates of gold to scrape off their sweat," and also that they wore precious green stones suspended from their ears and nostrils.

It being doubtful, however, in which direction it was best to proceed, Friar Marcos concluded to stop at the largest town of these friendly Indians and send Estevan in advance with a small party to explore the country, with instructions to send a message whenever he should see or hear anything of interest. A novel system of communication was agreed on, it being arranged that if the place discovered was not of special importance, the negro should send back a white cross one hand in length; "if it were of any great matter, one of two handfuls long; and if it were a country greater and better than New Spain, he should send a great cross."
We may imagine, therefore, the excitement and joy occasioned to the friar, when, only four days after the departure of the advance guard, messengers arrived from Estevan, bringing a great cross as high as a man, and tidings that he had information of a new country which was the greatest in the world. To corroborate his wonderful announcement, a native was sent back who had visited the unknown land, and whose statements more

than bore out all that was reported of it. He said that thirty days march in advance was a great kingdom called Cibola, in which were seven mighty cities of great wealth, the houses in which were of stone and generally two or three stories in height, the palace of the ruler being still more lofty. The people were all well-clothed, wealth abounded, and the doors of the principal mansions were ornamented with multitudes of turquoises cut into various shapes.

Scarcely had Marcos had time to realize the importance of this news, when three Indians, called "Pintados" because so elaborately decorated with paint, arrived from the east, who said they were familiar with Cibola, and corroborated all that had been said of the glories of the Seven Cities; and soon other messengers from Estevan arrived, urging the friar to hasten on, as further information increased the importance of the lands to be discovered, and it appeared that besides Cibola itself, there were three other great kingdoms in its vicinity called Marata, Aeus, and Totonteac. Accordingly Marcos lost no time in marching on, and soon met numbers of natives who said that they were familiar with the Seven Cities, as they went there to work every summer; and who had much to say of the wealth of the people, of the long cotton garments they wore, and the turquoises almost universally used as ornaments.

The country was found to be increasingly populous as he proceeded and the people became more and more intelligent and prosperous. For four days the friar passed through a succession of villages in each of which he was treated with the utmost hospitality, and the people were well-dressed in clothes of cotton or of tanned buffalo skin, nearly all of them wearing turquoise ornaments, called "cacona." Here, also for the first time, the Spaniards heard of the existence of sheep in the country, one of the chiefs informing Marcos, after examining his gray woolen suit, that while at Cibola only cotton cloth was used, at Totonteac were "little animals which furnish the wool from which the same kind of cloth was made."

So he traveled on, crossing a desert four days' journey in

width, and then coming to a lovely valley, thickly populated and beautifully cultivated throughout, and which he was five days in traversing. Near the end of the valley was a large town, called Chichilticale, and here the friar was delighted to meet an actual resident of Cibola, the first whom he had seen, and whom he describes as a white man of a good complexion,'' and far superior intellectually to any of the natives with whom he had before been brought in contact. This man, who was quite aged, more than corroborated all that had been heard before. He described Cibola as a very populous city, with fine streets and market places, with five storied houses built of stone, the gates and pillars of the principal residences being of turquoise, while all the household vessels were of gold. With all this it was far from the largest of the Seven Cities, Ahacus, the capital, being altogether superior. He also told of the great surrounding kingdoms and especially of Totonteac, which was the most powerful in the world.

Marcos was now on the border of a wide desert which was the last to be encountered on the route to Cibola, and a multitude of the people offered to act as an escort to that city. When Estevan had passed a short time before no less than 300 had accompanied him, and far more now presented themselves to the friar. But he selected only thirty of these to be his companions, choosing those who were the wealthiest and most important, while a number of others came as servants to carry provisions, the desert journey being one of fifteen days in length.

They started on this expedition on the 9th of May, full of enthusiasm and high hope, and thus proceeded for twelve days and nearly to their journey's end, when suddenly they were met by one of the Indians who had accompanied Estevan, nearly exhausted and covered with perspiration; his appearance foreshadowing the bad news of which he was the bearer.

He told them that on the arrival of the negro at Cibola the inhabitants of the city had taken him and all his company prisoners and put them into a log house just outside the walls, taking from them all the articles of value they possessed and leaving them all night without food or water. The next morning the

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narrator, being very thirsty, had left the. house and gone to a stream nearby for water, and while there saw Estevan running away, being pursued by the Cibolans, who were killing his followers as they went. On seeing this, he had hidden himself, and at the first opportunity fled into the desert.

This unexpected news naturally threw the followers of Marcos into consternation and loud murmurs against the Spaniards soon filled the air. The friar however was equal to the occasion. He opened some of the packages of goods he had brought for traffic and made presents of the contents to the principal men, which had such a reassuring effect that they consented to go forward again, and journeyed on until within a single day's march of Cibola, when they met two more of the Indians who had accompanied Estevan, wounded and bleeding. These told the same story of the capture and attempted escape of the negro and his party. They had been with him at the house and were pursued by the Cibolans, who killed many and wounded all, so that they believed they were the only survivors of the entire expedition. This news, which concerned the sons and brothers of those who formed the escort of Marcos, roused their indignation to a pitch akin to frenzy, not only against the men of Cibola but against the friar who had brought this great calamity upon them; and it required all his address to prevent a dangerous outbreak which would have threatened his own life.

All his persuasion and the promises of unlimited presents did not avail to induce them to go a foot nearer to the city where such destruction had taken place; and Marcos, now forced to abandon all hope of entering the city, had to content himself with taking observations of it from a distance. For that purpose he went to an adjacent elevation from which he could look into it, and in his report says that it maketh show to be a fair city and better seated than any I have seen in these parts. The houses are built in order, all made of stone, with divers stories and flat roofs. The people are somewhat white, they wear apparel and lie in beds; their weapons are bows; they have emeralds and other jewels, although they esteem none so much as turquoise,

Where with they adorn the walls and the porches of their houses and their apparel and dresses, and they use them instead of money. They use vessels of gold and silver, whereof there is greater use and of more abundance than in Peru.

Having thus viewed from afar the Promised Land into which he could not enter, Friar Marcos set up a slender cross and formally proclaimed that he took possession of the province in the name of the viceroy and of the king of Spain, calling the same "El Xuevo Reyno de San Francisco"; and being particular to announce that he not only took possession of Cibola, but of all the Seven Cities and of the kingdoms of Totonteac, of Acus, and of Marata.

This done, he hastened to overtake his escort, which was returning with a rapidity inspired by fear; but found so much feeling aroused against him among the natives that he was glad to escape from them and the people of the valley whose relatives had been slain, by swift traveling. In due time he reached the Mexican towns and made a report to Governor Coronado, which was sent to the viceroy and thence to the emperor, and which by its extravagance of language and extraordinary exaggerations of the wealth and importance of the Land of the Seven Cities created a great excitement in both the New and Old World and swiftly led to the celebrated expedition of Coronado.

CHAPTER VI
Coronado

The reports brought back by Friar Marcos to New Galicia and Mexico were so much beyond what had been hoped, that they naturally created great excitement. While others might have been thought to invent or at least exaggerate, his position as a Franciscan friar gained entire credence for the most highly colored statements, and both the viceroy and Governor Coronado were eager for the exploration and conquest of the new El Dorado beyond the desert.

It was determined immediately to organize an expedition, of which Coronado was very properly named as commander, both because the discovery of Cibola had been made through his instrumentality and also on account of his gallantry and experience in arms. The most chivalrous and enterprising cavaliers of New Spain flocked to his standard as soon as the news of the expedition spread; so that the troop of Spaniards which finally started on the great march was the most brilliant as to family and wealth that had ever been gathered in the New World. Indeed the only difficulty encountered was from this "embaras de richesses" in the material of the expedition, almost every member of which is said to have been worthy of being a leader.

In order that the commander might not gain ill will in the selection of officers, the viceroy performed this duty himself, knowing that all would willingly submit to his decision. "Seeing the great number of gentlemen taking part in this expedition," says its historian, Castaneda, the Viceroy would have been glad to have given each one the command of an army; but as the soldiers were so few, it was necessary to make a choice. He chose for standard-bearer Don Pedro de Tobar, a young cavalier, son

of Don Fernando de Tobar, mayor-domo of the late Queen Joana, our legitimate sovereign, whose soul may God preserve. He appointed as Maestro de Campo, Lope de Samaniego, governor of the arsenal of Mexico, and a chevalier well worthy of this position. The captains were Don Tristan de Arellano, Don Pedro de Guevara, Don Garcia Lopez de Cardenas, Don Rodrigo Maldo-nado, brother-in-law of the Duke of Infantado, Diego Lopez, member of the city council of Seville, and Diego Gutierrez, captain of cavalry. All the other gentlemen were placed directly under the orders of the General, because they were men of distinction, and a number of them were afterwards captains.'' The commander of the infantry was Pablo de Melgosa, and the chief of artillery Hernando de Alvarado.

All told, the army consisted of 400 Spaniards and 800 Indian soldiers, and it was fully organized at Compostela, the capital of New Galicia, in the spring of 1540. To show his great interest, and give special eclat to the occasion, the viceroy himself came to the city and held a grand review of the troops, addressing them in inspiring language on the three-fold importance of their work: to their country, by conquering a great province; to the natives, by bringing them to a knowledge of Christianity; and to themselves, by bettering their future.

The viceroy acompanied the expedition for two days in order to encourage it to the fullest extent. As soon as he departed, the holiday aspect disappeared and the real work of the march began. Many soon found that they had brought far too much baggage for convenience and were glad to give away superfluous articles or leave them on the wayside; others, who had been brought up to lives of idleness and luxury, found themselves compelled to perform work to which they were far from accustomed. Still, all pressed forward eagerly towards the wonderful "Land of the Seven Cities," which was to bring to each one wealth and honor.
At Culiacan, Coronado's impatience to reach the field of exploration and conquest became so great that he decided to press on in advance of the main body of the army; and so, taking Friar

Marcos as guide, with fifty horsemen and a few soldiers on foot, he started on, leaving the remainder under the command of Don Tristan de Arellano, with orders to follow as speedily as possible. The governor and his small company proceeded rapidly over the road traveled by Marcos two years before. They were well treated by the natives, many of whom remembered the former expedition; and were full of enthusiasm until they reached the town on the edge of the desert of which the friar had given such a glowing account, and which was called Chichilticale. But here came a great disappointment; for instead of the flourishing city they had been led to expect, they found in reality but one single dwelling and that in a ruinous condition. It was of great size and its architecture gave evidence of its being the work of some superior and civilized nation in time gone by; but the expedition had not come to seek relics of antiquity but the riches and glory of the present, and was correspondingly disappointed. This great building is readily identified, being that now known as the Casa Grande of Arizona; and its connection with this expedition adds to its intrinsic interest as a specimen of early American architecture.

Although somewhat depressed, Coronado determined still to press on without waiting for the main body to come up; and so marched into the great desert which, even with his well-equipped men he was fifteen days in crossing. At the end of that time, he was gladdened by the sight of a stream of water, which from its reddish color the Spaniards called Vermejo, and which for the same reason is now named Colorado Chiquito (Little Red). They were now but about twenty miles from Cibola itself, and excitement ran high in the camp. Soon after, they saw a few Indians; but they fled at the sight of the invaders. On the evening of the next day, being but five miles from the city, they discerned some natives watching their movements from a hill top, who raised such a frightful cry that for a moment it carried consternation among the Spaniards; but on pursuing the Indians they escaped toward Cibola.

The next day, Coronado and his little army arrived in sight of

the famous city of which they had heard so much: but what was their astonishment and chagrin to find that instead of a great capital, it was but a small town containing not over two hundred warriors, whose power of resistance arose not from the numerical strength of its people but from its situation on a great rock, difficult and dangerous to approach. It was true that the houses were three or four stories high, but they were small and badly .arranged; and one court-yard had to suffice for an entire quarter.

Coronado by signs made overtures of friendship, but the Cibolans seemed instinctively to understand that this meant vassalage, and so prepared to resist an attack outside the walls. An assault soon followed, the Spaniards charging with loud cries of "Santiago." They soon forced the Indians to fly to the shelter of the town. The Spaniards followed, but as the only place of ascent was steep and dangerous, they met with considerable loss. Showers of stones were hailed upon them, and Coronado himself was struck to the ground and narrowly escaped death. Still they pressed on, and finally the discipline of trained warriors, together with the advantage of firearms, prevailed; and the Christians marched in triumph through the streets of the first Pueblo town that had ever been seen by European eyes. This is now called by the Indians "Hawaikuh."

Here Coronado remained for a considerable time, waiting for the arrival of his main army, familiarizing himself with the customs of the people, and gaining a knowledge of the surrounding country. The province of Cibola - which is the modern Zuhi - contained seven towns in all, and all were well governed by the older men. The people were orderly and industrious and exemplary in their habits and morals. They treated the Spaniards with hospitality and in return Coronado prevented any outrages or oppression being committed by his soldiers upon the people. At length the main army arrived, fatigued from their march, and the southern Indians suffering from the effects of the cold and snow to which they were not accustomed; but otherwise they were in good condition.

While they were resting, Coronado sent a small detachment

under Don Pedro de Tobar to visit the province called Tusayan, about twenty-five leagues to the northwest, in which he was told there were seven cities similar to those of Cibola. So secretly and swiftly did this expedition march that it arrived in the night under the very walls of the houses of the nearest of these cities, and the first notice that the inhabitants had of danger was the sight of the Spaniards in their midst at early dawn. Some parleying ensued, followed by an attack by the Spaniards on the natives, terminating as usual in the submission of the latter; and within a short time all of the towns sent deputations to acknowledge the authority of the strangers and to invite them to visit and trade.

This province, which is the modern Moqui or Hopi, was undoubtedly the Totonteae of which Marcos gave such glowing accounts. It consisted of seven villages, governed, as were those of Cibola, by councils of aged men. The people were industrious, raising large quantities of corn, and making well tanned leather. Among the gifts which they presented to the Spaniards were pottery and turquoise.

Here Don Pedro was told of a great river to the westward, on which a race of giants dwelt, and was so much impressed with the description of its size and depth, that Coronado sent another expedition, consisting of twelve horsemen under Don Garcia Lopez de Cardenas, to search for it. This party went first to Tusayan for guides and then for twenty days marched westerly through an uninhabited country until at length they beheld first of all Europeans - what we now know as the Grand Canon of the Colorado. They called it the River Tison, and described its depth by saying that the sides of the canon were "three or four leagues in the air." For three days they traveled along its side, seeking for a place to descend into the canon, but were forced to return without accomplishing that feat.

While this expedition was absent, there came to visit Coronado a deputation from' a province far to the eastward, called Cicuic, headed by their young chief, who on account of his long mustaches was called by the Spaniards "Bigotes." He said that

the news of the arrival of the white men had reached his country, two hundred miles away, and they had come to offer their friendship and services. He told much of the country and its productions, dwelling specially on the great number of buffaloes to be found to the eastward. As this afforded a good opportunity for exploration, Coronado directed Alvarado with twenty men to accompany Bigotes on his return and to gain all the knowledge possible of the country. Accordingly, they set out with the deputation from Cicuic, and at the end of five days came to Acuco - the present pueblo of Acoma - a town impregnably situated on the summit of a great rock, whose sides are so perpendicular that ascent is impossible except in one place, where artificial steps have been made. Here the people were found to have great quantities of pottery, bread, corn, onions, etc., of all of which they generously presented goodly supplies to the Spaniards.

Without delay, however, Alvarado continued on with Bigotes, and in three days came to the province of Tihuex (pronounced Tee-wesh), containing twelve villages in all; the town of Tihuex itself being one of the largest and most important of the pueblo cities, with four-storied buildings, extensive plazas, and large circular estuf as paved with stone. This province stretched along the Rio Grande for thirty or forty miles, from the vicinity of the present Albuquerque to that of San Felipe; the town of Tihuex itself being near Bernalillo, and very possibly identical with the Puara of later narratives. It was the land of the Tihuas, or Tiguas, or Tiwas, as the name of that division of the Pueblo Indians is variously spelled by different writers. Alvarado was so greatly delighted with the fertility of the country in the Rio Grande Valley and with the kindness of the people, that he sent a messenger back to Coronado recommending that the army should make its winter quarters there.

Five days more brought the little expedition, with Bigotes, to the home of the latter at Cicuic, a large and handsome town, built in terrace form around a square, four stories in height, and strongly fortified. Here the Spaniards were received with special

hospitality, as the guests of the chief; and remained for some time, until the main army had arrived at Tihuex.

This town of Cicuic (pronounced See-coo-eek), which was the largest in New Mexico, and, indeed, at that time, in the whole of the present United States, is easily identified as the more modern Pecos. Why it is called by the chroniclers of Coronado's expedition by a different name from that by which it is distinguished in all subsequent history, is difficult to determine. The word is variously spelled Cicuic, Cicuyc, Cieuique, Acuique, etc., and by mistaking the final "c" for an "e," appears in the French translation of Ternaux-Compans as Cicuye, and has been copied in that erroneous form and even with an improvised accent on the final "e" by many recent writers.

While here, Alvarado met a man whose statements had much to do with the future of the expedition. This was a native of the far east, somewhere in the Mississippi Valley, who was held as a servant at Cicuic, and who from his oriental appearance was always called by the Spaniards, "The Turk," to the exclusion of any other name. As soon as he met Alvarado, he began to urge him to march over the plains to a wonderful country, which he described as abounding in all kinds of riches, especially in gold and silver; and whose chief city was called Quivira. So glowing were his accounts, that the Spanish captain felt that it was a mere waste of time to explore a country whose only wealth was in buffaloes; and so, without going further, he hastened back to Coronado, to tell of the great news he had received, taking "The Turk77 with him.

In the meantime, the Spanish army, in accordance with the suggestion of Alvarado, had made Tihuex its winter quarters, taking possession of the houses and treating the inhabitants with much harshness; a poor return for their recent hospitality. Coronado himself waited at Cibola for reinforcements under Tristan de Arellano, and then marched on to Tiheux, taking a route through a province of eight villages, called Tutahaco, which was either in the valley of the San Jose River, near the present pueblo of Laguna or on the Rio Grande near Isleta.

When he arrived in Tihuex, Alvarado lost no time in bringing "The Turk" before him, and the latter was now even more extravagant than before in his descriptions of the east. He said that in that country was a river two leagues in width, containing fish the size of a horse, and navigated by great vessels, in the stern of which the nobles sat under canopies surrounded by every luxury. All his descriptions ended with the statement that the commonest vessels in this far-off land were of silver, and all the table utensils of gold.

Strange to say, these were believed, without a doubt; and such confidence was placed in "The Turk" that those opposing him were distrusted. Even Bigotes and the cacique of Cicuic were seized and imprisoned, on the statement of this imposter that he had left some golden bracelets in their city, which they refused to deliver.
This naturally caused great indignation among the natives, which was enhanced by the injustice and harshness of Spanish officers in collecting cotton goods for clothing for their troops, and by other outrages. The result was a general uprising, in which, after striking one blow, the Indians wisely maintained a defensive attitude within their almost impregnable houses. The Spanish attacks resulted only in loss, until some Indian allies dug underground passages to some of the houses, and by kindling fires, so filled them with smoke, that the inmates were compelled to come out. A large number surrendered under what they understood to be conditions of pardon, but were almost immediately massacred.

All through the winter, hostilities continued, culminating in the siege of Tiheux, which lasted no less than fifty days, with considerable loss on both sides, until the inhabitants were compelled to abandon the town for want of water, and most of them perished in the river, which was intensely cold, or by the hands of the Spaniards, who discovered their retreat. While this siege was in progress, Coronado visited Cicuic in order to regain the friendship of the peopb, and by restoring their cacique to liberty and promising soon to liberate Bigotes, succeeded in that

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design. After Tiheux had been taken, a friendly expedition was also sent to Chia (the pueblo of Zia) four leagues distant; and another to the Queres province to the north; both of which were favorably received.

The whole army was impatient to start on its march to the far east, of which "The Turk" had given such vivid descriptions, and especially to the rich city of Quivira, which was the special object of their ambition. The winter, however, was an unusually long and severe one, so that it was not until early in May (May 5, 1541), that the march from Tihuex actually commenced. At Cieuic, Bigotes was returned to his people, and that chief, together with the cacique, presented to Coronado a young Indian named Xabe, who was a native of Quivira itself, to assist as guide on the expedition. This young man confirmed many of the statements of "The Turk" as to the country in the far east, but was much more modest in his estimate of the wealth of that region. Still, enough was corroborated to make both officers and men very eager to reach this unknown land; so they left Cieuic after a brief stay, and started off boldly into the unknown wilderness to the east.

After crossing some mountains, they came to a large river too deep to ford, and where consequently they were detained four days in constructing a bridge; after which they marched for ten days more over a rough and hilly country, when they arrived at the border of the plains and soon saw the camp of a nomadic tribe called "Quereehos," who lived in tents of buffalo skins, and who were of great intelligence. These Indians informed the Spaniards that far to the east was a river so long that it required ninety days to march along its sides, and which was over a league in width; they also corroborated what "The Turk" had reported of the richness of the country; but not till after they had had a conversation with that worthy. The country now traversed was the great plain east of the mountains in New Mexico, which they found covered with enormous droves of buffalo, literally innumerable in quantity. Occasionally they came to great ravines or canons, in one of which, probably that of the Canadian, they found an encampment of Indians, who

reported that they had met Cabeza de Vaca and his companion on their journey several years before.
Thus the army traveled in a general northeasterly direction, through a level country, well supplied with fruit and fairly populated, daily losing faith in the glowing stories of "The Turk" as they heard the plain statements of Indians, whom he had no opportunity to consult in advance, until their calculation of the distance from Tihuex reached 250 leagues, and they had been thirty-seven days on the route. Provisions were now running low, with no possibility of being replenished, and altogether the situation was so serious that Coronado called a council of war. Here it was finally determined that the general with thirty horsemen and six foot soldiers should proceed in search of Quivira; while the main body of the army, after waiting a reasonable time for advices, should return to Tihuex under Tristan de Arellano. The soldiers, who idolized Coronado, objected strenuously to this programme, but it was nevertheless carried out; "The Turk" being taken with the exploring party, in chains, as punishment for what were now recognized as his false statements.

The little party traveled as rapidly as possible, but still it required no less than forty-eight days to make the journey across the plains to Quivira. This celebrated city, the goal of so many high hopes and ambitions, was found just to the east of a great river and appears to have consisted of a succession of towns and villages situated on small streams which flowed into that river, from the east. The community was certainly great in extent, but as far as wealth was concerned, it was an entire disappointment. So far from possessing great quantities of the precious metals, the people appeared to have no knowledge, whatever, of either gold or silver; indeed no metals were seen at all, except a plate of copper which the ruler wore upon his breast, and which was very highly esteemed by all the people.

Nothing could exceed the indignation of the Spaniards at "The Turk" when these facts became known; and he, seeing that nothing was to be accomplished by further deception, boldly acknowledged that he had given them false information at the request of

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the people of Cieuie, who wished the Spaniards to be led astray on the plains, so that they would perish there or be so exhausted by long marching as easily to be overcome on their return. It is not strange, under the circumstances, that Coronado's officers promptly strangled the impostor, who had led them so far into the wilderness; nor need we be surprised that the general quickly turned back from this city, which though of much importance and interest in certain ways, yet failed to meet the demand for gold which seems largely to have actuated most of the adventurous explorers of those days. Besides, the present expedition, with less than fifty men, was simply to ascertain with exactitude the locality of the city and its surroundings, with a view to a future return with the entire army.
It appears that Coronado entered Quivira and that the people without murmur submitted to the authority of the superior race. At the furthest point that he reached in exploring the city, he erected a great cross with this inscription, "Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, Commander of an expedition, arrived at this place." The houses were generally circular, with roofs of straw, so arranged as to be water tight; and outside, on top, many of them had a kind of cupola with an entrance, where the Indians sat or laid down.

The exact situation of Quivira has been the subject of much investigation and controversy. Some suppose that the great river referred to was the Missouri and that the location was somewhat to the north of St. Joseph, where a number of branches come in from the east. One or two writers have placed it as far north as Council Bluffs, thus claiming that Coronado was the first European to enter Nebraska. The weight of opinion, however, seems to be that it was somewhere in northeastern Kansas, on the banks of a considerable river, but whether as far east as the Missouri or on a smaller stream is uncertain. The description given shows it to have been not unlike other settlements of Indians in that section of the country, none of which was very permanent in character.

The confusing of Quivira with the ruins of Tabira in Central New Mexico, popularly called Gran Quivira, is the most serious

mistake in the otherwise very careful history of the "Spanish Conquest" by Gen. W. W. H. Davis.

While Coronado and his little company had been making their long journey across the plains, the main army under Arellano had returned to Tiheux, taking a more southerly route than that by which they went, passing the salt lagunas in what is now Torrance county, and striking the Rio Grande considerably below the point at which they had crossed before. From Tihuex several expeditions were sent out during the absence of Coronado, one up the Jemez River as far as Jemez and thence to Yuque-yunque (near Chamita), and still further north to the large pueblo of Braba, re-named by the Spaniards Valladolid, and easily recognizable as the present pueblo of Taos; and another exploring the country along the Rio Grande, to the south, a distance stated to be eighty leagues, through the province of the Piros and discovering four towns not before visited, probably including the present Socorro and San Antonio.

In August, Coronado and his little party returned to Cicuic, having traveled from Quivira by a better route in but forty days; and continued to Tihuex, where he determined to devote the fall and winter to preparation for a grand expedition to be undertaken in the coming spring, not only to the land of Quivira, but to regions far beyond. On October 20th, he addressed a long and interesting report to the king of Spain. Every effort was made to reestablish friendly relations with the natives of the country, and to re-clothe and recuperate the army for the spring campaign; and when the winter was at an end, all were looking forward eagerly to the day of departure on their new and important mission.

But on the very eve of their march, an accident changed the whole course of procedure. While Coronado was engaged, on a festival day, at his favorite game of running at a ring, in company with Don Rodrigo Maldonado, the saddle girth broke and he was thrown to the ground immediately in front of the horse of the latter and received a kick in the head which well-nigh proved fatal. As it was, he was confined to his bed for a considerable time, and meanwhile a feeling of despondency spread

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throughout the army. Many of the officers were anxious for various reasons to return to Mexico, and a petition was handed to the general, asking an abandonment of the expedition. Coronado, himself, wearied with sickness, had begun to long for the pleasures of home, where he had left a young and charming wife, and promptly acceded to the request. Then a reaction took place in the army, and both officers and men endeavored to have the decision reversed, but it was too late.

Early in April, 1542, the army set out on its homeward march. Two missionaries, Juan de Padilla and Luis de Escalona, especially desired to remain and labor among the natives; and consequently were left, with the best provision that could be made for their comfort. The former, it is said, was martyred close to Quivira; and the other doubtless also wore the crown and palm, as nothing was heard of him by Espejo or others who afterward visited the country. At Cibola, a number of the Mexican Indians, pleased with the country, concluded to remain and found new homes; and here several of them were met forty years afterwards when Espejo reached that town.

At Chichilticale, the army met reinforcements and military stores, but too late to alter the programme of retreat; and, as soon as the Mexican settlements were reached, the forces began to melt away, the men returning to their homes by the shortest routes, so that when Coronado arrived at the city of Mexico he could barely muster a hundred men. His lack of success caused him to be coldly received by the viceroy, who had built high hopes .on the success of the expedition; and soon after he was deprived of his governorship, and never again takes a prominent place in history.

Thus ended this expedition, which though it accomplished nothing of lasting importance, yet will always be of great interest as giving us through the excellent history of Castaneda and the narrations contained in the reports of Coronado and an anonymous document called the Relacion del Suceso, the first accurate description of the towns, the people, and the customs of New Mexico.