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Show FRANCISCO VASQUEZ CORONADO 177 When the army arrived at Chiametla, camp was made at the ruins of a village which had been established by Nufio de Guzman. The settlers had been driven away by a pestilence caught from the Indians, and by fierce attacks from the natives who lived in the surrounding mountains. There was a growing scarcity in the food supply for the army, and Coronado sent a force into the mountains to obtain provisions, if possible. The foraging party was put in command of Lope de Samaniego. After leaving the clearing the force under Samaniego entered a dense thicket, when one of his soldiers became separated from his command. The Indisns, out of sight, attacked him, and the commander, hearing his cries, hastened to his assistance. The Indians, who had tried to seize him, disappeared, and Samaniego, believing himself entirely safe, raised his visor. Without warning of any sort an arrow shot from among the bushes pierced his eye and passed through his skull. The death of this officer was a great loss to the army, and was avenged by Coronado who captured a number of natives and hung them to trees in the vicinity for the February, 1540.’’ Mr. Bandelier, the study of everything connected however, who has given much with this expedition than has more time to been possible for any other investigator, in his work, The Gilded Man, p. 164, adopts the date which is given by Mota Padilla. The best and the safest way out of this tangle in chronology is gained by accepting the three specific dates, February 23, or possibly 24, Easter, and April 22, disregarding every statement about the number of days intervening. ‘i Castafieda, however, who was 195 This is from the account of Mota Padilla. on the ground at the time and ought to know what happened, says: During this time, the army-master, Lope de Samaniego, went off with some soldiers to find food and at one village, a cross-bowman having entered it indiscreetly in pursuit of the enemies, they shot him through the eye and it passed through his They also shot five or six of his companions brain, so that he died on the spot. before Diego Lopez, the alderman of Seville, since the commander was dead, He put a guard in the village collected the men and sent word to the general. There was great confusion in the army when this and over the provisions. Several sorties were made by which He was buried here. news became known. They hanged food was obtained and several of the natives taken prisoners. those who seemed to belong to the district where the army-master was killed. hallaron la tierra alzada, de .. .‘‘A Chametla Mota Padilla says: Suerte que fue preciso entrar 4 la sierra en busea maiz, y por cabo el per “< — espatura de un monte, = campo, Lopez de Samaniego; internaronse en la i6 un soldado que inadvertimiente se aparté, fue aprehendido por los = pone el maese de campo, y a —- _ voces, 4 las que como vigilante, acudio alzo e - re u : Ja vista a tiempo ie al soldado, y pareciendole estar seguro, matoralles se le desparé una flecha, que entrandole por un 0jo, 7 ceria el . ; 08; (era) uno de los mas enforzados y amado Samaniego cerebro. enterrose en una ramada, de donde despues sus huesos fueron translados 4 Compostela. ’’ WINN) |