On the trail of a Spanish pioneer; the diary and itinerary of Francisco Garces (missionary priest) in his travels through Sonora, Arizona, and California, 1775-1776; translated from an official contemporaneous copy of the original Spanish manscript, and ed., with copious critical notes

On the trail of a Spanish pioneer; the diary and itinerary of Francisco Garcés (missionary priest) in his travels through Sonora, Arizona, and California, 1775-1776; translated from an official contemporaneous copy of the original Spanish manscript, and e - Page 234

COMMENTARY ON CORONADO. 519 the northeast? Furthermore, where, after traveling four days in that direction, could there have been found a river which flowed down to Cicuye, the current of which was so ' large and deep' that it became necessary to spend four days of rapid work to build a bridge ere the army could cross? Such an in­significant tributary of the Pecos as the Gallinas is certainly out of the question, as Bandelier concluded after deciding the point in its favor, and the Mora and Canadian are likewise in­appropriate, inasmuch as neither the latter nor its branch flows by Cicuye or Pecos. Further proof that the Pecos could have been the only stream over which the bridge was built four days after the army left the last pueblo is given in the definite and important statement of Castaiieda ( p. 510) that, ' On its return [ from the plains] the army reached the Cicuye River more than thirty leagues below there- I mean below the bridge they had made when they crossed it, and they followed it up to that place . . . The guides said this river joined that of Tiguex [ = Rio Grande] more than twenty days from here, and that its course turned toward the east . . . As I said, the army fol­lowed the river up as far as Cicuye* It is far easier to find error in the direction given [ by Jaramillo] than in the con­sistent statements regarding the Rio Cicuye and its relation to* the pueblo of that name. All the evidence ( save the statements^ of the direction followed from Cicuye Pueblo) and all the physiographic features of the country are to the effect that the-river which it became necessary to bridge was the Pecos and that it was crossed southeastwardly from the pueblo. There is absolutely nothing save the direction ( on which, as we have frequently seen, little reliance can be placed) to support the conclusion that a northeasterly course was pursued from the pueblo of Cicuye- Pecos." In my view, Mr. Hodge has here let the cat out of a very large mealbag, and I do not hesitate to accept his contention. There are other strong features of his case, upon which I cannot dwell* further than to emphasize the fact that the adjustment he makes