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Show 106 LEADING FACTS OF NEW MEXICAN HISTORY THE ‘At noon we met our messengers, who told us they had not found anybody, because all were hidden in the woods lest the Christians might kill or enslave them; also that, on the night before, they had seen the Christians and watched their movements, under cover of some trees, behind which they concealed themselves, and saw the Christians take many Indians along in chains. At this the people who were with us became frightened and some turned back to give the alarm through the land that the Christians were coming, and many more would have done the same had we not told them to stay and have no fear, at which they quieted down and were comforted. We had Indians with us at the time who came from a distance of a hundred leagues, and whom we could not induce to go back to their homes. So, in order to reassure them, we slept there that night, and the next day went further, and slept on the road; and the day after, those we had sent to explore guided us to where they had seen the Christians. Reaching the place in the evening, we saw clearly they had told the truth, and also, from the stakes to which the horses had been tied, that there were horsemen among them. ‘‘From here, which is called the river of Petutan 112 to the river which Diego de Guzman reached, there may be, from the place where we first heard of the Christians, eighty leagues; thence to the village where the rain overtook us, twelve leagues; and from there to the South Sea,"* twelve leagues. Throughout all that country, wher- ever it is mountainous, we saw many signs of gold, antimony, iron, copper and other metals. Where the permanent houses are it is so hot that even in January the air is very warm. From there to the southward the land, which is uninhabited as far as the Sea of the North, is very barren and poor. There we suffered great and almost incredible Starvation ; and those who roam through that country and dwell in it are very cruel people, of evil inclinations and habits. The Indians who live in permanent houses and those in the rear no attention to gold or silver, nor have they any use for either pay of the metals. ‘“Having seen positive traces of the Christians and become satisfied they were very near, we gave many thanks to our Lord for redeeming us from our sad and gloomy condition. Anyone can Imagine our delight when he reflects how long we had been in that land, and how many dangers and hardships we had suffered. That night I entreated one of my companions to go after the Christians, who were moving through the part of the country pacified and quieted by us, and who were three days ahead of where we were. They did not like my suggestion, and excused themselves from going 112 Petlatlan. This is the Rio 118 The Gulf of California. Sinaloa. Cabeza de Vaca did not go to the coast. FIRST SPANISH EXPLORERS 107 on the ground of being tired and worn out, although any of them might have done it better than I, being younger and stronger. ‘‘Seeing their reluctance, in the morning I took with me the negro and eleven Indians and, following the trail, went in search of the Christians. On that day we made ten leagues, passing three places where they slept. The next morning I came upon four Christians on horseback, who, seeing me in such a strange attire and in company with Indians, were greatly startled. They stared at me for quite awhile, speechless, and so great was their surprise that they could not find words to ask me anything. I spoke first, and told them to lead me to their captain, and we went to Diego de Alcaraz, their commander.** ‘¢After I had addressed him he said that he himself was in a plight, as for many days he had been unable to capture Indians, and. did not know where to go, also that starvation was beginning to place them in great distress. I stated to him that, in the rear of me, at a distance of ten leagues, were Dorantes and Castillo, with many people who had guided us through the country. He at once despatched three horsemen, with fifty of his Indians, and the negro went with them as guide, while I remained and asked them to give me a certified statement of the date, year and day — when I had met them, also the condition in which I had come, with which request they complied. : ‘*F rom this river 1° to the village called San Miguel,*** which pertains to the government called New Galicia, there are thirty leagues. ‘*Hive days later Andrés Dorantes and Alonzo del Castillo came with those who had gone in quest of them. They brought along more than six hundred Indians, from the village, the people of which the Christians had caused to flee to the woods, and who were in hiding about the country. ‘Those who had come with us as far as that place had taken them out of their places of concealment, turning them over to the Christians. They had also despatched the others who had come that far. When they arrived where I was, Alcaraz begged me to send for the people of the villages along the banks of the river, who were hiding in the timber, and he also requested me to order them to fetch supplies. There was no occasion for the latter, as the Indians al- ways took good care to bring us whatever they could; nevertheless, we sent our messengers at once to call them, and six hundred 114 Bandelier, A. F., note, p. 168, The Journey of Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca: ‘*He was an officer of Nufio de Guzman, and a worthy one, trained in the school of arbitrariness and cruelty of his commander.’’ Oviedo, Letter, iii, p. 612, says that there were back, according to the report to the Audiencia. 115 The Rio Sinaloa. 116 San Miguel de Culiacan. , twenty Spaniards on horse- |
