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Show 158 LEADING FACTS OF NEW MEXICAN HISTORY JOURNEY The next morning, shortly after sunrise, Estevan left the house in company with some of the chiefs, when suddenly a great number of the inhabitants appeared, seeing whom, the negro and his companion sought safety in flight. They were pursued, however, and slain, only the Indians who brought the news to Friar Marcos escaping with their lives. Authorities differ as to why the negro was slain by the Indians. Castafieda says that they believed him to be a spy sent from some nation for the purpose of conquest.’”° Bandelier believes that the flocked to see these strange white men and soon began to worship them, pressing about them for even a touch of their hands and garments, from which the Indians trusted to receive some healing power. While taking advantage of the prestige which was thus obtained, Cabeza de Vaca says that he secured some gourds or rattles which were greatly reverenced among these Indians and which never failed to produce a most respectful behaviour whenever they were exhibited. It was also among these southern the permanent settlements toward plains Indians came each year to the adobe villages, but that they plains Indians that Cabeza de Vaca heard of the north. Castafieda says that some of these Cibola to pass the winter under the shelter of were distrusted and feared so much that they were not admitted into the villages unless unarmed, and under no conditions were they allowed to spend the night within the flat-roofed houses. The connection between these Indian rattles and the gourd which Estevan prized so highly can not be proven, but it is not unlikely that the negro announced his arrival to the Cibola chiefs by sending them an important part of the paraphernalia of a medicine man of a tribe with which they were at enmity.’’ Prince, L. B., History of New Mexico, p. 110, says: ‘At the moment when he (Estevan) him was about to enter, he was met by a party of Indians, who took to a large house just outside of the city, and forthwith despoiled him of all that he had with him, including the articles he had brought for trading purposes some turquoises and many other presents that he had received during the journey. pe passed the night in the place, without anything either to eat or to drink being given, to himself or his companions, who were lodged with him. The next mornae Aiea (who was one of them), being very thirsty, started out of the “a cada . to get Some water which flowed in a river near by. Soon after, fe te = Tunning away, pursued by the Cibolans, who were killing the hiniahi# he ee desert.’’ - the iver, and Winship, George Parker, . Several versions of the story Se sg ea ae negro. As soon as the narrator at the first opportunity, Coron ado Expedition . ton, saw started back p. 360, says: this, he hid through ee There the are of Estevan’s death, besides the one given in Friar x which were derived from the natives of Cibola. Castafieda, kept the as —s these people for a while the next year, states that the Indians nn © 4 prisoner for three days ‘questioning him’ before they killed ‘ € adds that Estevan had demanded from the Indians treasure and women, and this agrees with the ] i ascended the Coloradn — hone a. still current among the people. When Alarcon year later, and tried to co-operate, he heard of stunded’ aoe ae rae . black man with a beard, waere things that southwestern medicine ee on his feet and arms, the regular outfit of a 170 Castaiieda, any 821 Relacion de la Jorna de Cibola, ete., Winship’s trans., p. 475: id, Stephen reached Cibola “stoaded with the large quantity of turquoises TO CIBOLA 159 gourd and rattles irritated the natives, and that the chiefs, in council, determined to put him to death.*” There is no certainty as to the manner in which he was killed, but it is said that his body was cut in pieces and given to the chiefs to The particular satisfy them that the negro had been killed.” Hawaikah, allikely most was slain was pueblo where the negro Coronado in his letter of 1540, though this has been disputed.’* The same from Granada, says the Indians ‘‘killed him here.’’** they had given him and several pretty women who had been given him. The Indians who accompanied him carried his things. These had followed him from they could all the settlements he had passed, believing that under his protection traverse the whole world without danger. more intelligent than those who But as the people in this country were followed they Stephen, lodged him little in a hut they had outside the village, and the older men and the governors heard his story and took steps to find out the reason he had come to that country. For three days they made inquiries about him and held council. The account which by a great the negro gave them of two white men who were following him, sent lord, who knew about the things in the sky, and how these were coming to instruct them in divine matters, made them think that he must be a spy or a guide from some nations who wished to come and conquer them, because it seemed to them unreasonable to say that the people were white in the country from which he came reasons, they and that he was sent by them, he being black. Besides other women, and so they thought it was hard of him to ask them for turquoises and They did this, but they did not kill any of those who went decided to kill him. perwith him, although they kept some young fellows and let the others, about 60 sons, return freely to their own country.’’ 171 Bandelier, A. F., Contributions, p. 116. Cibola, 172 Alarcon, Relacion du ag doors 173 Jaramillo, Col. Doc. Flo., p. 331. p. 157. ‘¢The death of the 174 Letter from Coronado to penaiee: August 3, 1540: which he wore a ainaeee negro is perfectly certain, because many of the things li : man, and not found, and the Indians of Chichilticalli said that he was a bad and he killed them, an the Christians, because the Christians never kill women, better than themselv 40 because he assaulted their women, whom the Indians love in the way that : = Therefore, they determined to kill him, but they did not do it « ote of the others who came with reported because they did not kill any but they kill the lad from the Province of Petatlén, who was with tohim, ra When I tried him and kept him in safe custody until now. made excuses for not giving him to me, for two or three days, saying t of Actco had taken him aw dead, and at other times that the Indians Z ey a “i ae © tae - sou when I finally told them that I should be very angry if they did not give re no He is an interpreter; for although he can me, they gave him to me. much, he understands very well.’’ nS fis been most undeservedly abused by SE That Prine Maret an ar _ writers, notably Cortés, Coronado, and Castafieda, is becoming to be of later writers who have given his story careful co P fact, owing to the studies o Some of the historians, immediately following those of the time sideration. For centuries their estimate of the friar. Cortés, were also most uncharitable in ca In the light of late ST ae he has been known as the ‘‘lying monk.’’ s nor W = nt oe aa impossible for anyone justly to agree with his contemporarie he : followed in giving Friar Marcos the reputation for untruthfulness which had. There was nothing for the friar to gain by making false reports, when |