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Show 244 LEADING FACTS OF NEW MEXICAN HISTORY FRANCISCO dier, only too glad to offer up his life, if necessary, that souls of the heathen might be saved. Kind, gentle, and considerate, still they possessed that fighting spirit which gave them influence with all brave men, and this quality attached the natives to them and gave them influence in converting the savage to the religion of Christ They quickly grasped the methods of thought of these barliatinasl they grafted the Christian religion upon the Pagan wherever it wha possible, without an assault upon their own consciences: they gave them the cross with the result that this symbol was pou aie with even as much veneration if not more than that which had been accorded their own idols, for as Alvarado says, with reference to the cross, ‘‘in the places where crosses were raised, we saw them worship these. They made offerings to these of their powder and feathers and some left the blankets they had on. They showed so much ma that some climbed up on the others to grasp the arms of the cross — feathers and flowers there; and others bringing EIS : : . aor mali iay up to tie strings, so as to fasten the Although we do not know what became of the friar Luis. let us believe with Castafieda, ‘‘that as he was a man of good ani hol life, our Lord will protect him and give him grace to oni ne of those peoples, and end his days in guiding them in the faith.’’ ; Friar Indians, a a = Juan de Padilla left Cicuyé, escorted only by a few Pith the soldiers with whom he had come from Tiguex return- to that place and rejoining the army, to cross the pathless plains Quivira. After many days’ travel, he reached the province pereettted himself at the foot of the cross which he had erected a few Snnthe before. According to Mota Padilla, he found auntie” al a < im this emblem all around it clean, as he had charged Flaten to k it, which rejoiced him, and then he began the duitdiée of a ee me Menge na — : and finding them teachable and well discL, rt burned within him, and i i acon of souls of that village was but a eae fae nr 1e sought to enlarge the bosom of our mother, the H ] Ch i that she might receive all those he was told wis t a eal greater distances. He left Quivira, yeattended b ue compa y his small eee ny, against the a will of the villaen ge ndians, who loved hi im as their father. more than a day’s journey the Indian s met him on the VASQUEZ CORONADO 245 war-path, and knowing the evil intent of those barbarians, he asked the Portuguese, that as he was on horseback he should flee and take under his protection the oblates and the lads who could thus run and the blessed father, kneeling down, away and escape offered up his life which he had sacrificed for the winning of souls to God, attaining the ardent longings of his soul, the felicity of being killed by the arrows of those barbarous Indians, who threw him into a pit, covering his body with innumerable stones. It is said that the Indians had gone out to murder the blessed father in order to steal the ornaments, and it was remembered that at his death were seen great prodigies, as it were, the earth flooded, globes of fire, comets and obscuration of the an Thus perished the first white man, known to have met his death at the hands of savages, in what is now the state of Kansas. His erown of martyrdom rests safely.” Coronado set out into the wilderness, leaving behind him the The natives followed the army for two or settlements of Cibola. dethree days, picking up the cast-off baggage of the soldiers and to perpossible was it whom Indians Mexican the of those taining Altogether the natives succeeded suade to remain in the country. those who remained of their besides: people several off in carrying ‘‘The friar was sucion: 258 Winship, George Parker, Castafteda, Introduct the sphere of his influence, cessful in his labors until he endeavoured to enlarge the Indians led them to kill him, when the jealousy, or possibly the eupidity of other tribe of the blessings which rather than permit the transference to some he had brought them.’’ of the martyrdom of Fray Juan Vetancurt in the Menologio, gives the d ate see no reason to prefer the general de Padilla as November 30, 1544, and I Padilla, which seem to imply that statements of Jaramillo, Castafieda, and Mota brought De Campo and the other companions of the friar it took place in 1542. to 1552, for They must have returned some time previous news to Mexico. the Gulf of Mexico, in his ConGomara mentions their arrival in Tampico, on Herrera and Gomara say that the quista de Mexico, published in that year. as slaves for ten months. fugitives had been captured by Indians and detained Further mention fugitives. The historians state also that a dog accompanied the is in the stories of one of dogs in connection with the Coronado expedition the Colorado river; also in accompanying Estevan which Alarcon heard along the reference by Castafieda the account of the death of Melchior Diaz, and in certain plains tribes. to the use of these animals as beasts of burden by Sebastian died soon Mendieta and Vetancurt say that, of the two donados, among the Zacatecas. after his return, and the other lived long as a missionary Land of Memorial,’’ ‘‘ 259 Hodge, F. W., Notes to Translation of Benavides’ that Fr. Padilla met his Sunshine, September-October, 1900, p. 288, declares Spain It is to be remembered that Coronado left Tiguex for New death in 1544. entrar mas in 1542, and Vetancurt says that ‘‘Despues de dos afios procuro the adentro el P. Padilla.’’ |