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Show 298 LEADING FACTS OF NEW MEXICAN HISTORY the arrival of Captain Juan Morlete, with a force of fifty men. Castano hastened to the camp of Morlete, thinking that reénforcements had been sent to him, but was much surprised to learn that he had come for the purpose of arresting him for having entered the country without a license. Don Gaspar was put in chains and, along with his entire command, was returned to Mexico. When Don Juan Ofate entered the country, in 1598, he found traces of the wagons, showing that the return route was down the Rio Grande. Zarate-Salmeron, in writing of this expedition, says, ‘‘and of those of Captain Nemorcete (Morlete) *°? and of Humana, I do not write, because they all saw the same things, and one telling suffices.’’ 3° Some time during the years 1594 and 1596 Captain Francisco Leiva Bonilla, a native of Portugal, and Juan de Humana, were at the head of an expedition, sent out under THE EXPEDITION UNDER the instructions of the governor of Nueva BONILLA AND HUMANA _ Biscaya, to suppress the warlike and rebel- lious tribes in the northern part of his province. Being successful in this, Captain Bonilla, who was cognizant of the current reports as to the wealth of the lands to the far north, determined to continue his operations by exploring New Mexico and Quivira. The governor of Nueva Biscaya heard of EARLY SPANISH attention to the order, although EXPLORATIONS six of his men 299 refused to continue with him and returned to Nueva Bizeaya. There is no record of this expedition or what was done except in small particulars. After reaching New Mexico, the next heard of Bonilla was at Quivira, or out on the plains in the neighborhood of that place. Bonilla and Humana quarreled, and in the conflict Bonilla was slain. After the death of Bonilla, Humana assumed command, and a short while afterward, when his party had passed through an immense settlement and reached a broad river, which was to be crossed on balsas, three of the Mexican Indians in the party deserted, one of whom, José, became the sole survivor of this expedition and told the tale to Juan de Ofiate in 1598. After having proceeded to Quivira, so the story goes, and on their return, the command was attacked by thousands of Indians, the conflict commencing just before dawn. All were massacred except Alonzo Sanchez and a mulatto gtr was said that Sanchez became a great chief among the Indians of the plains, but nothing definite is known as to this, as he was never seen afterwards by any white man.?%* Bonilla’s intentions and immediately despatched Pedro de Cazorla to overtake him and notify the men in his command that such an expedition was forbidden and declaring Captain Bonilla a traitor if he disobeyed the mandate. Bonilla, however, refused to pay any 802 Castafio calls him Morlete, which is doubtless correct. $08 Villagré, History of New Mexico, 1610, Alcala, 36-7, says: ‘*Y por el de nouenta entro Castafio, Por ser alla teniente mas antiguo, Del Reyno de Leon 4 quien siguieron Muchos nobles soldados valerosos, Cuio Maese de campo see Lamaua Cristoval de Herredia bien prouado En cosas de la guerra y de buen tino Para correr muy grandes despoblados, A los cuales mando el Virey prendiese El Capitan Morlete, y sin tendarse, Socorrido de mucha soldadesea ; Brava dispuesta, y bien exercitada, A todos los prendio, y bolvio del puesto.’’ 04 Bancroft, H. H., History of Arizona and New Mezico, note, pp. 108-109, ‘The authority for the first part of this expedition is Villagr4, Hist. of New Mexico, 37, 142. Villagré was an eye-witness to the telling by the Indian mee . 2 . deserter, José, of the story to Juan de Ofiate. Ofiate, Carta de 1599, 303, 309, Says that he was instructed to free the province from traitors by arresting Humana and his men; also, that one of Humana’s Indians (José) joined his force. Gregg, Commerce of the Prairies, i, 117, seems to have seen a copy of this communication or another containing similar statements at Santa Fé. Niel, Apunt., 89, 95, calls Humana, Adelantado and governor; says that killed Captain Leiva, his bravest officer and that his Indian, José, was foun by Ofiate among the Picuriés. Davis, Spanish Conquest, 260, seems to follow Niel for the most part, without naming that author. |