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Show the captain-general thought 4350W 4 “tal it unwise to proceed further, owing to the smallness of his force, and retraced his steps to San Gabriel, which he reached in the early fall. When Ofiate arrived at San Gabriel he found the place almost deserted. Everybody almost, including colonists and friars, had returned to Nueva Vizcaya. Friar Escalona, who remained with Alférez Casas, awaiting the return of the governor, explained the situation in a letter to the comisario-general, which was carried south by the deserting colonists. In this letter Fr. Escalona said that the captain-general and his officers had sacked the pueblo villages; that he had not allowed any planting for the support of the garrison ; that there had been a great drought, and that the natives were forced to live on wild seeds. A few settlers, fortunately, had planted some corn, thus saving the colony from actual starvation. These, he said, were the reasons why they had deter- mined to retire to Nueva Vizeaya and await further orders as to their future conduct. The friars who left went under the orders of Fr. Escalona, the latter deeming it his duty, life, to remain. ‘ 7" AS to the at the risk of his facts connected wi th this expedition to Quivira, see Salmeron, elaciones, 26-30; Niel, Apunt ., 91-4; Torquemada, Monarquia Indiana, i, 671-3; Posadas, Noticias, 216-217, Near] all f th eae ° s “ ° is eloaity od _ authorities, including Salmeron, give the date as 1599, which 331 that Ofiate’s charges were could be hoped false, and that no success for until Onate for the colony should be relieved of the govern- ment. Ofnate, however, through the efforts of Salvidar, and a vigorous correspondence with the heads of the Franciscan order, secured a return of the friars, and with them also came other settlers, in addition to those whom Salvidar forced to return, who acted with great cruelty, according to stories given out by the friars.*** The prosperity of the colony gradually returned, and the captaingeneral, having received reénforcements of troops, marched westward so far that he followed the Colorado river to its mouth. This was in 1604-5. He reached tide-water on the 23rd day of January, and on the 25th, with the friars who were with him, and nine men, went to the mouth of the great river. He found a fine harbor, which was called Puerto de la Conversion de San Pablo. Onate now determined to return to San Gabriel, and although they were compelled to eat their horses, they arrived there safely on the 25th day of April, 1605. Very * Ofiate was furious over this state of affairs and, with proof ready made and at hand, he began proceedings against those who had deserted, some of whom were condemned to death. He began the preparation of reports to the viceroy and his king to offset those of the friars, and despatched Vicente Salvidar to Mexico, with his letters and reports, and carrying also an order for the arrest of the deserters. Some time after this Fr. Escalona wrote to the provincial of his order that he and Fr. Velasco, a cousin of Ofiate, proposed to leave the country ; that their occupation as missionaries was useless, nage MEXICO am NEW Ne OF oa CONQUEST oS ee EN Ne THE by Francisco Vasquez Coronado some sixty years before. At any rate he went a distance of more than two hundred leagues and reached, as he estimated, latitude 39° or 40°. While on this journey, Onate fought a great battle with the Kscanjaques, a thousand of whom were slain upon the very field where Humana had been killed. The battle was caused owing to Fr. Velasco’s efforts to prevent the Escanjaques from destroying property belonging to the Quivira nation, the latter having fled from their towns upon the approach of Ofiate’s command.®*° In the country where Ofiate now found himself, large settlements were seen, and some of the exploring parties sent out by the captaingeneral claimed to have found utensils made of gold, which was said to be plentiful in an adjacent province. It is not certain that Ofate reached Quivira, but representatives of the people of that nation came to Ofiate and wished to join him in his search for gold. But ted HISTORY a MEXICAN i OF NEW little is definitely known of after his return from the west in 1605. Onate’s acts in New Mexico It is said that he went east six years later and discovered the Canibar lakes and a Rio Colorado, 831 The letter of Fr. Escalona may be found in Torquemada’s Monarquia Indiana, i, 673-4. It was written at San Gabriel. The frailes who left the country were San Miguel and Zamora of those who came with Ofiate, and Lope Izquierdo and Gaston de Peralta, who came later. Velasco and Vergara were with Ofiate on the expedition to Quivira; the others, Rosas, Lugo, Corchado, Claros, and San Buenaventura are of those who went to Santa Barbara and later came back. Torquemada says that Fr. San Miguel wrote from Santa Barbara on Feb. 2, 1602, accusing Ofiate of tyranny, falsehood, and general unfitness for his position. ee FACTS Sere LEADING - 330 |