| OCR Text |
Show lengthy description of the Timpanogos that is life in 18th Century Utah. our only glimpse of Miera, after his return to Santa Fe, wrote a long letter to the King Spain, urging him to authorize a major mission in Utah Valley. Agreeing with Escalante's description, Miera went beyond it to predict Hi s i nfatuat l on for Utah a great future for a very beauti fu1 provi nce Valley can be seen in the exaggerated emphasis he gave it on his delightful map of the expedition. of . The Spaniards set out again to the south this time, with some dried fish The two padres from the Utes to replenish their dwindling supplies. their were satisfied that the higher purpose of journey, the establish For the other companions, ment of new missions, had been accomplished. particularly 1iera, the desire to reach Monterey was growing as they However, sensed the California t,1ission was, well within their reach now. the Indians they met knew nothing of the land to the west. These Indians were Paiutes who, unlike the Utes, lived in the poor desert country that covers much of western Utah and eastern Nevada. Although fu11y bearded like the Timpanogos Utes, they were o therwi se In fact, Escalante thought they looked almost Spanish, much different. except for their noses which were pierced with small polished bones Their scant clothes reflected the barrenness of the for decoration. Great Basin area, which provided no bigger game than rabbits for food or clothing. Shy and unused to strangers in their land (Dominguez and Escalante were the first Europeans to contact them) many of them Those who did talk to the ran away from the approaching explorers. and docile accepted the Catholic faith whole padres were remarkably Utah Valley to live with the Utes. into move to heartedly even agreeing Almost every day as the padres moved south, they met Paiutes who told None had any them that the country to the west was just more desert. a cold north wind began matters make To an ocean. worse, of knowledge to blow as they searched in vain for good water and pasturage for horses. Near the desolate country of dry Sevier Lake it began to snow the ground too muddy for the pack animals. rired down in the making desert without firewood to fight the extreme cold of the early October Here the mood of the snowstorm, the explorers began to suffer greatly. journey began to darken. The guide Jose Maria grew disconsolate, probably longing for the comfort of his home. Finally he witnessed a scene that disillusioned htm about Simon Lucero, an insubordinate the gentleness of these Spanish saviors. servant of one of the noblemen, Don Pedro Cisneros (the mayor of Escalante's Zuni tission) refused to say the rosary and started to fight with his master. Though this sign of human weakness was only natural, considering the cold and desolate surroundings, it gave the newly converted Ute a great scare. Without a word, he left the next morning. Left without a guide, the padres lost hope in finding a route to Monterey. All the surrounding mountains were covered with snow, making it doubtful that an open pass could be reached in the mountains to the west. E-5 |
