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Show 178 BY PATH AND TRAIL. mouth, after exploring the country, he retraced his steps, penetrating the land north of the Gila river for some distance, and ascending the Salt river and other northern branches of the Gila. His explorations did not end here. Proceeding east, he explored the valley of the San Pedro and its branches, then the Gila to the Mim-bres, and on to the Eio Grande and the Messila valley. He went from Yuma, crossed the Colorado desert, and traced the Colorado river to its mouth. He visited sixty-three tribes, sub- tribes and families, studying the wars, customs, traditions, folk- lore and habits of the Indians. He founded missions, built churches, made maps and tracings, took observations and left us a mass of valua ble information on the botany, geology and temperature of the country. His map was in his time, and long after his death, the best delineation of Sonora, southern Ari zona and the gulf coast of Southern California. His life was an unparalleled record of devotion, heroism and dauntless courage. Of him we may repeat what Bacon wrote of Pius V., to whom Christendom is indebted for the victory of Lepanto: " I am astonished that the Bo-man church has not yet canonized this great man." On February 5, 1702, Father Kino, accompanied by Father Gouzalez ( the same missionary who was with Kino on his excursion to the mouth of the Colorado), started on a missionary expedition to the Gila Indians, and went from tribe to tribe, till he arrived at the mis sion of St. Ignatius on the Colorado river. Here Father Gouzalez, worn out with hardship and illness, lay down and died. After giving Christian burial to his priestly companion, the great priest returned to his mission in Sonora. His report of his entrada, or expedition, bears the date April 2, 1702. He never again saw the Colorado |