On the trail of a Spanish pioneer; the diary and itinerary of Francisco Garces (missionary priest) in his travels through Sonora, Arizona, and California, 1775-1776; translated from an official contemporaneous copy of the original Spanish manscript, and ed., with copious critical notes

On the trail of a Spanish pioneer; the diary and itinerary of Francisco Garcés (missionary priest) in his travels through Sonora, Arizona, and California, 1775-1776; translated from an official contemporaneous copy of the original Spanish manscript, and e - Page 223

508 COMMENTARY ON JUAN DE LA ASUNCION. treinta y ocho por Enero salieron de Mexico, por orden del Senor Virrey, los Padres Fr. Juan de la Asuncion, y Fr. Pedro Nadal; y caminando al Norueste como seiscientas leguas, llegaron a un Rio muy caudaloso que no pudieron pasar; y el Padre Nadal, que era muy inteligente en las Matematicas, observo la altura del Polo en treinta y cinco grados. El siguiente ano de treinta y nueve entro con otros tres Religiosos el Padre Fr. Marcos de Niza en la expedicion Militar; y camin­ando al Norte, llegaron al dicho Rio, que Uamaron de las Bal­sas, y es el que hoy Hainan Colorado, y tomada la altura se hallo en treinta y quatro grados y medio, confirmando la identidad del Rio," etc. Or, in English: " In January, 1538, there started from Mexico, by order of the viceroy, Fathers Juan de la Asun­cion and Pedro Nadal; and traveling northwest about 600 leagues they reached a river very full of water which they could not cross, and Father Nadal. who was versed in mathematics, observed the altitude of the pole in 35°. The next year of 1539 there entered with three other religious Father Fray Marcos de Niza on the military expedition [ Coronado's], and travelling north reached the said river, which they called River of Rafts, and the altitude being taken it was found in 340 30', confirming the identity of the river," etc. The only weight that I am my­self inclined to allow this passage in Arricivita is the bare fact that there was an expedition in 1538 by the two friars named; for certainly they never reached either 35° or 340 30'; certainly Coronado's expedition was not in 1539, but in 1540; and also, Rio de las Balsas was not the Colorado, but was no doubt the Rio Salado. Returning once more to Bandelier's admirable essay, we find him summing the case in the following terms ( p. 101): " I frankly confess, that, while all the evidence presented above does not come up to the requirements of historical certainty, and while I should not be surprised or disappointed if subse­quently proof were furnished that the story originated through a confusion with the reports of Fray Marcos, the present con-