When we saw sure signs of Christians, and heard how near we were to them, we gave thanks to God our Lord for having chosen to bring us out of a captivity so melancholy and wretched.  The delight we felt let each one conjecture, when if he shall remember the length of time we were in that country, the suffering and perils we underwent.  That night I entreated my companions that one of them should go back three days’ journey after the Christians who were moving about over the country, where we had given assurance of protection.  Neither of them received this proposal well, excusing themselves because of weariness and exhaustion; and altho either might have done better than I, being more youthful and athletic, yet seeing their unwillingness, the next morning I took the negro with eleven Indians, and, following the Christians by their trail, I traveled ten leagues, passing three villages, at which they had slept.

The day after I overtook four of them on horseback, who were astonished at the sight of me, so strangely habited as I was, and in company with Indians.  They stood staring at me a length of time, so confounded that they neither hailed me nor drew near to make an inquiry.  I bade them take me to their chief:  accordingly we went together half a league to the place where was Diego de Alcaraz, their captain.

After we had conversed, he stated to me that he was completely undone; he had not been able in a long time to take any Indians; he knew not which way to turn, and his men had well begun to experience hunger and fatigue.  I told him of Castillo and Dorantes, who were behind, ten leagues off, with a multitude that conducted us.  He thereupon sent three cavalry to them, with fifty of the Indians who accompanied him.  The negro returned to guide them, while I remained.  I asked the Christians to give me a certificate of the year, month, and day I arrived there, and of the manner of my coming, which they accordingly did.  From this river to the town of the Christians, named San Miguel, within the government of the province called New Galicia, are thirty leagues.

[1] After returning to Spain De Vaca published at Zemora, in 1542, a “Relation” of his travels and adventures, from which the account here given is taken.  Purchase issued an early English version of it, but a better translation, made in 1851 by Buckingham Smith, is printed in the “Old South Leaflets.”  The passages here given relate to the journey through Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arizona.  The exact localities, however, it has been impossible to identify.

    [2] Not the domestic cow we know, which was brought to America
    from Europe, but the cow of the bison, or buffalo.

THE EXPEDITION OF CORONADO TO THE SOUTHWEST

(1540-1541)

CORONADO’S OWN ACCOUNT[1]