CHAPTER II

The Unknown River—­Alarcon Ascends it Eighty-five Leagues and Names it the Rio de Buena Guia—­Melchior Diaz Arrives at its Banks Later and Calls it the Rio del Tizon—­Cardenas Discovers the Grand Canyon.

Having triumphed over the fierce tidal bore which renders the mouth of the Colorado dangerous, Alarcon secured a safe anchorage for his vessels and began immediate preparations for following up the river into the distant interior, both to gain a knowledge of it and to seek for information of the position of Coronado.  Leaving one of his small boats for the use of those who remained in charge of the ships, he took the other two, and, placing in them some light cannon, prepared them as well as he could for any emergency that might be encountered.  His party consisted of twenty soldiers, sailors, and helpers, besides his treasurer, Rodrigo Maldonado, and Gaspar de Castilleia, comptroller.  Alarcon possessed the qualities of a successful explorer.  He was bold yet cautious, determined but not reckless, with safe judgment and quick adaptability.  His first command was that, no matter what happened in case of meeting with natives, all his company were to remain silent and inactive.  With this wise provision, which kept the control in his own hands, the party left the ships behind on Thursday, August 26th* (1540), apparently the same day as the arrival.  The current was so strong that the men were obliged to tow the boats from the bank, rendering progress slow and difficult, but nevertheless they were able, before night and fatigue compelled a halt, to advance about six leagues.  Though constantly on the lookout for natives in the wide barren stretches of lowland on each side of the river, none were seen till early next morning, when, soon after starting, a number of huts were discovered near the river bank.  The occupants rushed forth in great excitement at the sudden appearance of these singular-looking people in their equally singular boats, and no wonder!  Years and the ages had slipped away and never yet had any people but their own kind appeared on their horizon.  Opposition was the natural impulse, and they signed for the Spaniards to go back, threatening attack.  The effect of this on Alarcon was a command to anchor the boats out of reach in the middle of the river, though the rapidly augmenting numbers of the people on the shore soon inspired the others of the expedition with a desire to beat a retreat towards the ships.  Alarcon, however, was not of this mind.  The natives were, of course, armed only with the bow-and-arrow and similar primitive weapons, while the Spaniards, though few in number, possessed the advantage of firearms, of which the natives had no comprehension whatever.  The interpreter, being a native from down the coast, understood not a word of this language, but the presence among the strangers of one of their own kind somewhat pacified the natives, and Alarcon did all he could