The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-03-26
IFoR THE REPuBLIc.l
The early Discoveries of the Spa niards I'm
New Mexico.

MEssRs. EDrToRs: My object, in my former COM
munication, was simply TO untangle the confused
accounts of those various expeditions; and gave
details, excepting those Of Espeje, who assembled
the Rio rande of the Gulf of Mexico or, il was
called of the North Sea- about forty years after that
of Coronado who advanced from the opposite direc-
tion ascending the rivers which discharge into the
Gulf of California, or, il then supposed, the
South Sea. II might be supposed, from my brief
outline, that Coronado, ON reaching the towns Of
Cibola, situated near the river Of that name, Ono
doubt the Gila,) was in consequence Of his disap-
pointment induced TO return Immediately, without
attempting TO penetrate beyond, although he heard
of populous countries, possessing great wealth in
gold towards the northwest, at the great Salt Lake,
Ono doubt the Pacifc,) and also of great country
and city to the northeast, called Quivira. Instead
of returning Immediately from the cities and coun-
try Of Cibola (or of the Bufaloes) he remained in
il two years. and explored the heads Of the ella,
Colorado, and the Rio Grande Of the Gulf, which he
distinctly recognises, although he did not descend
Il any considerable distance, and therefore, did not
see the towns lower down, described by Espejo. II
does not appear that he descended the ella 20 It's
mouth or followed the Colorado downwards, so as
TO explore the whole Of what was afterwards called
New Mexico. His attention appears 10 have been
drawn off in search Of the fabulous city Of Quivira,
10 the north and cast in consequence Of the false
accounts Of an Indian, in whom he unfortunately
conided and who led him a wild goose chase,
through the vast buffalo range the waters of the
Mississippi or Missouri. His starting place on this
expedition from Tigucx, on the cast side OF the
Sierra Madrc, and near the Rio Grande. He saw
nothing but countless herds Of bufiaocs, and wan
dering Indians inhabting skin tents, as they do at
the present day, until he came to Quivira, which
huts. whose inhabitants cultivated a little maize
but were entirely unlike those Of Cibola The peo-
pls ,oho Rved in terrace covered houses. This was
either on the Arkansas or the Kansas II was here
that he obtained satisfactory information Of the
great river further east, inhabited by numerous ma
tons, who navigated lie waters in canoes, and DE
same that was crossed by De Soto, on his march
from Florida, and, as Coronado supposed, at the
distance of seven or eight hundred miles from its
mouth, and vast distance from it's head. Circum
stances compelled him TO return 10 Tiguex, but
with the intention OF renewing the enterprise the
ensuing year, in order 20 reach the great river,
doubtless the Mississippi. He appears TO have gone
far north latitude 40o but on tho old maps the
city Of Quivira is laid down somewhere in the
ncighborhood Of the present town of Taos.
The accounts TO which, have referred are the re.
lation Of Csstareda, the letters Of Coronado TO
Charles the Fifth, and the separate account of Juan
Jarramillo Of his officers. II s TO be regretted
that nearly the whole of these reports is taken up
with details Of the incidents Of the expeditions and
very little in the description Of the country lat
ter appearing only incidentally Some facts are
stated however, of great interest and which afford
ample field for curious speculation. Coronado
cnumcratcs seventy-tco to,cns, in the country OF
Cibola, all Of the peculiar character, and some
much larger, besides many others he did not visit
conjectures that they might number in all twenty
thousand warriors, besides those he did not see.
There was no division Of squares and streets. The
h.uses were raised ono above another, in retiring
stories or stages the roofs projecting over these,