Arizona weekly enterprise., 1890-09-13

unmolested.
 Disappointed in his quest, the Spanish leader turned his face eastward. He visited the New Mexico pueblos on the Rio Grande, which he found larger and more populous than those of the Zunis and Moquis, and whose customs, laws, religion and mode of life were exactly similar But among them, as among the tribes first visited, there was notable dearth of the royal metal. and save few silver and copper ornaments, their dwell lings were entirely destitute of the wealth they had been reported to contain. Cor onado next turned north and explored the country as far as the present site of Denver, and east as far as the Canadian river. During his march through the latter region, he had several brushes with the Comanches, and lost a number of his Indian auxiiaries. With the exception of rowing bands of savages, he found the country uninhabited.
 Disappointed In finding no booty, and cursing his credulity i'll listening to the tales of Alvar Nufiez and Padre de Niza, the Spanish adventurer directed his steps homeward, and in the spring of 1852, af- nearly two years of prohtless wanderlngs, the expedition returned to Mexico. While encamped ill the San Francisco noun tains, Coronado sent out two detach- ments to explore the country to the west. One Of these, commanded by Captain Diaz, discovered the great Colorado below the Canon. and followed it to it's mouth. Don Garcia Lopez de Cardenas was sent northward with a command of twelve men, and was the first white man to gaze upon the wonders of the Grand Canon. The expedition of Alarcon set sail about the time Coronado marched It was intended to cooperate with the land forces, but there was httle concert of action in the movements of either Alarcon discovered the Gulf of California, which he named the Sea of Cortez. He also discovered the Colorado and the Gila rivers. Not being able to stem the current of the former stream, he manned two boats and ascended 1t some ninety leagues to the mouth of the Grand Canon. He then set sail and returned to Mexico.
 It was not until 1582, forty years later, that any further efforts were made to ex- plore the region known to the Spanlards as ''Arizuma :" ID that year Antonio de Els pejo led an expedition towards the north. He penetrated to the region of the Rio Grande, travelled up that stream some fifteen days and named the country Nuevo Mexico. He passed through many pueblos and turning westward, visited Zia and Acoma The former place he speaks of as having population Of 70 600 souls, "and containing eight market places. the latter plastered and painted in diverse colors" The Zuni pueblos were next visited and named Cibola. From this point, Espeio travelled westward to the Moqui towns, where he was received most hospitably and presented with baskets of corn and mantles or cotton cloth. Tarrying here but short time, he again journeyed on, and forty y-hve leagues southwest of Moqui, on noun tain easily ascended, he discovered rich silver ore. The mines were situated near two rivers, whose banks were lined with great quantities of wild grapes, walnut trees and flax like that of Castile."
 There can scarcely be doubt that one of those streams was the Rio Verde, and that the mines were situated at no great distance from it, probably ln the reglon of the country now known as the Black Hills This is the first authentic account we possess of the finding of precious metals within the limits of Arizona. and to Antonio de Espeio must be awarded the UOIlOE Ol lut QlSCONCiN. llC Woo tAC pioneer prospector of our Territory. and little dreamt what magnificent results were to flow from his find. History Is silent as to whether the old cavalier set up his monuments and marked his ''clalm, v but as he shortly afterwards returned to Zuni. it is presumed he did not consider his discovery of sufficient importance to merit much attention. From Zunl. Espelo retraced his steps to the Rio Grande, and crossing over the Rio Pecos, descended that stream to its mouth and then return ed to Mexico, where he arrived in l5S3 As these expeditions were undertaken solely with the hope of acquiring sudden wealth, like that which rewarded the con querors of Mexico and Peru, no effort was made to found colonies, and century elapsed before any effort was made tc establish permanent settlement | in "Arizuma" In 1886, the Jesuit missionary, Fray Eusebio Francisco | Kino. left the city of Mexico and journeyed to the north, with the in | tention of spreading the light of Christi anity among the wild tribes of Sinalof and Sonora. Being joined by Padre Juar Maria Salvatierra, the two plous fr1ari pushed on to the country of Sobahipuris and in the year 1887, the first Mission within the territory now known as All zona, was established at Guevavi some distance south of Tucson. The Mission of San Xavier del Bac (''of the water
 was founded about the same time, or no
 long after The first Mission building
 was a very unpretentious structure, anC
 it was nearly hundred years later before
 the present edifce was erected. Int
 zealous propagandists preached the gos
 pei truths to the tribes living along tht
 Gila many of whom ranged themselve
 beneath the banner of the Cross. Fra.
 Kino and another priest pushed thei
 apostolic peregrinations to the Gulf o
 California, and calculated the width o
 that desolate sea to be about fifty miles
 from shore to shore. In one of their visit
 to the Gila, they tried, but unsuccessfully
 to establish Mission near the ruins o
 Casa Grande.
 (To be continued)