Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-01-12

dogs by the Indians to drag their lodges
custom that attracted the attention OF
all the early explorers of the region OF
the plains, beginning with the expedition
of Coronado, four years after the jour
uey of Nunez and his companions.
| But the Cow river, instead of being the
Arkansas, was the Picos, and the travel
ers reached it near It's junction with the
Rio Grande. There they found people
with maize, not of their own raising, but
obtained from tribes still further west.
Of their route from there on Nunez says;
"We did not wish to follow the road that
leads to where the cattle are, because il
is towards the north and FOR us was very
circuitous, since we ever held it certain
that going towards the sunset we must
find that which we desired. Thus we
took our way and traversed all the coun-
try until coming out at the South sea.
Surprising for moment that the trav-
elers were at the junction of the
Cimarron and Arkansas, here is the
plain statement of Nunez that they did
not take the road to the north where the
buffalos were, that would be up the Ar
kansas where Senator Moody says they
did go, but that they kept to the west the
entire way to the South sea, that Is the
Pacific ocean. Their route, therefore,
as they were at the junction of the Pecos
and Rio Grande, did not lead to the
north mp the Pecos through the buffalo
country, but was westward up the Rio
Grande for seventeen days, then cross
ing it, it was more directly west until
they came to people with fixed habita.
tions of earth and reeds, who had maize
and vegetables, as well as blankets OF
cotton. Their journey was still west
ward for more than a hundred leagues
through a settled country where the
people had great abundance of maize
and beans, and gave to Nunez and his
companions beads and corals from the
Pacific ocean, and fine turquoise from
the north, NuneZ also received five EN-
eralds (obsidian) made into arrow points.
These presents were received at place
which they named Land of Hearts, from
the number of hearts of animals they
received there. According to Senator
Moody when the Spaniards arrived
among the people with habitations OF
earth, they were near the present site of
Las Vegas. Ii that were true. In order
for them to reach the Land of Hearts,
which was southwest of Sonora, as will
be shown hereafter, and at the same
time travel among tribes possessing
maize and vegetables, their route
would have led them along water
courses, as irrigation would be necessary
to raise those products, theirroute would
have been through the settlements of
the sedentary Indians of New Mexico
and Arizona, who possessed houses Of
stone and sun-dried brick, four and five
stories high.
Nunez would not have passed
through country where the
people lived in stored houses without
mentioning it. AS his route was many
miles south of these settlements he only
heard of the large houses and mentions
it as follows: 81 asked them from
whence they got the emeralds and they
said thew were brought from some lofty
mountains that stand toward the north
where there was populous towns and
very large houses and that they pur-
chased them in exchange with punches
of pumes and feathers Of parrots. ]"
These people having plumes and feath-
ers of parrots to exchange, it Is evident
they were south of New Mexico where
there are no parrots, and probably in the
Mexico, where in the mountain ranges q
yellow and green variety Is quite COM
mon. Another proof that the journey
Of Nunez and his companions was not
through New Mexico. but along the Rio
Grande south of it, can be found IN the
narrative Of the expedition Of Don An
tonic de Espigo up the Rio Grande IN
1882. In one district that party trav-
L II L. 81
among a people who had some light Of
the holy faith, bringing their children 10
the friar that be might bless them, who
demanding from whom they obtained
their knowledge of God, they answered
from three Christians and ne
gro which passed that way,
who by the signs they
made were Aivar Nunez and his com
panions." These people were located
about twenty DAYS journey below the
Piros Indians, the first tribes EspsJo
found in ascending the river, who had
houses of four or i've stories. The Pros
Indians lived near the present town San
Marcial, in New Mexico. see narration
of expedition Of Juan de Ona;e III 1893,
and memorial Of FrIar Juan de Santan-
der IN 1850. The country Of hearts wac
EGUIfIU eSt OF fSJDfE4. 'fSEDtAAiAO5 EAtsS-
dition passed ttrough it four years after
Nunez did, and three Of the historians OF
that journey mention i and refer 20 is
being named b. Nunez. One Of these
writers says: This valley los Coya-
zones" IS one hundred and fifty leagues
from the valley Of Culiocan, and ten
leagues farther on Is 4 valley they call
Sonora, which Is the best OF al the In
habi.ed portion here" Thus Los Cors-
zones or Land OF Hearts was only ten
leagues from, Sonora: there the span
iards established town As we can 10
cate this land Of hearts. and II u where
the course and route that we have lad
down as followed By Sunez would brlng
him, we nsy conclude that has journey
from the junction Of the Pecos and klo
Gransie was along the latter rIser 70.
seventeen DAYS, then across Il, over the
Sierrzs os Mexico and south Of the
STORED houses Of New Mexico, westward
the provinces o. Chihuahua and
sonora 10 tbs Land @. Hearts and from
there safely 10 the Spanish settlement q,