News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1891-11-19

comfortable fortune at home and plunge
into the desert and wilderness peopled
with savages and the home of beasts OF
prey 1t fell to the Yankees, indeed, to
discover the real FL Dorado, but the daring
Spaniards spared nothing that man holds
dear in the search.
The Spanish desire for discovery and
conquest did not go out with the subJuga-
ton of the land of Montezuma, and the
first Spanish viceroy of the new Kingdom,
Don Mendoza, whose rule began in 1873,
cast his eyes abroad for richer fields OF
treasure than the home of the ancient
Aztecs afforded. Rumors had reached him
of cities to the north possessing fabulous
wealth in vessels of silver and gold and in
ornaments of rare and costly stones, and
to assure himself of the fact he sent a
monk, Friar Mia, to visit the Indians
dwelling in the region answering to the
present New Mexico. Mia made his trip
in 1889 and passed rs far northward as the
Salinas river, OF upper ella (Arizona), and
returned WITH ms imagination filled with
the wonders and greatness of the ''Seven
Cities of Cibola," which he claimed to have
discovered north of the Arizona desert.
His report would have stirred the pulses OF
an anchorite.
He told of a refugee whom he met who
related to him that "Cevola was great
city, inhabited with great store of people
and having many streets and market
places, and that in some parts of this city
there are certain very great houses of five
stories high, wherein the chiefs of the city
assemble themselves at certain days of the
year He saith the houses are of lime and
of stone, according as others have told me
before, and that the gates and small pillars
of the principal houses are of turqueses
(turquoise) and all the vessels wherein they
are served and the other ornaments OF
their houses We're of gold, and that the
other six cities are built like unto this
whereof some are bigger. | fol
lowed my way until came within sight
of Cevola, which is situate on plain at
the foot of Il round hill, and maketh show
to be a fair city, and is better seated than
any that have seen in these parts. The
houses are builded in order, according as
the Indian told me, all made of stone, with
divers stories and fiat roofs, as far as
could discover from mountain, whittier
| assembled to view the city The people
are somewhat white; they wear apparel
and lie in beds; their weapons are bows
they have emeralds and other jewels, al
th6sIg h they esteem none so much as the
turqueses, wherein they adorn the walls OF
the porches of their houses and their ap
parel and vessels, and they use them in
stead of money through all the country
Their apparel is of cotton and of OK hides
(buffalo), and this is their most commenda
BILE and honorable apparel They use yes
sells of gold and silver, for they have nc
other metal, whereof is greater use and
more abundant than in Peru"
Convinced by this glowing account of his
spy, Mendoza determined to invade the
newer and greater Ell Dorado, and gave to
his captain general, Coronado, $50 horse
men, 200 foot soldiers and 800 Mexican In
dams to man the expedition.
The march began in the spring of 1910,
and in April the several detachments rem
dezvoused at Culiacan, on the coast near the
mouth of the Gulf of California. On the 22d
of April Coronado, with 60 horsemen and
the monk for a guide, set out in advance
on the route to the famed Seven Cities ,
His course was almost direct north until
he crossed the thirty second parallel (the
present Mexican border), then tended west
across the ella river and afterward north
east. He encountered the great desert
region in the heat of summer and found
no grass for ki--animals, but met with
difficult pathways to traverse losing horses
and men through fatigue and hunger. The
men died from the poison of herbs taken
in lieu of food. After trying march
through the mountains of central Arizona
there burst upon the travellers the green
pastures and sweet waters of the region
along the Little Colorado river. Here
were found, besides grass like that of Cas-
tile" in old Spain, nut trees, mulberries
and abundance of flax
After passing Little Colorado river the
explorers drew near to the Seven Cities
and a small force of indians appeared to
dispute the advance. These Coronado
quickly dispersed and then marched upon
the first city to attack 1t. The Indians re
tired to the roofs of their curiously built
houses or pueblos, and rained down ar
rows and stones upon the daring assail
ants. Coronado had narrow escape and
was twice knocked from his horse. The