New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-30
A LEGEND OF NEBRASKA.
FIXING A SITE FOR THE MYTHICAL LAND
OF QUIvERA.
SEVEN CITIES WITH HOUSES SEVERAL SIoNlES
HIGH AND STREET FOUR SPANISH
LEAGUES IN LENGTH - ALL
VANISHED IN A NIGHT

The publication Of u manuscript found In Madrid o
few wears ago giving account OF Peiaiosas eA'
pedion to the land OF ouivera makes it possible 10
locate more definitely this far-famed and m"ch ois-
putcd territory, which has been claimed oo'n ''
Nebraska and Kansas That the land l. now o'yohi
q reasonable doubt, part OF Nebraska, every IN
rabant Of the state firmly believes. in Iac' Amos,
any Ncbaskan will tell you that King TnrtarraX was
not lacking In discrimination, and 50 selected me
fertile land in the region OF the Platte rs the mo't
suitable place to establish his empire.
II is impossible tell exactly from the somewhat
ombicuous records row on hand the exact point NJ
which the famous metropolis Of Ouivera must have
been located. But, after u careful comparison vi
measurements and descriptions given In Inc moro vi
less de,uory accounts, It Is at least po>S'pic l" "P
proximate not only the course taken by the h"e o'
march, but the final point reached by 'hch 'Apc"'
ton. No SPOT has vet been suggested which can al
all conform to all the descriptions. save spot near
the Lonp in Southern Nebraska. Among the fa"n''S
VIII, Inhabited this portion OF the state There Is IL
tradition that they once had bcauiin ANU
The friars Of the Church. no less than Inc 'l'hN"
explorers themselves, wer" di'coh''h''u WV" "
result Of Coronndo's expedition Wh'h john wv
pndlh "A Franciscan. returned to ouiV'ra VIII" q
small CORPS Of teachers and assistants to administer 4"
c spiritual and physical needs OF III" natives hc "'
speedily put to death. In 1899 another spa'iara'
Ono,c made an effort reach Quivera but the rec
ord, he left are 50 nagrc that 1t Is iuspoS'ipc u"
tell lust how far he travelled. II Is believed ti' Nv
mnrchcd 700 or 200 miles to Il large Ihuiah Guy W.
tending three or four leagues along Tue S"'''''
Whether H. reached Nebraska cannot Dc hSc"r'a'""' "
# + not definitely known that the "2oo leagues 'n'
forber- that he travelled from santa Fe were directly
toward the Plate.
r, C,,boic nricsts with all the energy and ardor
that they dl,playcd In their work In th" new con
,inont mad. several excursions to IN" new hhd 10
CONVEX, the hoathen. but non" OF the plIerHi' '"""
II necessary Is leave minute records oil the hhu'''"
nc and we are still In doubt not only a. 20 'h'
work ACCOMPLISHED but as 10 The actual point re''H'"
one pilgrimage however starting from santa r" was
made for distance Of abont 700 miles, but was
brought 10 sudden stop when mighty swift no"'hs
river was reached. The enthusiasts had become 30
,.rror,.a ON the way tlnt they returned imme-
diately before they had half chance TO ChiiS'''hAo
,bo n,o,ns still another expedition left m'agre
r,por, Of having reached nation north OF oniVera
presumably Dakota.
Tho name OF Quvcra for two centuries server -
halt 10 lurc fortune.hunters. glory-se'RerS anu
RELIGIONS enthusiasts. The only two eXpei'iohS'
however, concerning which anything Ike d'hhi'' ~
cou7s have been left were those Ct Coronado IN l'4-
ard OF Don Diego Count Of Penalosi, IN IN" year
,cG. As in the OF Coronado the early 'arc7r
- Don Diego was not lacking In the Drliiiahcy ana
vo1,ty Of cypcrcnccs that charmed the Spihihus III
mi, age. Pcnalosa was Croic' por' III L'" ~
,c,. - rustriors descent At the age OF fifteen he
w,s made rceidor Of the city OF La Pdz al'er"aru
a,cado and fudge then In turn captain OF cavalry,
Governor ~ Peruvian province, and finally provincial
olcnldc Of the City OF Ia Paz and her I'VE d'phu'"'
u,ovuccs An alteration with his brother ana de'
sire 10 sec spain resulted in his expiration IL"
,ors l,,.r lie finally drifted or fled to Mexico
where fortune again fIyored him. The Nlceroy oi
Mexico gnve him high commands in the army made
mir
ward when he was thirtyslx years OF age. appoltea
hin, Governor OF New Mexico. The first few months
under the new administration were spent In making
war upon the Apaches. In erecting numerous D"lu-
incs and founding few new cities But thes" WEN.
only the ordinary duties which any governor general
Of n province might perform. The Count OF fehaioS'
felt that his attention must BE- turned 10 something
Of greater importance which would crown MS ""h
fame and Incidentally add to the glory OF Mexico
o,v,nr 10 the remoteness and inacccssibllity OF
X.y Ne NIcc> the Office II governor was extremely
procatiol, Bv reason 81 the distance from home he
was comparatively Independent ana nnhampere" IN
hl, rulc vet he was lle TO be subject to criticism
and because II this diStanc" have no chance TOT r'
,otion The officers OF III" ln1uistnn at TINS Tim"
had penetrated into the New World ana matters DE-
cam. exceedingly complicated whenever they tried TO
usufp practical rs we'll spiritual control over tie
province.
Each governor for more than n century had sought
70 annex new territories. 10 accumulate great wealth.
to conqucr new cities. and particularly to ma ana
subduc the land Of QuveIa where they still b'ieN'i
that sweet lclls played exquisite harmonies when
stirred by the brcezes and where The conl'hOAe''
utensils wrr" Of beaten gold and silver
At the time when the French were trying 10
oaclfv the Irclnois Canadian shores aud when
New England and Virginia laying the foundation
for "A mighty government PenaloSa gathered his eN'
petition together, and with oil the pomp ana sp'h'or
that was fitting to governor general proceeded from
Santa Te eastward and no.thward over almost the
same rond followed by Coronado in his search nearly
century and "A quarter before. The friar Nicolas
de- Frrytas. who left an account of the journey tells
rs that the expedition consisted Of "a thousand
Indians armed with bows and arrows and fourScore
spanl,h knights OF good family and rrpute. Thirty
six wagons carried his provisions and munitions OF
war. six cannon. 500 horses and 300 mules accom-
panied tuc force. Two chapains, with their vesmen's
and materials requisite for the celebration OF mass,
oddcd to the brlancy Of his array. while for his
personal ease ne had provided besides horses u com
modons coach. litter and two scdan-chairs.'
For three months the expedition proceeded toward
the north and east the fertile prarleS OF what
T. now Indian Territory and Kansas. They en-
counicrrd many herds OF buffalo, and the narrators
tell lis they delighted with the forests and rivers
the wild fruits. otter and deer. the flowers and foliage
and the marloram and clover. which had delighted
by Il wide. swifl-nOwng river. where they met war
nriv consisting OF 5000 braves OF the EScansaqucs
Nation. who on their way to make war upon one
of the great cities Of Quivcra. PenaoSa and his fol-
lowers Joining the war party proceeded along the
west bank OF the river until they came IN sight Of
HIGH ridge where the smoke warned them that they
were not taking the natives unawareS. Going still
further they reached the point where second river
flowed into the they had just met. and her" they
found a large city extending along both banks Of the
stream This was undoubtedly one Of the cities Of
Culvcra. The buildings as described were from two
o four stories In height, circular In shape and built
of black walnut. ar,ticaily matched. The cry "X-
tended fully six miles along this stream and even for
some diSianc" beyond point where third and smaller
stream joined the large river.
When PenalosaS giitlcring, although travcstaned.
army came In sight 81 the plain surrounding the
city, the natives came out In crowds to gaze upon
them. They welcomed by a delegation Of seventy
hrIn pf nf nttc