FRIAR MARCO DE NIQA a.d. 



1539- 

 should put my selfe, and that if I should dye, the know- 

 ledge of this Countrey should be lost, which in my 

 judgement is the greatest and the best that hitherto hath 

 beene discovered : and when I tolde the chief men, what 

 a goodly citie Cevola seemed unto mee, they answered me [III. 373.] 

 that it was the least of the seven cities, and that Toton- Tomteac the 



teac is the greatest and best of them all, because it hath so ^^^^^^^^ ^f 



. ^ 111- 1 r 1 most populous 



many houses and people, that there is no ende or them, province. 



Having seene the disposition and situation of the place, 

 I thought good to name that Countrey El Nuevo 

 reyno de san Francisco : in which place I made a great 

 heape of stones by the helpe of the Indians, and on 

 the toppe thereof I set up a small slender crosse be- 

 cause I wanted meanes to make a greater, and sayd 

 that I set up that crosse and heape in the name of the 

 most honourable Lord Don Antonio de Mendo^a 

 Viceroy and Captaine generall of Nueva Espanna, for 

 the Emperour our Lord, in token of possession, accord- 

 ing to mine instruction. Which possession I sayd that 

 I tooke in that place of all the seven cities, & of the 

 kingdomes of Totonteac, of Acus, and of Marata. 

 Thus I returned with much more feare then victuals. He retumeth. 

 and went untill I found the people which I had left 

 behind mee, with all the speede that I could make, 

 whome I overtooke in two dayes travell, and went in 

 their company till I had passed the desert, where I was j desert. 

 not made so much of as before : for both men and 

 women made great lamentation for the people which 

 were slaine at Cevola, and with feare 1 hastened from 

 the people of this valley, and travelled tenne leagues A valley. 

 the first day, and so I went daily eight or ten leagues, 

 without staying untill I had passed the second desert. ^ second 

 And though I were in feare, yet I determined to go to ^^^^^'^' 

 the great plaine, wherof I said before, that I had in- 

 formation, being situate at the foote of the mountaines, 

 and in that place I understoode, that this plaine is in- 

 habited for many dayes journey toward the East, but 

 I durst not enter into it, considering, that if hereafter 



143 



