190 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I02 



the Pacific at Z7° and ran along the coast to 35° and they still had 

 much sea to navigate along this coast to reach New Spain on the SE., 

 which is where this California lies, being an island, and they saw it 

 with their own eyes with Capt. Jeronimo Marquez. There are at 

 present living in Mexico City Captain Vaca and the carpenter who 

 built the brigantine or frigate in the region of the Rio Tizon, in 

 which they sailed along the coast, and they ascertained and saw with 

 their own eyes that California is an island over 600 leagues long, 

 from Cape San Lucas where it starts, to Cape Mendocino where 

 it ends. The inhabitants of California are stout, courteous, and 

 peacefully inclined ; they go naked and for weapons have bows and 

 arrows and light spears for throwing ; they live like savages. The 

 women go naked also, wearing only cloths covering their loins. The 

 coast of the mainland lies opposite the Florida coast ; it is flat, sandy 

 country with many streams and fertile fields, with many fruit trees 

 and other things to eat. The natives are more bold and warlike than 

 those of California. 



Chapter IV' 



Of the Kingdom of New Vizcaya, and the Provinces Included 

 within Its Diocese and State. 



535. In the Diocese of Guadalajara there were 104 allotments of 

 Indians ; and since its jurisdiction was very extensive, as is the case 

 with most of those in the Indies, and since episcopal visits, con- 

 firmations, and conscientious discharge of duty, were impossible, the 

 Bishop of Guadalajara, who was the most Christian friar Don Juan 

 de Ovalle, of the Order of the Glorious Patriarch Saint Benedict, 

 asked to have it divided ; and in accordance with his request and 

 advice, another Bishop was established in the city of Guadiana, also 

 called Durango, which is the capital of New Vizcaya. Its first Bishop 

 was Fray Don Gonzalo Hermosillo, M.A., a most learned ecclesiastic, 

 and most worthy member of the Order of the Glorious Doctor and 

 Patriarch St. Augustine. 



536. The Diocese and State of New Vizcaya begins at the mines |i 

 of Fresnillo, 12 leagues distant from Zacatecas ; there will be 100 ™ 

 Spanish residents here, with a Franciscan convent ; it has rich silver 

 mines and veins. Twelve leagues farther on, as one travels toward 

 Guadiana, lie the mines of Los Plateros and Sombrerete and others, 

 with rich silver veins and ore beds, and some establishments in which 

 they smelt the metal. All this country has a good climate and is 

 provided with plenty of supplies, for it is very fertile; they raise 

 quantities of wheat, corn, and other cereals, with abundance of native 



