198 ELDORADO 



quests upon the western coast of Mexico. The coun- 

 try claimed by Cortez for Spain was the southeast 

 portion of the peninsula which was afterwards called 

 California. An expedition commanded by Francisco 

 de Ulloa was sent out by Cortez, sailing from Acapul- 

 co, on the 8th of July, 1539. It reached the Bay of 

 Santa Cruz after losing one of the vessels in a storm. 

 From Santa Cruz, Ulloa started to survey the coast 

 toward the north. Upon the examination of both 

 shores of the Gulf of California he discovered the 

 fact of the connection of the peninsula with the main- 

 land near the thirty-secand degree of latitude. This 

 gulf Ulloa named "the sea of Cortez." The following- 

 October he returned to Santa Cruz and soon sailed 

 again with the object of exploring the coasts farther 

 west. He rounded the point now called Cape St. 

 Lucas, the southern extremity of the peninsula of Low- 

 er California, and sailed along the coast towards the 

 north. His vessels were opposed by northwestern 

 storms and he often landed and fought with the na- 

 tives. In January, 1840, Ulloa reached an island near 

 the coast which he named the "Isle of Cedars." There 

 he remained until April, when one of his ships, bearing 

 the sick, and accounts of his discoveries, was sent 

 back to Mexico. Some writers assert that he contin- 

 ued his voyage farther north, while others claim that 

 nothing more was ever heard of LUloa after the return 

 of the vessel he sent back. 



Marcos de Niza, a Franciscan friar, and a Moor, 

 had been sent by the Spanish Viceroy, to make further 

 discoveries in the interior, and had sent home glow- 

 ing accounts of rich and delightful countries which 

 they claimed to have discovered. Mendoza, who had 



