339 



tude 40 north; and to a still larger river further on (probably the Mis- 

 souri) makes it exceedingly probable that he reached the fortieth degree 

 of latitude, or what is now the boundary between the States of Kansas 

 and Nebraska, well on towards the Missouri River ; and in this region I 

 have terminated his explorations north on the accompanying map.* 



In regard to the return route of the army of Coronado, which he 

 dispatched to Tignex before he reached Quivira, it is expressly men- 

 tioned that they passed by some salt ponds, and, as I believe they are 

 only to be found in that region of country between the Canadian' and 

 Arkansas Rivers, on the Little Arkansas River, a tributary of the latter, 

 in about latitude 37, and longitude 99, I have located this route as 

 passing by these ponds, with some probability of its being correct.t 



Another point of the return route of the army was where it struck 

 the Rio Cicuye, about thirty leagues below the bridge, where it had 

 crossed it on their outward inarch.J 



Besides the provinces I have endeavored to locate there were a num- 

 ber, as I have already stated, visited by Coronado, or his officers, which 

 were situated on the Rio Tiguex, (Rio Grande,) or some of its tribu- 

 taries, as follows : Quirix, containing seven villages ; in the Snow Mount- 

 ains, seven ; Xiinena, three ; Chea, one ; Hemes, seven ; Aguas Calien- 

 tes, three ; Yuque-yunque of the mountain, six ; \ r alladolid or Braba, 

 one; Tutahaco, eight. 



Quirix was unquestionably San Phelipe de Queres of the present day ; 

 Chea, Silla ; Hemes, Hemez ; Aguas Calientes, the ruins which I have 

 seen at Ojos Calientes, twelve miles above Heinez, on the Rio de Heinez; 

 and Braba, Taos. The situation of all the places named accord so well 

 with that given by Castaneda as to leave but little doubt that they are 

 identical. 



In addition, in relation to Braba, Castaiieda states that it was the last 

 town on the Rio Tiguex, north, and was " built on the two banks of a 

 stream which was crossed by bridges built of nicely-squared pine tim- 

 ber." Gregg, speaking of Taos, which is the last pueblo on the Rio 

 Grande north of Santa Fe, says : " There still exists a pueblo of Taos, 

 composed for the most part of but two edifices of very singular con- 

 struction, on each side of a creek, and formerly communicating by a 

 bridge. The base story, near 400 feet long and 150 wide, is divided into 

 numerous apartments, upon which other tiers of rooms are built, one 

 above another, forming a pyramidal pile of fifty or sixty feet high, and 

 comprising some six or eight stories." The identity, therefore, of the 

 two places I think certain. 



All the vilages along the Rio de Tiguex, (Rio Grande,) explored by 

 Castaiieda, were included in a district thirty leagues (102 miles) broad 

 and one hundred and thirty (442 miles) long. 



Castaiieda, speaking of the origin of the people who inhabited these 

 regions, says: " This circumstance, the customs and form of government 



* This hypothesis is also strengthened by the fact that the Turk who guided Coro- 

 nado stated that he was " a native of the country on the side of Florida," that is, 

 toward the east from the Rio Tiguex, (Rio Grande,) in the valley of which he was ;it 

 that time ; that in his country was "a river two leagues broad," &c.; and that when 

 he reached Quivira ho told the Spaniards " that his country was still beyond that." 

 (See Castanuda's Relations, Teruaux Compaus, pp. 72, 77, 131.) 



t See ante, p. 40. 



t IJt-t \veen the outward and return route the Canadian River is deeply cauoned for 

 fifty miles, which doubtless necessitated the army on its return either to cross it where 

 it did when going to Quivira, or at least iifry miles below that point; and doing the 

 latter, it naturally struck the Pecos proportionally lower down from the bridge. 



$ Gregg's Commerce of the Prairies, 2d ed., vol/ii, p. 277. 



