winshii] EXPEDITIONS PLANNED BY MENDOZA 353 



ognized bis rivals and their strength. Nuuu de Guzman was in disgrace 

 and awaiting a trial, but be was at the court, where be could urge bis 

 claims persistently in person. Cortes was active, but be was where 

 Mendoza could watch everything that he tried to do. He might suc- 

 ceed in anticipating the viceroy's plans, but his sea ventures heretofore 

 had all been failures. So long as he kept to the water there seemed 

 to be little danger. Mendoza's chief concern appears to have been to 

 make sure that his rivals should have no chance of uniting their 

 claims against him. Representing the Crown and its interests, be felt 

 sure of everything else. The viceroy had no ambition to take the field 

 in person as an explorer, and be selected Alvarado as the most available 

 leader for the expedition which he had in mind, probably about the 

 time that the latter came back to the New World. He wrote to 

 Alvarado, suggesting an arrangement between them, and after due 

 consideration on both sides, terms and conditions mutually satisfactory 

 were agreed on. Mendoza succeeded in uniting Alvarado to bis inter- 

 ests, and engaged that he should conduct an expedition into the country 

 north of Mexico. This arrangement was completed, apparently, before 

 the return of Friar Marcos from his reconnoissance, which added so 

 largely to tbe probabilities of success. 



THE RECONNOISSANCE OF FRIAR MARCOS DE NIZA 



Mendoza did not confine himself to diplomatic measures for bringing 

 about the exploration and conquest which he had in mind. In his 

 undated "premiere lettre" the viceroy wrote that he was prepared to 

 send Dorantes with forty or fifty horses and everything needed for an 

 expedition into the interior; but nothing was done. 



About this time, 1537-38, Friar Juan de la Asuncion seems to have 

 visited tbe inland tribes north of tbe Spanish settlements. Mr Ban- 

 delier has presented all tbe evidence obtaiuable regarding tbe labors of 

 this friar. 1 The most probable interpretation of the statements which 

 refer to his wanderings is that Friar Juan went alone and without 

 official assistance, and that he may have traveled as far north as 

 the river Gila. The. details of his journey are hopelessly confused. It 

 is more than probable that there were a number of friars at work 

 among tbe outlying Indian tribes, and there is no reason why one or 

 more of them may not have jvandered north for a considerable dis- 

 tance. During the same year the viceroy made an attempt, possibly 

 in person, to penetrate into tbe country of Topira or Topia, in north- 

 western Durango, 2 but the mountains and the absence of provisions 

 forced the party to return. It may be that this fruitless expedition was 

 the same as that in which, according to Castaneda, Coronado took part, 

 while Friar Marcos was on his way to Cibola. It is not unlikely, also, 



•Contributions to the History of the Southwest, pp 79-103. 



2 This region is identified by Bandolier in his Contributions, p. 104, note. The letter from which 

 the details are obtained, written to accompany the report of Friar Marcos when this was transmitted 

 to the King, is in Ramusio, and also in Ternaux, Cibola volume, p. 285. 



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