354 THE CORONADO EXPEDITION, 1540-1542 Ieth.ann. u 



that Friar Marcos may have made a preliminary trip toward the north, 

 during- the same year, although this is hardly more than a guess to ex- 

 plain statements, made by the old chroniclers, which we can not under- 

 stand. 



As yet nothing had been found to verity the reports brought by 

 Cabeza de Vaca, which, by themselves, were hardly sufficient to justify 

 the equipment of an expedition on a large scale. But Mendoza was 

 bent on discovering what lay beyond the northern mountains. He still 

 had the negro Estevan, whom he had purchased of Dorantes, besides 

 a number of Indians who had followed Cabeza de Vaca to Mexico and 

 had been trained there to serve as interpreters. The experience which 

 the negro had gained during the years he lived among the savages 

 made him invaluable as a guide. He was used to dealing with the 

 Indians, knew something of their languages, and was practiced in the 

 all-important sign manual. 



Friar Marcos de Niza was selected as the leader of the little party 

 which was to find out what the viceroy wanted to know. Aside from 

 his reconnoitering trip to Cibola, very little is known about this friar. 

 Born in Nice, then a part of Savoy, he was called by his contemporaries 

 a Frenchman. He had been with Pizarro in Peru, and had witnessed 

 the death of Atahualpa. Beturning to Central America, very likely 

 with Pedro de Alvarado, he had walked from there barefooted, as was 

 his custom, up to Mexico. He seems to have been somewhere in the 

 northwestern provinces of New Spain, when Cabeza de Vaca appeared 

 there after his wanderings. A member of the Franciscan brother- 

 hood, he had already attained to some standing in the order, for he 

 signs his repoj-t or personal narration of his explorations, as vice- 

 commissary of the Franciscans. The father provincial of the order, 

 Friar Antonio de Ciudad-Rodrigo, on August 26, 1539,' certified to the 

 high esteem in which Friar Marcos was held, and stated that he was 

 skilled in cosmography and in the arts of the sea, as well as in 

 theology. 



This choice of a leader was beyond question an excellent one, and 

 Mendoza had every reason to feel confidence in the success of his under- 

 taking. The viceroy drew up a set of instructions for Friar Marcos, 

 which directed that the Indians whom he met on the way should receive 

 tlie best of treatment, and provided for the scientific observations 

 which all Spanish explorers were expected to record. Letters were to 

 be left wherever it seemed advisable, in order to communicate with a 

 possible sea expedition, and information of the progress of the party 

 was to be sent back to the viceroy at convenient intervals. These 

 instructions are a model of careful and explicit directions, and show 

 the characteristic interest taken by Mendoza in tbe details of every- 

 thing with which he was concerned. They supply to some extent, 



'This certification, with the report of Friar Marcos ami other documents relating to him, is printed 

 in the Pacheco y Cardenaa Coleccion, vol. iii, pp. 325-351. 



