384 THE CORONADO EXPEDITION, 1540-1542 [eth.ann.14 



wilderness forced biui to turn back. At Cbiametla be encountered ' 

 C<orou ado's force. He joined tlie army, sending bis lieutenant, Saldivar, 

 with tbree other horsemen, to carry bis report to tbe viceroy. This was 

 delivered to Mendoza on March 20, and is embodied in tbe letter to the 

 King, dated April 17, 1540. 



Corouado did not allow Diaz to announce the results of bis reconuois- 

 sauce to tbe soldiers, but the rumor quickly spread that tbe visions in- 

 spired by Friar Marcos had not been substantiated. Fortunately, the 

 friar was himself in the camp. Although he was now the father pro- 

 vincial of the Franciscan order in New Spain, he had determined to ac- 

 company tbe expedition, in order to carry the gospel to the savages 

 whose salvation had been made possible by bis heroic journey of the 

 preceding spring. The mutterings of suspicion and discontent among 

 tbe men grew rapidly louder. Friar Marcos felt obliged to exhort them 

 in a special sermon to keep up a good courage, and by his eloquence he 

 succeeded in persuading them that all their labors would soon be well 

 repaid. 



From Cbiametla the army resumed its march, procuring provisions 

 from the Indians along the way. Mendoza stated, in 1547, that he 

 took every precaution to prevent any injury or injustice being done to 

 tbe Indians at the time of Corouado's departure, and that he stationed 

 officials, especially appointed for this purpose, at convenient points on 

 tbe road to Culiacan, who were ordered to procure the necessary pro- 

 visions for the expedition. There are no means of telling how well this 

 plan was carried into execution. 



A day or two before Easter, March 28, 1540, the army approached 

 Culiacan. The journey bad occupied a little over a month, but when 

 Corouado, from his lodging in the Cibola village of Granada, three 

 months later, recalled the slow and tedious marches, the continual 

 waiting for tbe lazy cattle and the heavily loaded baggage trains, and 

 tbe repeated vexatious delays, we can hardly wonder that it seemed to 

 him to have been a period of fourscore days' journey. 



Tbe town of San Miguel de Culiacan, in the spring of 1540, was one 

 of the most prosperous in Xew Spain. Nufio de Guzman had founded 

 tbe settlement some years before, and had placed Melcbior Diaz in 

 charge of it. Tbe appointment was a most admirable one, Diaz was 

 not of gentle birth, but be had established his right to a position of 

 considerable power and responsibility by virtue of much natural ability. 

 He was a hard worker and a skillful organizer and leader. He inspired 

 confidence in his companions and followers, and always maintained the 

 best of order and of diligence among those who were under his charge. 

 Barely does one meet with a man whose record for every position and 

 every duty assigned to him shows such uniform and thorough efficiency. 

 The settlement increased rapidly in size and in wealth, and when Coi o- 

 nado's force encamped in the surrounding fields, the' citizens of the town 

 insisted ou entertaining in their own homes all of the gentlemen who 



