winbhipI THE RETURN TO PECOS 399 



due east across the plains for 100 leagues — 205 miles' — and then 50 

 leagues either south or southeast. The. latter is the reading I should 

 prefer to adopt, because it accommodates the other details somewhat 

 better. This took them to the point of separation, which can hardly 

 have been south of Bed river, and was much more likely somewhere 

 along the North Fork of the Canadian, not far above its junction with 

 the main stream. From this point the army returned due west to 

 Pecos river, while Coronado rode north "by the needle.'' From these 

 premises, which are broad enough to be safe, I should be inclined to 

 doubt if Coronado went much beyond the south branch of Kansas river, 

 if he even reached that stream. Coronado probably spent more days 

 on his march than General Simpson allowed for, but I do not think that 

 he traveled nearly so far as General Simpson supposed. Coronado also 

 returned to Cicuye by a direct route, which was about two-thirds as 

 long as that of the outward march. The distances given for various 

 portions of the journey have a real value, because each day's march 

 was paced oft' by a soldier detailed for the purpose, who carefully 

 recorded the distance covered. 



THE WINTER OF 1541-1542 



By October 20, 1541, Coronado was back in Tiguex, writing his report 

 to the King, in which he expressed his anxiety lest the failure to dis- 

 cover anything of immediate material profit might react unfavorably 

 on his own prospects. Letters and dispatches from Mexico and Spain 

 were awaiting him at Tiguex. One of these informed Don Garcia Lopez 

 de Cardenas of the death of his brother, by which he became heir to 

 the family estates. Cardenas had broken his arm on the plains, and 

 this injury was still troubling him when he received permission to 

 return to New Spain. He was accompanied by the messengers carry- 

 ing letters to the viceroy and by ten or twelve other invalids, "not one 

 of whom could have done any fighting." The party had no trouble, 

 however, until they reached Suya, in Corazones valley, the settlement 

 which had taken the place of San Hieronimo. Pedro de Tovar had 

 reduced the already feeble garrison at the latter post by half, when he 

 took away the reinforcements six months before. The town had been 

 much weakened by desertions, as well as by the loss of its commander, 

 the invaluable Melchior Diaz, before this. The Indians quickly dis- 

 cerned the condition of the town, and its defenders were unable to 

 maintain friendly relations with the surrounding tribes. When Car- 

 denas reached the place, he found everything burned to the ground, and 

 the bodies of Spaniards, Indians, and horses lying about. Indeed, he 

 seems barely to have saved the invalids accompanying him from being 

 added to the number of the massacred. The party succeeded in mak- 

 ing its way to Cibola in safety, and from there they returned to Tiguex, 

 where they found the general seriously ill. By this time the winter was 



1 The Spanish (judicial) It-ague was equivalent to 2.63 statute miles. 



