402 THE COEONADO EXPEDITION, 1540-1542 [eth.ann.u 



officials in Spain. It is the best proof of the strength of MeDdoza's 

 able and economical administration that no opposition ever succeeded 

 in influencing the home government against him, and that the failure 

 of this expedition, with the attendant circumstances, furnished the 

 most serious charge which those who had displayed hostility toward 

 him were able to produce. 



When Coronado reached the City of Mexico, " very sad and very weary, 

 completely worn out and shamefaced," Suarez de Peralta was a boy on 

 the streets. We catch a glimpse of him in the front rows of a crowd 

 watching an execution, this same winter of 1542-43, and we may be sure 

 that he saw all that was going on, and that he picked up and treasured 

 the gossip of the city. His recollections give a vivid picture of the 

 return of the expedition, when Coronado "came to kiss the hand of the 

 viceroy and did not receive so good a reception as he would have liked, 

 for he found him very sad." For many days after the general reached 

 the city the men who had followed him came straggling in, all of them 

 worn out with their toils, clothed in the skins of animals, and showing 

 the marks of their misfortunes and sufferings. "The country had been 

 very joyous when the news of the discovery of the Seven Cities spread 

 abroad, and this was now supplanted by the greatest sadness on the 

 part of all, for many had lost their friends and their fortunes, since 

 those who remained behind had entered into partnerships with those 

 who went, mortgaging their estates and their property in order to pro- 

 cure a share in what was to be gained, and drawing up papers so that 

 those who were to be present should have power to take possession of 

 mines and enter claims in the name of those who were left behind, in 

 accordance with the custom and the ordinances which the viceroy had 

 made for New Spain. Many sent their slaves also, since there were 

 many of these in the country at this time. Thus the loss and the grief 

 were general, but the viceroy felt it most of all, for two reasons : Because 

 this was the outcome of something about which he had felt so sure, 

 which he thought would make him more powerful than the greatest 

 lord in Spain, and because his estates were ruined, for he had labored 

 hard and spent much in sending off the army. Finally, as things go, 

 he succeeded in forgetting about it, and devoted himself to the govern- 

 ment of his province, and in this he became the best of governors, 

 being trusted by the King and loved by all his subjects." 



THE END OF CORONADO 



We do not know what became of Vazquez Coronado. The failure of 

 the expedition was not his fault, and there is nothing to show that he 

 ever sought the position which Mendoza intrusted to him. Neither is 

 there any evidence that Mendoza treated him with any less marks of 

 friendship after his return than before. The welcome home was not 

 cordial, but there are no reports of upbraiding, nor any accusations of 

 negligence or remissness. Coronado soon gave up his position as gov- 



