winsbip] CORONADO TO MENDOZA, AUGUST 3, 1540 555 



ten days; and this information which I have received from the Indians 

 appears to me to be true. The sea turns toward the west directly oppo- 

 site the Hearts for 10 or 12 leagues, where I learned that the ships of 

 Your Lordship had been seen, which had gone in search of the port of 

 Chichilticale, which the father said was on the thirty -fifth degree. God 

 knows what I have suffered, because I fear that they may have met with 

 some mishap. If they follow the coast, as they said they would, as long 

 as the food lasts which they took with them, of which I left them a 

 supply in Culiacan, and if they have not been overtaken by some mis- 

 fortune, I maintain my trust in God that they liave already discovered 

 something good, for which the delay which they have made may be 

 pardoned. I rested for two days at Chichilticale, and there was good 

 reason for staying longer, because we found that the horses were becom- 

 ing so tired; but there was no chance to rest longer, because the food 

 was giving out. I entered the borders of the wilderness region on Saint 

 John's eve, and, for a change from our past labors, we found no grass 

 during the first days, but a worse way through mountains and more 

 dangerous passages than we had experienced previously. The horses 

 were so tired that they were not equal to it, so that in this last desert 

 we lost more horses than before; and some Indian allies and a Span- 

 iard called Spinosa, besides two negroes, died from eating some herbs 

 because the food had given out. I sent the army-master, Don Garcia 

 Lopez de Cardenas, with 15 horsemen, a day's march ahead of me, in 

 order to explore the country and prepare the way, which he accom- 

 plished like the man that he is, and agreeably to the confidence which 

 Your Lordship has had in him. I am the more certain that he did so, 

 because, as I have said, the way is very bad for at least 30 leagues and 

 more, through impassable mountains. But when we had passed these 

 30 leagues, we found fresh rivers and grass like that of Castile, and 

 especially one sort like what we call Scaramoio; many nut and mul- 

 berry trees, but the leaves of the nut trees are different from those of 

 Spain. There was a considerable amount of Max near the banks of one 

 river, which was called on this account El Rio del Lino. No Indians 

 were seen during the first day's march, after which four Indians came 

 out with signs of peace, saying that they had been sent to that desert 

 place to say that we were welcome, and that on the next day the tribe 

 would provide the whole force with food. The army-master gave them 

 a cross, telling them to say to the people in their city that they need 

 not fear, and that they should have their people stay in their own houses, 

 because I was coming in the name of His Majesty to defend and help 

 them. After this was done, Ferraudo Alvarado came back to tell me 

 that some Indians had met him peaceably, and that two of them were 

 with the army-master waiting for me. I went to them forthwith and 

 gave them some paternosters and some little cloaks, telling them to 

 return to their city and say to the people there that they could stay 

 quietly in their houses aud that they need not fear. After this I ordered 



