574 THE CORONADO EXPEDITION, 1540-1542 [eth.ank.14 



leagues to the west. The villages are somewhat larger than those of 

 Cibola, and in other respects, in food and everything, they are of the 

 same sort, except that these raise cotton. While Don Pedro de Tobar 

 had gone to see these, Francisco Vazquez dispatched messengers to 

 the viceroy, with an account of what had happened up to this point. 1 

 He also prepared instructions for these to take to Don Tristan, who as 

 I have said, was at Hearts, for him to proceed to Cibola, and to leave 

 a town established in the valley of Seiiora, which he did, and in it he 

 left 80 horsemen of the men who had but one horse and the weakest 

 men, and Melchor Diaz with them as captain and leader, because 

 Francisco Vazquez had so arranged for it. He ordered him to go from 

 there with half the force to explore toward the west; and he did so, and 

 traveled 150 leagues, to the river which Hernando de Alarcon entered 

 from the sea, which he called the Bueuaguia. The settlements and 

 people that are in this direction are mostly like those at the Hearts, 

 except at the river and around it, where the people have much better 

 figures and have more corn, although the houses in which they live 

 are hovels, like pig pens, almost under ground, with a covering of 

 straw, and made without any skill whatever. This river is reported 

 to be large. They reached it 30 leagues from the coast, where, and as 

 far again above, Alarcon had come up with his boats two months before 

 they reached it. This river runs north and south there. Melchor Diaz 

 passed on toward the west five or six days, from which he returned for 

 the reason that he did not hud auy water or vegetation, but only many 

 stretches of sand; and he had some fighting on his return to the river 

 and its vicinity, because they wanted to take advantage of him while 

 crossing the river. While returning Melchor Diaz died from au acci- 

 dent, by which he killed himself, throwing a lance at a dog. 



After Don Pedro de Tobar returned and had given an account of 

 those villages, he then dispatched Don Garcia Lopez de Cardenas, the 

 army-master, by the same road Don Pedi-o had followed, to go beyond 

 that province of Tuzau to the west, and he allowed him eighty days in 

 which to go and return, for the journey and to make the discoveries. 

 He was conducted beyond Tuzan by native guides, who said there were 

 settlements beyond, although at a distance. Having gone 50 leagues 

 west of Tuzan, and 80 from Cibola, he found the edge of a river down 

 which it was impossible to find a path for a horse in any direction, or 

 even for a man on foot, except in one very difficult place, where there 

 was a descent for almost 2 leagues. The sides were such a steep rocky 

 precipice that it was scarcely possible to see the river, which looks like 

 a brook from above, although it is half as large again as that of Seville, 

 according to what they say, so that although they sought for a passage 

 with great diligence, none was found for a long distance, during which 

 they were for several days in great need of water, which could not be 

 found, and they could not approach that of the river, although they 



1 See the letter of August 3, 1540, p. 562. 



