TESTIMONY CONCERNING THOSE WHO WENT ON THE 

 EXPEDITION WITH FRANCISCO VAZQUEZ CORONADO 1 



At Compostela, on February 21, 1540, Coronado presented a petition 

 to the viceroy Mendoza, declaring that lie bad observed that certain 

 persons who were not well disposed toward the expedition which was 

 about to start for the newly discovered country had said that many of 

 the inhabitants of the City of Mexico and of the other cities and towns 

 of New Spain, and also of Compostela and other places in this province of 

 New Galicia were going on the expedition at his request or because 

 of inducements offered by him. as a result of which the City of Mexico 

 and New Spain were left deserted, or almost so. Therefore, he asked 

 the viceroy to order that information be obtained, in order that the 

 truth might be known about the citizens of New Spain and of this 

 province who were going to accompany him. He declared that there 

 were very few of these, and that they were not going on account of 

 any attraction or inducement offered by him, but of their own free will, 

 and as there were few of them, there would not be any lack of people 

 in New Spain. And as Gonzalo de Salazar, the factor or royal agent, 

 and Pero Almidez Cherino, the veedor or royal inspector of His Majesty 

 for New Spain, and other citizens of Mexico who knew all the facts and 

 had the necessary information, were present there, Coronado asked His 

 Grace to provide and order that which would best serve His Majesty's 

 interests and the welfare and security of New Spain. 



The viceroy instructed the liceuciate Maldonado, oidor of the royal 

 audiencia, 2 to procure this information. To facilitate the hearing he 

 provided that the said factor and veedor and the regidores, and others 

 who were there, should attend the review of the army, which was to be 

 held on the following day. Nine of the desired witnesses were also 

 commanded by Maldonado to atteud the review and observe those 

 whom they knew in the army. 



On February 26* the licentiate Maldonado took the oaths of the wit- 

 nesses in proper form, and they testified to the following effect: 



Hernand Perez de Bocanegra, a citizen of Mexico, stated that he had 

 been present on the preceding Sunday, at the review of the force which 

 the viceroy was sending for the pacification of the country recently 

 discovered by the father provincial, Fray Marcos de Niza, and that he 



'Translated freely and abridged from the depositions as printed in Pacheco y Cardenas. Docu- 

 mentos de Indias, vol. xiv, p. 373. See note on page 377. The statements of the preceding witnesses 

 are usually repeated, in effect, in the testimony of thoM- who follow. 



2 Judge of the highest court of the province. 



3 Thursd.-iy. 



596 



