4 



FEIAE MARCO. 207 



Canadian Elver. Tliis tliey followed in a westerly dii-cction, 

 and passed over tlie diyiding ridges into the yalley of tlie 

 Eio Grande. After wandering from j)neblo to pueblo, they 

 at last made their w^ay, in the month of May, 1538, to the 

 Tillage of San Miguel, in Sonora, scarcely sixty leagues from 

 the Paeitic coast, and finally reached the city of Mexico. 

 Taca returned next year to Spain, and laid before the Kins? a 



thrilling 



His 



large tG\^Tis with lofty houses containing many stories, which 

 te had heard of in the Eio Grande valley, of the civilised 



Indians who cultivated maize 



and 



wi 



precious stones, and of the mineral wealth which he had 



w 



discovered, soon led to the organisation of a fresh expedition. 

 On the 7th March, 1539, Friar Marco de ^"ica started from 

 the town of San Miguel, in the province of Culiacan(Sinaloa), 

 on his journey northward, according to instructions received 

 from Don Antonio de Mendoca, Ticeroy of Kew Spain. His 

 companion was Friar Honoratus, and he carried with him a 

 iiegro named Stephen, and certain Indians of the town of 

 Ciichillo, whom the Viceroy had made free. He proceeded to 

 I*etatlan, where he rested tliree days, and left his com- 

 panion, Honoratus, sick. Thence, "following as the Holy 

 ^host did lead," he travelled twenty-five or thirty leagues, 

 seeing nothing worthy of notice, saving certain Indians from 

 "the Island of Saint lago," where Fernando Cortez of the Valley 

 had been. From these he learned that among the islands were 



u 



of nearls." * Continuino: throu 



_ K^J^^^.^ 



journey, accompanied b} 



the mountains thi-ough which he passed, he foimd other Indians, 



• These were probably Yaqui Indians, who stiU visit the Pearl Islands along 

 tte opposite shore (Lo\rer California), in order to carry on iheir occupation of 

 diving for pearls. They are great travellers, and would therefore be valuable 

 guides. 



