EIO GEANDE THICKLY PEOPLED. 221 



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pole-star led tliem to believe themselves in nortli latitude 



37^. 

 Pursuing tlie same northerly course, fourteen leagues 



thence tliey found anotlier province, inhabited by Cumanes (or 

 Punames), with five towns, of which Cia (Zia) was greatest, 

 having twenty thousand persons, eight market-places, and 

 houses plastered and painted in divers colours. The in- 

 habitants presented them with mantles curiously 

 and showed rich metals, and mountains near which were the 



t- 



mines. Having travelled six leagues nortli-west, they came 

 toAmcieSj ^^ where are seven great towns and thirty thousand 

 souls," One of the towns was said to he very great and fair ; 

 but as it stood behind a mountain they feared to approach it- 

 Fifteen leagues west they found a great town^ called Acoma^ 

 containing about six thousand persons, and situated upon a 

 high rockj which was above fifty paces high, having no 

 entrance except by stairs hewed into the rock. The water of 

 this toT^Ti was kept in cisterns. Their corn-fields^ two leagues 

 distant, were watered from, a small river, upon the banks of 

 which were roses. Many mountains in this vicinity showed 

 signs of metals ; but they went not to see them. 



Twenty-fom- leagues westward from Acoma they arrived at 

 Zuni, by the Spaniards called Cibola, containing great num- 

 bers of Indians. Here were three Christian Indians, left by 

 Coronado in 1540. They infoimed Espejo that ^^ threescore 

 days' jom^ey from this place there was a mighty lake, upon 

 the banks whereof stood many great and good towns, and 

 that the inhabitants of the same had plenty of gold, as shown 

 by theii- wearing golden bracelets and earrings." They said 

 that Coronado intended to have gone there, but having 

 I travelled twelve days' journey, he began to want water, and 

 returned. Espejo, desirous of seeing this rich country, 



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