1540.] JOURNEY OF FRIAR MARCOS DE NIZA. 59 



Cedars. There they remained the greater part of the time, until 

 the beginning of April, being prevented from advancing farther 

 north by head winds; and then, as several of the crews of both 

 vessels were disabled by sickness, and their provisions were insuf- 

 ficient to enable them to continue the voyage together much longer, 

 Ulloa resolved to send one of his ships back to Mexico. The 

 Santa Agueda, bearing the sick and the accounts of the discoveries, 

 accordingly sailed from the Isle of Cedars on the 5th of April, and 

 in the beginning of the following month she arrived at Santiago, in 

 Xalisco, where she was seized by the officers of the viceroy, who 

 was anxious to learn the particulars of her discoveries. Of the fate 

 of Ulloa there are contradictory accounts. Herrera says that 

 nothing was ever heard of him after his parting with the Santa 

 Agueda ; others of his contemporaries, however, state that he con- 

 tinued his voyage along the west coast of California, as far as a 

 point called Cape Engano, near the 30th degree of latitude, and 

 thence returned safely to Mexico. 



Whatsoever may have been the importance of the geographical 

 results of this voyage, they were scarcely satisfactory to Cortes ; and 

 they attracted little attention among the Spaniards in Mexico, who 

 were then all engaged in plans and speculations concerning the rich 

 and delightful countries, of the discovery of which, by Friar Marcos 

 de Niza and his companions, accounts had recently arrived. From 

 these accounts, as contained in the letter addressed to the viceroy 

 by Friar Marcos,* and from other evidence, it is probable that the 

 reverend explorer did really penetrate to a considerable distance into 

 the interior of the continent, and did find there countries partially 

 cultivated, and inhabited by people possessing some acquaintance 

 with the arts of civilized life ; though, as to the precise situation of 

 those regions, or the routes pursued in reaching them, no definite 

 idea can be derived from the narrative. The friar pretended to 

 have discovered, north-west of Mexico, beyond the 35th degree of 

 latitude, extensive territories, richly cultivated, and abounding in 

 gold, silver, and precious stones, the population of which was much 

 greater, and farther advanced in civilization, than those of Mexico 

 or Peru. In these countries were many towns, and seven cities, 

 of which the friar only saw one, called C'evola or Cibola, containing 

 twenty thousand large stone houses, some of four stories, and 



The letter of Friar Marcos, relating his discoveries, may be found in Ramusio, 

 vol. iii. p. 297, and in Hakluyt, vol. iii. p. 438. See, also, Herrera, Decade vi. p. 204., 



