1540—1543.] quivira. 63 



of ruins of large stone buildings, which were found in their present 

 state by the first Spanish settlers, and are called casus grandes de 

 los Azteques, (great houses of the Aztecks,) from the supposi- 

 tion or tradition that they were built by that people before their 

 invasion of Mexico.* Vazquez de Coronado, indeed, remarks that 

 the inhabitants of Cibola, though not wanting in intelligence, did 

 not appear to be capable of erecting the houses which he saw there. 



Of the movements of the Spaniards, after they quitted Cibola, 

 in August, 1540, the accounts are so vague and contradictory, that 

 it is impossible to trace their route. It seems, however, that the 

 greater part of the forces soon returned to Mexico ; while the others, 

 under their commander, wandered, for nearly two years longer, 

 through the interior of the continent, in search of a country called 

 Quivira, said, by the Indians, to be situated far in the north, and to 

 be governed by " a king named Tatarrax, with a long beard, hoary- 

 headed, and rich, who worshipped a cross of gold, and the image 

 of the Queen of Heaven." f This country they found near the 40th 

 degree of latitude : but the people had no other wealth than skins ; 

 and their king, though hoary-headed, possessed no jewels, " save one 

 of copper, hanging about his neck." Quivira is described as a level 

 territory, covered with herds of buffaloes, which form the whole 

 support of the inhabitants; and, if its latitude has been correctly 

 reported, it is most probably the region about the head-waters of the 

 Arkansas and Platte Rivers ; though Gomara places it near the sea, 

 and says that the Spaniards saw ships on the coast, laden with 

 East India goods. Vazquez had, probably, before leaving Quivira, 

 learned the true value of Indian accounts of rich countries ; and, 

 not deeming it advisable to pursue the search for them any longer, 

 he returned to Mexico in 1543. 



During the absence of Vazquez de Coronado, the great arma- 

 ment, destined for the exploration and conquest of the north-western 

 territories, under Pedro de Alvarado, was prepared ; but, just as 

 the expedition was about to be commenced, a rebellion broke out 

 among the Indians of Xalisco, and all the forces at the viceroy's 

 disposal were required to quell it. In the campaign which ensued, 

 in the summer of 1541 , Alvarado was killed by a kick from a horse ; 

 and Mendoza's expectations of advantage from the north-west 

 regions were, in the mean time, so much lowered, that he resolved 

 to reduce the scale of his expeditions for discovery in that quarter. 



* Hardy s Travels in Mexico, from 1825 to 1828. t Gomara, chap. 213 



