106 
MARCO DE NINA’S JOURNEY TO CEYOLA. 
also, that besides the seven cities, there were three other kingdoms, called Marata, Acus, and 
Totonteac. He asked of these Indians why they travelled to Cevola, so far from their houses. 
They said that they went for turquoises, ox-hides, and other things which they received in 
payment for labor in tilling their ground. They described tbe dress of the inhabitants of 
Cevola to be “a gown of cotton down to the foot, with a button at the neck, and a long string 
hanging down at the same; and that the sleeves of these gowns are as broad beneath as 
above.”* “They gird themselves with girdles of turqueses;”t and besides these “some 
wear good apparel; others, hides of kine,J very well dressed.” The Pintados carried certain 
sick folks to see him, that ho might heal them; and the invalids sought to touch his garments 
for that purpose. 
He continued his journey five days, always finding inhabited places, great hospitality, and 
many “turqueses,” and ox-hides. § He then understood that after ttvo days’ journey he would 
find a desert, where there was no food. Before he reached this desert, he arrived at a “very 
pleasant town, by reason of great store of waters conveyed thither to water the same.” || Here 
he met with many people, both men and women, clothed in cotton, and some covered with 
ox-hides, “which generally they take for better apparel than that of cotton.”*f “All the 
people of this village,” he states, “go in caconados; that is to say, with turqueses hanging at 
their nostrils and ears, which turqueses they call cacona.”** 
The “lord of this village,” and others, visited him, “ apparelled in cotton,” “in caconados,” 
and each with a collar of turquoises about his neck. They gave him conies, quails, maize, and 
nuts of pine-trees, and offered turquoises, dressed ox-liides, and fair vessels to drink in, which 
he declined. They informed him that in Totonteac was a great quantity of woolen cloth, such 
as he himself wore, made from the fleeces of wild beasts, ft These beasts they told him “were 
about the same bigness of” two spaniels which Stephen carried with him. 
The' next day he entered the desert, and where he was to dine he found bowers made, and 
victuals in abundance, by a river’s side.H Thus the Indians provided for him during four days 
that the “wilderness” continued. He then entered a valley, §§ very well inhabited with people, 
avIio were dressed also in cotton robes, with turquoise pendants from their ears and nostrils, and 
numerous strings of the same encircling their necks. 
Through this valley, which was inhabited by “a goodly people,” he travelled five days’ jour¬ 
ney .|||| The country was “ well watered, and like a garden,” “abounding in victuals,” “sufficient 
to feed above three thousand horsemen.” The boroughs and towns Avere from a quarter to half 
a league long. Here he found a man born in Cevola, having escaped “from the governor or 
lieutenant of the same ; for the lord of the seven cities liveth and abideth in one of those towns, 
called Abacus, and in the rest he appointeth lieutenants under him.” This toAvnsman of 
c This description is simply that of a Pima cotton blanket thrown over the shoulders, and pinned by a wooden button 
at the neck. The natural folds of this garment would produce “ sleeves as broad beneath as above.” In thus modifying 
the account, I would not impeach the veracity of the narrator. It is easy to conceive how, with imperfect means of com¬ 
municating with the Indians, a lively imagination might lead to exaggerations such as he was aftorwards charged with. 
•j- Probably Pima or Zufii belts, ornamented with green stones. 
f Buckskin or buffalo robes. 
§ Probably buffalo robes. 
|| This is the present site of Tucson, a rich and fertile valley, watered by acequias. 
If allowed for ‘ 1 ox-hides’ ’ to read buckskin, the account will apply to the Pimas of the present day. 
85 It is usual for all the principal Indian chiefs of the Gila and Colorado, as well as those of Zuiii, to wear blue stones 
pendant from the nose. 
ff Possibly the long hair of the big horn wild sheep, which are abundant in these parts, may have been woven into cloth. 
j/.f I cannot conceive what river he speaks of; possibly some rivulet might have appeared upon the desert, between 
Tucson and Rio Gila. 
§§ This was the valley of Rio Gila. 
|| || He must have crossed over to the Salinas, (Rio Azul,) and ascended that river. It is surprising that he makes no 
mention of large buildings or ruins upon its banks. 
