Cristóbal Méndez, 1559 
43 
Evidence submitted with regard to the services performed by Cristóbal 
Méndez, with Governor Cristóbal de Oñate and with Captain Fran¬ 
cisco Vdsquez Coronado. During the years 1538 [-154/], at his 
own expense, armed and mounted, he served in the conquest of Golfo 
Dulce de Valenzuela, Cíbola, and Jalisco. In the campaigns he re¬ 
ceived divers wounds. 
In the great city of Temistitán, 22 Mexico, in New Spain, on the seventh 
day of November, 1559, president and oidores of the royal Audiencia 
of New Spain having met in regular session, Cristóbal Méndez, resident 
of this city, appeared before me, Antonio de Turcios, chief clerk for his 
Majesty of the royal Audiencia and government of New Spain. He 
brought with him and presented a petition and an interrogatory, the pur¬ 
port of which is as follows: 
Most powerful sirs: 
I, Cristóbal Mendez, affirm that it is more than thirty-one years since 
I came, in the fleet commanded by Captain-general Don Pedro de Alva¬ 
rado, from the kingdoms of Castile to these parts of the Indies, 23 where 
came the oidores, Matienzo and Delgadillo. The said fleet went to the 
port of Santo Domingo, where there was a fleet ready to sail for the con¬ 
quest of Golfo Dulce de Valenzuela. 24 He [I] went as a soldier in the 
latter fleet, and in the conquest I experienced great hardships—wounds 
in my body, hunger, and many troubles. More than twenty-eight years 
ago I came to New Spain. On my way to the conquest of Cibola, in the 
wake of Captain Francisco Vázquez de Coronado, I arrived at Jalisco at 
the time when the Indians rose in rebellion. He 25 collected all the troops 
that he could and I joined him with my arms and horses. The said 
Cristóbal de Oñate 26 marched with the soldiers to a large rock called El 
Mixton, where many of the Indian rebels had gathered, but though he and 
his men fought with the Indians they could not conquer them. In the 
battle many Spaniards, negroes, and Indians who accompanied Cristóbal 
de Oñate, and gave him their support, were killed and I received many 
serious wounds. The Indians fell upon Cristóbal de Oñate and those of 
us who were with him, killed many people, routed us and robbed us of all 
that we had. We came to the villa of Guadalajara, to which place it was 
necessary for us to retreat, but we reached there with great difficulty. At 
that time Don Pedro de Alvarado was in the provinces of Avalos 27 with 
a force ready to sail to the Spice Islands. Having learned of the havoc 
the Indians had wrought, he came to the aid of Cristóbal de Oñate. As 
soon as all the available soldiers were assembled, Captains Don Pedro de 
Alvarado, Cristóbal de Oñate, Miguel de Ybarra, Don Luis del Castillo, 
and Juan de Alvarado marched to the large rock of Nochistlan, where 
were many Indian rebels. In the battle which ensued the people on the 
rock killed these Spaniards, and I was very badly wounded. The captains, 
seeing the great force and strength of the Indians, withdrew, in order to 
effect a retreat to Guadalajara. Thereupon the Indians took the offensive 
against the Spaniards, at whom they shot arrows; horses and soldiers were 
killed, and we were robbed of all that we had. In a pass the horse on 
