Bank of North America in 1783. and its second president from 1792 until his death. His son. Henry, married Maria, daughter of Robert Morris, and subsequently became fourth president of the Bank of North America.
NIXON, John Thompson, jurist, b. in Fairton,
N. J., 31 Aug.. 1820 ; d. in Stockbridge, Mass., 28
Sept., 1889. "He was graduated at Princeton in
1841. studied law. was admitted to the bar of Vir-
ginia in 1844, and began to practise in Bridgeton,
N. J. In 1848-'9 he was a member of the New Jersey
legislature, acting as speaker in the latter year. He
was elected to congress as a Eepublican, serving
from 5 Dec, 1859. till 3 March, 1863, and was an
active member of the committee on commerce. In
1870 he was appointed by President Grant U. S.
judge for the district of New Jersey. In 1863 he
delivered the annual address before the two literary
societies of Princeton on "Endurance, Individual
and National," and in 1864 he was made a trustee
of this college. He took an active part in the
old-school assembly of the Presbyterian church in
1869, in promoting the reunion of its two branches,
and was a member of the general assembly s com-
mittee to revise the form of government and book
of discipline. Mr. Nixon was one of the four resid-
uary legatees designated by the late John C. Green,
charged with the distribution to benevolent objects
of an estate exceeding $7,000,000. He prepared the
second, third, and fourth editions of Judge Lucius
Q. C. Elmer's "Digest of the Laws of New Jersey,"
known as " Nixon's Digest " (4th ed., Newark,
1868) ; and also "Forms of Proceedings under the
Laws of New Jersey" (2d ed., Trenton, 1856).
NIZA, Marcos de (ne-sah), Italian missionary,
b. in Nice in the latter part of the 15th century ;
d. in Mexico in 1542. He became a Franciscan
friar, and was sent in 1531 as a missionary to New
Spain, but heard in Hispaniola of the first expedi-
tion of Francisco Pizarro {q. v.), and resolved to go
to the newly discovered countries. He went first
to Panama, and from there to Nicaragua, preach-
ing on his way. and joining Velalcazar accompa-
nied him to Peru in 1532. He was present at the
capture of Cajamarea, witnessed the death of Ata-
hulapa, and was afterward appointed commissary
of his order in Peru, but, not agreeing with the
conquerors about their treatment of the Indians,
left Peru in 1535 and came to Mexico. There, on
account of his learning, he was soon appointed pro-
vincial of the Santo Evangelico province, and, de-
siring to convert the northern Indians, he resolved
to visit their countries. Accompanied by another
friar, and guided by the negro Stephen, one of the
companions of Cabeza de Vaca, he set out from
CuLiacan on 7 March, 1539. On reaching Cibola
he sent forward Stephen with a party of friendly
Indians to ask admission ; but the Zuilis attacked
them on their way. and the guide was killed. Mar-
cos then determined not to advance farther than a
hill that commanded Cibola, and, planting a cross
there, took possession of the country for the king
of Spain. It is generally admitted that he pene-
trated as far as one of the present towns of the
Pueblo Indians of New Mexico. Returning to
Mexico he gave such a marvellous account of the
riches of the countries that he had visited that the
Spanish cupidity became excited. The viceroy, An-
tonio de Mendoza. prepared an expedition, of which
Francisco Vasquez de Coronado (q. v.) was appoint-
ed commander, and Marcos accompanied the ad-
venturers as guide. Cibola was taken by storm,
but it far from realized the expectations of the
Spaniards, and they reproached the missionary
with his false account. Coronado at last calmed
their indignation, and Niza was allowed to proceed
unmolested to Mexico, where he arrived in Novem-
ber. 1540, worn out by fatigue and nearly crippled.
He spent some months in the convent of Jalapa for
his health, but, feeling no improvement, he returned
to the convent of Mexico early in 1542, and died in
the same year. His report to the viceroy, "' Rela-
cion del descubrimiento de los siete Ciudades y
Reino de Cibola al Norte de Mexico y 400 leguas
distante de la Capital," in manuscript, is in the ar-
chives of Simancas. It was translated into Italian
by Giambattista Ramusio in his " Raccoltas di Na-
vigazioni " (3 vols., 1550-'9), into English by Rich-
ard Hakluyt in his " Voyages " (1600), aiid into
French by Henri Ternaux-Compans in his "Col-
lections " (1836-'40). It is full of improbabilities,
and in part even contradicted by Coronado's re-
port : but many facts that he related, which were at
that time considered as absurd, have been verified.
NIZA, Tadeo de, Mexican missionary, b. about
1500; d. in 1561. He was the son of "an Indian
cacique, but was converted to Christianity, and be-
came the godson of Father Marcos de Niza, whose
surname he adopted. He entered the Franciscan
order and was of great help to its members as an
interpreter. He wrote by order of the viceroy, An-
tonio de Mendoza, " Historia del Reyno de Tenoeh-
titlan, y de su conquista, firmada de treinta Seiiores
de Tlaxcala en Mexico, 1548," which is said to be a
very valuable history of the Aztec sovereigns, owing
to the author's perfect knowledge of the Indian
dialects and traditions. The manuscript is now in
the archives of Simancas.
NOAH, Mordecai Manuel, journalist, b. in
Philadelphia, Pa., 14 July, 1785 ; d. in New York
city, 22 May, 1851. He engaged in trade, but soon
studied law, and, removing to Charleston, S. C,
turned his attention
to politics. In 1811
he was appointed by
President Madison
U. S. consul at Riga,
Russia, but declined,
and in 1813 secured
the post of consul-
general at Tunis, with
a special mission to
Algiers. His consul-
ship was made mem-
orable by his rescue
of several Americans
that were held as
slaves in the Barbary
states, and he protest-
ed against the payment of an annital
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tribute to the pirate government of Morocco as se- curity for the American merchant marine. On his return to New" York he entered journalism, and founded and edited in rapid succession the " Na- tional Advertiser," the " Courier and Enquirer," the " Evening Star," and the " Sunday Times." As sur- veyor of the port, to which post he was appointed by Gen. Jackson in 1832, and judge of the court of sessions, he enjoyed civic esteem, while his personal efforts as sheriff in behalf of imprisoned debtors showed the warmer side of his nature, which politi- cal and journalistic strife could not stifle. A curi- ous incident of his life was his project in 1820 to rehabilitate the Jewish nation at Grand island in Niagara river. His enthusiasm went so far that he erected at Whitehaven, on the eastern side of the island, opposite Tonawanda, a monument of brick and wood, with the inscription "Ararat, a City of Refuge for the Jews, founded by Mordecai
