are of straw. There are other thickly settled provinces around it containing large numbers of men. A friar named Juan de Padilla remained in this province, together with a Spanish-Portuguese and a negro and a half-blood and some Indians from the province of Capotban,[1] in New Spain. They killed the friar because he wanted to go to the province of the Guas,[2] who were their enemies. The Spaniard escaped by taking flight on a mare, and afterward reached New Spain, coming out by way of Panuco. The Indians from New Spain who accompanied the friar were allowed by the murderers to bury him, and then they followed the Spaniard and overtook hin. This Spaniard was a Portuguese, named Campo.[3]
The great river of the Holy Spirit (Espiritu Santo),[4] which Don Fernando de Soto discovered in the country of Florida, flows through this country. It passes through a province called Arache, according to the reliable accounts which were obtained here. The sources were not visited, because, according to what they said, it comes from a very distant country in the mountains of the South sea, from the part that sheds its waters onto the plains. It flows across all the level country and breaks throngh the mountains of the North sea, and comes out where the people with Don Fernando de Soto navigated it. This is more than 300 leagues from where it enters the sea. Ou account of this, and also because it has large tributaries, it is so mighty when it enters the sea that they lost sight of the land before the water ceased to be fresh.[5]
This country of Quivira was the last that was seen, of which I am able to give any description or information. Now it is proper for me to return and speak of the army, which I left iu Tiguex, resting for the winter, so that it would be able to proceed or return m search of these settlements of Quivira, which was not accomplished after all, because it was
- ↑ Ternaux, p. 194, read this Capetlan.
- ↑ Ternaux, ibid., miscopied it Guyas.
- ↑ Herrera, Historia General, deo. vi, lib. ix, cap. xii, vol. iii, p. 207 (ed. 1730): "Toda esta Tierra [Quivira] tiene mejor aparencia, que ninguna de las mejores de Europa, porque no es mui doblada, sino de Lomas, Llanos, i Rios de hermosa vista, i buena para Ganados, pues la experiencia lo mostraba. Hallaronse Ciruelas de Castilla, entre coloradas, i verdes, de mui gentil sabor; entre las Vacas se hallò Lino, que produce la Tierra, mui perfecto, que como el Ganado no lo come, se q neda por alli con sus cabeçuelas, i fior azul; i en algunos Arroios, se hallaron Vbas de buen gusto, Moras, Nueces, i otras Frutas; las Casas, que estos Indios tenian eran de Paja, muchas de ellas redondas, que la Paja llegaba hasta el suelo, i encima vna como Capitla, ò Garita, de donde se asomaban."
Gomara, cap. ccxlii: "Esta Quiuira en quarenta grados, es tierra templada, de buenas aguas, de muchas yeruas, ciruelas, moras, nuezes, melones, y vuas, que maduran bien: Do ay algodon, y visten cneros de vacas, y venados. Vieron por la costa naos, que trayan arcatrazes de oro, y de plata en las proas, cō mercaderias, y pensaron ser del Catayo, y China, porq͏̃ señalauan auer navegado treynta dias. Fray Iuan de Padilia se quedo en Tiguex, con otro frayle Francisco, y torno a Quiuira, con hasta doze Indios de Mechuacan, y con Andres do Campo Portugues, hortelano de Francisco de Solis. Lleuo caualgadurar, y azemilas con prouision. Leuo ouejas, y gallinas de Castilla, y ornamentos para dezir missa. Los de Quiuira maturon a los frayles, y escapose el Portugues, con algunos Mechuacanes. El qnal, aun que se libro entonces de la muerte, no ae libro de catiuerio, porque luego le prendieron: mas de alli a diez meses, que fue esclano, huyo con dos perros. Santiguaua por el camino con vua cruz, aque le ofrecian mucho, y do quiera que llegana, le dauan limosna, aluergne, y de comer. Vino a tierra de Chichimecas, y aporto a Panuco."
- ↑ The Mississippi and Missouri rivers.
- ↑ This is probably a reminiscence of Cabeza de Vaca's narrative.
