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Page 43
THE EXPEDITION OF CORONADO TO THE SOUTHWEST
(1540-1541)
CORONADO'S OWN ACCOUNT[1]
At length I arriued at the valley of the people called Caracones, the
26. day of the moneth of May: and from Culiacan vntill I came thither,
I could not helpe my selfe, saue onely with a great quantitie of bread
of Maiz: for seeing the Maiz in the fieldes were not yet ripe, I was
constrained to leaue them all behind me. In this valley of the
Caracones wee found more store of people than in any other part of the
Countrey which we had passed, and great store of tillage. But I
understood that there was store thereof in another valley called The
Lords valley, which I woulde not disturbe with force, but sent thither
Melchior Diaz with wares of exchange to procure some, and to giue the
sayde Maiz to the Indians our friendes which wee brought with vs, and
to some others that had lost their cattell in the way, and were not
able to carry their victuals so farre which they brought from
Culiacan. It pleased God that wee gate some small quantitie of Maiz
with this traffique, whereby certaine Indians were relieued and some
Spanyards.
And by that time that wee were come to this valley of the Caracones,
some tenne or twelue of our horses were dead through wearinesse: for
being ouercharged with great burdens, and hauing but little meate,
they could not endure the trauaile. Likewise some of our Negros and
some of our Indians dyed here; which was no small want vnto vs for the
performance of our enterprise. They tolde me that this valley of the
Caracones is fiue days iourney from the Westerne Sea. I sent for the
Indians of the Sea coast to vnderstand their estate, and while I
stayed for them the horses rested: and I stayed there foure days, in
which space the Indians of the Sea coast came vnto mee: which told
mee, that two dayes sayling from their coast of the Sea, there were
seuen or eight Islands right ouer against them, well inhabited with
people, but badly furnished with victuals, and were a rude people: And
they told mee, that they had seene a Shippe passe by not farre from
the shore: which I wote not what to thinke whither it were one of
those that went to discouer the Countrey, or else a Ship of the
Portugals....
But after wee had passed these thirtie leagues, wee found fresh
riuers, and grasse like that of Castile, and specially of that sort
which we call Scaramoio, many Nutte trees and Mulberie trees, but the
Nutte trees differ from those of Spayne in the leafe: and there was
Flaxe, but chiefly neere the bankes of a certayne riuer which
therefore wee called El Rio del Lino, that is say, the riuer of Flaxe:
we found no Indians at all for a dayes trauaile, but afterward foure
Indians came out vnto vs in peaceable maner, saying that they were
sent euen to that desert place to signifie vnto vs that wee were
welcome, and that the next day all the people would come out to meete
vs on the way with victuals: and the master of the flelde gaue them a
crosse, willing them to signifie to those of their citie that they
should not feare, and they should rather let the people stay in their
houses, because I came onely in the name of his Maiestie to defend and
ayd them.
And this done, Fernando Aluardo returned to aduertise mee that
certaine Indians were come vnto them in peaceable maner, and that two
of them stayed for my comming with the master of the fielde. Whereupon
I went vnto them and gaue them beades and certaine short slokes,
willing them to returne vnto their citie, and bid them to stay quiet
in their houses, and feare nothing. And this done I sent the master of
the field to search whether there were any bad passage which the
Indians might keepe against vs, and that hee should take and defend it
vntill the next day that I shoulde come thither. So hee went, and
found in the way a very bad passage, where wee might haue sustayned a
very great harme: wherefore there hee seated himselfe with his company
that were with him: and that very night the Indians came to take that
passage to defend it, and finding it taken, they assaulted our men
there, and as they tell mee, they assaulted them like valiant men;
although in the ende they retired and fledde away; for the master of
the fielde was watchfull, and was in order with his company: the
Indians in token of retreate sounded on a certaine small trumpet, and
did no hurt among the Spanyards. The very same night the master of the
flelde certified mee hereof. Whereupon the next day in the best order
that I could I departed in so great want of victuall, that I thought
that if wee should stay one day longer without foode, wee should all
perish for hunger, especially the Indians, for among vs all we had not
two bushels of corne: wherefore it behooved mee to prike forward
without delay. The Indians here and their made fires, and were
answered againe afarre off as orderly as wee for our liues could haue
done, to giue their fellowes vnderstanding, how wee marched and where
we arriued....
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