Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CORONADO'S EXPEDITION. 37 Compostela, whither went Viceroy Mendoza to deliver a parting address of encouragement; and in April the general with an advance party set out from San Miguel de Culiacan. Before leaving the north for Mexico, Coronado had despatched Diaz and Zaldivar, with fifteen men, to verify as far as possible Niza's reports. This party started in November 1539, and perhaps reached the Gila valley, but on account of the excessive cold decided not to attempt a crossing of the country beyond. From the natives they obtained information about Cfbola and the other provinces, similar to that given by the friar, but considerably less attractive and highly colored; and they also learned that the Cibolans had requested the south-western tribes not to permit the Christians to pass, but to kill them. This report was brought south by Zaldivar and three men, who met Coronado at Chametla; and while the news was kept secret, it was generally understood to be bad, and Fray Marcos had to exert his eloquence to the utmost to prevent discouragement.19 I append a note on the bibliography of Coronado's expedition.17 As I have said, the general left San Mendoza's letter to the king, of April 17, 1540, with quotations from Diaz' report. Paclieco, Doc., ii. 356-62; CattaKtila, Ret., 29-30. 17 The most complete narrative is that of Pedro Castafleda de Nagera, knowu to the world only through the French translation, (.'antnneiln, Hehitioii du Voyai/e de Ciljoloj in Ternnur-Coiujxins, Voy., serie i. torn. ix. 24(5 p., with an appendix of various doc. pertaining to the subject. The author accompanied the expedition in a capacity not stated; wrote about 20 years after the occurrence of the events described, and ace. to M. Ternaux was a resident of C'uliacan. He was a man of ability...