CORONADO

The long answer to why the Zunis killed Esteban and his retinue is that the Zunis were at war with the tribe Esteban’s medicine man gourd came from. The priest described it thus.

Frey Marcos de Nizza, ”Relación …,” trans. Fanny Bandelier, The Journey of Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca and his Companions from Florida to the Pacific, 1528-1536,” (New York: A. S. Barnes & Company, 1905), pp. 223-226:

"Here met us an Indian the son of the chief man that accompanied me, which had gone before with Stephan, who came in a great fright .... and he told me that a day’s journey before Stephan came to Cibola he sent his great mace made of a gourd by his messengers, as he was al­ways wont to ... , that they might know in what sort he came to them, which gourd has a string of bells upon it, and two feathers one white and another red, in token that he demanded safe conduct, and that he came peaceably. And when they came to Cibola before the magistrate, which the Lord of the city had placed there for his Lieutenant, they deliv­ered him the great gourd, who took the same in his hands, and after he spied the bells, in a great rage and fury he cast it to the ground, and willed messengers to get them packing with speed, for he knew well enough what people they were, and that they should will them in no case to enter into the city, for if they did he would put them all to death.

"The messengers re­turned and told Stephen how things had passed, who answered them that it made no great matter, and would needs proceed on his voyage till he came to the city of Cibola: where he found men that would not let him enter into the town, but shut him into a great house which stood without the city, and straightway took all things from him which he carried to truck and barter with them, and certain turquoise, and other things which he had received of the Indians by the way, and they kept him there all that night without giving him meat or drink, and the next day in the morning this In­dian was a thirst, and went out of the house to drink at a river that was near at hand, and within a little while after he saw Stephen running away, and the people followed him, and slew certain of the Indians which went in his company.

And going on our way, within a day's journey of Cibola we met two other Indians of those which went with Stephan, which were bloody and wounded.... These said that after they had put [Stephen] into the great house without giving him meat or drink.... we think they have shot him to death, as they have done all the rest which went with him, so that none are escaped but we only.

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