CORONADO

After the four survivors arrived in July 1536 at the seat of Spanish power in New Spain, located in present-day Mexico City, Viceroy Mendoza sought to enlist any of the three Spanish citizens surviving the Narvaez expedition to go back north to verify what they had heard along the way from Indians about large animals and great cities and wealth to the north. But with Dorantes settling down and deVaca leaving for Spain with the intention (unbeknownst to Mendoza) of gaining the King’s permission pick up where Narvaez left off, he decided to buy Esteban from Dorantes. Chosing Friar Marcos de Nizza as leader of this reconnaissance, Mendoza put Esteban at de Nizza’s service. As a result, 3/7/1539 saw these two and a troop of interested local Indians heading north from Culiacan to locate the rumored Seven Cities of Cibola. In doing so, they followed the black line on the map, retracing the de Vaca - Esteban band’s previous footsteps, before following other Indian trails north as indicated by the golden line.

The gold line is golden because of the dreams propelling these men and their backers.

The means of discovery and the routine Esteban and the priest followed was laid out by the priest thusly.

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. 207- 208:

I sent certain Indians by three several ways whom I commanded to bring me some Indians of the Sea-coast and of some of those Islands that I might receive information of them: And I sent Stephan Dorantez the Negro another way, whom I commanded to go directly northward fifty or threescore leagues, to see if by that way he might learn any news of any notable thing which we sought to discover, and I agreed with him that if he found any knowledge of any peopled and rich country which were of great importance, that he should go no further but should return in person, or should send me certain Indians with that token which we were agreed upon, to wit, that if it were but a mean thing, he should send me a White Cross of one handful long; and if it were any great matter, one of two handfuls long; and if it were a Country greater and better then Nueva Espana, he should send me a great. cross.

Upon nearing the town, Esteban had great reports from the Indians. Frey Marcos reports that the Indian residents of a town Esteban had passed through.

p.222:

… told me, that with Stephan the Negro were gone above 300 men to bear him company, and to carry victuals after him, and that in like sort many of them would go with me to serve me, because they hoped to return home rich. I thanked them, and willed them to set things in order with speed, and so I rested there three days, wherein I always informed myself of Cibola, and of as many other things as I could learn, and called many Indians unto me, and examined them severally and all of them agreed in one tale, and told me of the great multitude of people, and of the order of the streets, of the greatness of the houses, and of the strength of the gates, agreeing altogether that which the rest before had told me.

So Frey Marcos de Nizza heard the same kinds of claims the four survivors had heard, but he never actually entered Cibola. Flamboyant Esteban, in the advance, had met an unfriendly welcome from the Cibolans owing to his carrying an opposing tribe’s healing-gourd-topped mace, as well as his unlikely story that he, a black man, was representing a race and religion of white men. The Cibolans killed Esteban. A couple bloodied friendly Indians from Esteban’s retinue told de Nizza of Esteban’s death, prompting a hasty return to Mendoza. Thus, late August to 9/2/1539, de Nizza reappeared before Mendoza, with nothing but more detailed rumors, and Esteban’s death suggesting there was power in Cibola and something worth protecting.

You can read De Nizza’s account by clicking on the link that’s at the bottom of the print version of this note.