History of Utah, 1540-1886 - Brigham Young University

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DISCOVERIES OF THE SPANIARDS.
chronicle the expedition. Obtaining at Tusayan, where
he was well received, guides and carriers, with an
ample supply of provisions, Cardenas marched for
twenty days, probably in a north-westerly direction, 1
1
1 say probably, though in my own mind there is little doubt. The Spaniards
were exploring northward. They had lately traversed the region to
their south-west, and instead of wishing to retrace their steps they would be
likely to keep up well away from their former track. It is true that one narrative
gives the direction as west; but then the same writer places Tusan, or
Tusayan, west of Cibola, which if the latter be Zuni, and the former Moqui,
is incorrect. Then, if their direction from the Moqui towns was the same
as this writer declares it to have been in travelling to that place, the
Spaniards at this time certainly struck the Colorado within the limits of the
present Utah. Escalante, Carta de 28 Oct. 1775, MS., placed Moqui west
of Zuni, but a little north of west, with the Yutas their neighbor on the
north. It is sufficiently plain that Cibola was Zuiii, and Tusayan Moqui,
and as a matter of fact the latter is in a north-westerly direction from the
former. That they went due west and crossed the Little Colorado without
any mention of that stream is not likely; because, first, it is not twenty days
distant from the Moquis, and the stream when reached does not answer to
their description. It was the great river they wished to find, and a northwest
course would be the most direct. Further than this, it is stated plainly
that the point at which they discovered the river was much nearer its source
than where the Spaniards had previously seen it. Upon the direction then
taken hangs the question as to the first Europeans to enter Utah. I deem the
matter of sufficient importance to give both the originals and the translations
of two of the most complete and reliable narratives of the expedition. The
first and fullest we find in the Relation de Castaueda of Coronado's expedition,
Ternaux-Compnm, serie i. torn. ix. 61-5, which reads as follows:
' Comme don Pedro de Tobar avait rempli sa mission, il revint but ses pas
et rendit compte au general de ce qu'il avait vu. Celui-ci fit partir sur-lechamp
don Garci-Lopez de Cardenas et douze autres personnes pour aller
visiter cette riviere; cet officier fut tres-bien recu et parfaitement traite par
les indiens de Tusayan, qui lui donnerent des guides pour continuer sa. route.
Nos soldats partirent charges de vivres, les indiens les ayant avertis qu'il
fullait traverser un desert de vingt journees de long avant d'entrer dans un
pays habite. Apres ces vingt journees de marche ils arriverent en effet a
cette riviere, dont les bords sont tellement eleves qu'ils croyaient Gtre a trois
ou quatre lieues en l'air. Le pays est couvert de pins bas et rabougris; il est
expose' au nord, et le froid y est si violent, que, quoique Ton fut en ete, ou
pouvait a peine le supporter. Les Espagnols marcherent pendant trois jours
le long de ces montagnes, esperant toujours trouver une descente pour arriver
a la riviere qui, d'en haut, ne paraissait pas avoir plus d'une brasse de large,
et qui, selon les Indiens, avait plus d'une demi lieue ; mais il fut impossible
de s'y rendre. Etant parvenus deux ou trois jours apres dans un endroit oil
la descente leur parut plus facile, le capitaine Melgosa, Juan Galeras et un
soldat qui etaient les plus legers de la bande, rtfsolurent de faire une tentative.
Ils descendirent jusqu'a ce que ceux qui etaient restes en haut les
eussent perdus de ven. lis revinrent vers les quatre heures du soir, disant
qu'ils avaient trouvetant de difhcultes, qu'ils n'avaient pu arriver jusqu'en
bas; car ce qui d'en haut semblait facile, ne l'etait pas du tout quand en
approchait. lis ajouterent qu'ils etaient parvenus a environ un tiers de la
descente, et que de la, la riviere paraissait deja tres grande, ce qui confirrnait
CO que Us indiens avaient dit. lis assurerent que quelques rochers que l'on
voyait d'en haut, et qui paraissait a peine de la hauteur d'un homme etaient
plus hauts que la tour de la cathe\lrale de S6ville. Les Espagnols cesserent