the grand canyon of arizona-第47章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　Fe　Company；　the　architecture　of　their　station　hotels　conforms　to　the　Spanish　Mission　styles；　as　far　as　possible；　and　they　are　given　names　of　those　who　are　inseparably　connected　with　the　romantic　history　of　this　region。

Fray　Marcos　Comes　to　America。　In　the　chapter　〃Tovar　and　the　Discovery　of　the　Grand　Canyon；〃　brief　reference　is　made　to　the　reconnaissance　undertaken　by　Fray　Marcos　de　Niza；　a　Franciscan　friar；　to　determine　the　truth　of　the　reports　brought　into　Culiacan　by　Cabeza　de　Vaca。　This　narrative　of　Fray　Marcos　is　taken；　in　the　main；　from　George　Parker　Winship's　introduction　to　his　translation　of　Castaneda's　narrative；　published　in　the　fourteenth　annual　report　of　the　United　States　Bureau　of　Ethnology。　This　friar　was　born　in　Nice；　then　a　part　of　Savoy；　and　he　came　to　America　about　the　year　1531。　His　contemporaries　called　him　a　Frenchman；　though　there　is　no　evidence　that　he　was　of　French　parentage。　He　was　sent　as　one　of　the　religious　to　accompany　Pizarro　on　his　expedition　to　Peru；　and　was　present　at　the　trial　and　execution　of　the　native　king；　Atahualpa。　From　Peru；　he　returned　to　Central　America；　and　thence　he　returned　on　foot　to　Mexico。　He　was　a　man　of　known　bravery　and　character；　and　already　was　appointed　to　the　office　of　vice…commissary　of　his　order。　Thus　Mendoza　felt　no　hesitation　at　charging　him　with　the　arduous　mission　of　penetrating　to　the　heart　of　what　are　now　Arizona　and　New　Mexico；　as　far　as　the　reported　seven　cities　of　Cibola；　and　bringing　back　to　his　superiors　a　truthful　account　of　what　he　saw。　The　father　provincial　of　the　order；　Fray　Antonio　de　Ciudad　Rodrigo；　on　August　26；　1539；　certified　to　the　high　esteem　in　which　Fray　Marcos　was　held；　and　stated　that　he　was　skilled　in　cosmography；　and　in　the　arts　of　the　sea；　as　well　as　in　theology。

Mendoza　Instructs　Fray　Marcos。　Mendoza　drew　up　for　him　a　set　of　instructions　as　to　how　he　should　proceed。　These　were　very　explicit　as　to　the　good　treatment　the　Indians　were　to　receive　at　his　hands；　and　required　him　to　make　certain　scientific　observations　with　due　care　and　thoroughness。　He　was　to　leave　letters　at　stated　intervals；　and　also　send　back　to　the　viceroy　reports　of　his　progress；　wherever　possible。　Coronado　escorted　him　as　far　as　the　new　town　of　Culiacan；　and　on　March　7；　1539；　accompanied　by　a　lay　brother；　Onorato；　he　started　on　his　trip。

Courage　of　Spaniards。　When　it　is　remembered　that　this　journey　of　several　hundreds　of　miles　was　on　foot；for　the　rule　of　the　Franciscans　was　that　all　their　members　should　travel　afoot　save　in　cases　of　extreme　necessity；　through　a　barren；　almost　waterless　desert；　roamed　over；　by　warlike　Indians；　the　courage　of　the　man　is　apparent。　Yet　he　was　not　remarkable　in　this。　The　history　of　Mexico　and　of　all　the　Spanish　colonies；　as　well　as　those　of　New　Mexico　（which　used　to　include　Arizona）；　Texas；　and　California；　abounds　in　the　names　of　men　of　equal　courage　and　daring。　On　reaching　Petatlan；　Brother　Onorato　fell　sick；　and　Marcos　had　to　leave　him　behind；　thence　alone；　as　far　as　white　men　were　concerned；　he　traveled　to　Cibola。　Six　Indian　interpreters　and　a　large　number　of　natives　accompanied　and　followed　him；　and　Stephen；　the　negro；　went　ahead　as　his　guide。

Investigates　Regarding　Pearl　Islands。　He　reached　Vacapa　（now　known　as　Matapa）；　in　Central　Sonora；　two　days　before　Passion　Sunday；　which　in　1539　fell　on　March　23。　From　this　point　he　sent　to　the　seacoast　for　some　Indians；　in　order　that　he　might　learn　from　them　something　about　the　pearl　islands；　of　which　rumors　had　come　to　Cabeza　de　Vara。　He　remained　here　until　April　6。

Stephen；　the　Guide；　Is　Sent　Ahead。　In　the　meantime；　Stephen　had　pushed　on　to　the　north；　leaving　on　Passion　Sunday；　with　orders　from　Fray　Marcos　not　to　go　further　than　fifty　or　sixty　leagues　ahead。　If　he　found　any　signs　of　a　rich　and　populous　country　before　he　had　gone　that　distance；　he　was　not　to　proceed　further；　but　was　to　return　for　Marcos；　or　remain；　and　send　messengers　for　him；　bearing　a　white　cross　the　size　of　the　palm　of　his　hand。　If　the　news　was　very　promising；　the　cross　was　to　be　twice　the　size；　and　if　the　country　about　which　he　heard　promised　to　be　larger　and　better　than　New　Spain　（as　Mexico　was　then　generally　known）；　a　cross　still　larger　than　this　was　to　be　sent　back。　Castaneda　says　that　Stephen　was　sent　on　ahead　because　he　and　Marcos　did　not　agree　well；　the　negro　not　only　showing　covetousness　and　the　determination　to　acquire　the　turquoises　of　the　natives；　but　also　an　amorousness　that　demanded　of　them　their　youngest　and　prettiest　women。

Messengers　Bring　Good　News　to　Marcos。　Four　days　after　his　departure；　messengers　sent　by　Stephen　reached　Fray　Marcos　with　a　very　large　cross　as　tall　as　a　man。　This；　according　to　the　signs　established　between　them；　meant　wonderful　news。　One　of　the　messengers　told　what　it　was。　He　it　was；　indeed；　who　had　given　the　news　to　the　negro；　and　he；　in　turn；　had　sent　the　native　on　to　Fray　Marcos。　This　is　what　Marcos　records　of　the　Indian's　story：

Report　of　Turquoise　Stones。　〃There　are　seven　very　large　cities　in　the　first　province；　all　under　one　lord；　with　large　houses　of　stone　and　lime；　the　smallest　one　story　high；　with　a　flat　roof　above；　and　others　two　and　three　stories　high；　and　the　house　of　the　lord　four　stories　high。　They　are　all　united　under　his　rule。　And　on　portals　of　the　principal　houses　there　are　many　designs　of　turquoise　stones；　of　which　he　says　they　have　a　great　abundance　and；　the　people　in　these　cities　are　very　well　clothed。　Concerning　other　provinces　farther　on；　he　said　that　each　one　of　them　amounted　to　much　more　than　these　seven　cities。〃

Marcos　got　a　very　clear　idea　of　what　actually　existed；　though　he　misunderstood　the　democratic　community　rule　of　the　people　of　Cibola；　under　a　chief　whom　they　had　elected　to　the　office；　for　the　rule　of　an　overlord。　The　houses　were　built　about　as　he　describes；　and　whitewashed　inside　and　out　with　gypsum；　and　though　the　placing　of　turquoises　in　the　door　jambs　is　discontinued；　the　traditions　of　the　people　clearly　indicate　that　at　one　time　that　was　their　general　practice。

Messenger　from　the　Coast　Returns。　Had　he　been　a　man　of　great　impatience；　Marcos　would　have　started　off　at　once　to　discover　the　truth　or　falsity　of　these　reports；　but　he　waited　until　his　messenger　who　had　been　sent　to　the　coast　returned；　with　natives　of　that　region。　These　told　him　of　pearls　found　in　quantity　near　their　homes。　Other　Indians；　with　painted　or　tattooed　faces；　chests　and　arms；　living　to　the　east　（doubtless　the　Pimas　or　Sobaipuris）；　also　visited　him；　and　told　him　of　the　seven　villages　with　which　they　claimed　to　be　familiar。

Marcos　Follows　Stephen。　The　friar　was　now　ready　to　start；　and　on　the　second　day　following　Easter　（April　6）；　he　left；　expecting　to　find　Stephen　waiting　for　him　at　the　village　from　which　his　messenger　had　been　sent。　Instead；　he　met　a　second　cross；　much　larger　than　the　first　one；　with　messengers　who　gave　a　fuller　and　completer　account　of　the　seven　villages；　but　agreeing　in　every　particular　with　what　had　been　told　before。　All　this　was　confirmed　when　Friar　Marcos　reached　the　first　village；　so　he　hastened　on；　doubtless　annoyed　somewhat　that　Stephen　had　disobeyed　his　orders；　and　journeyed　beyond　the　prescribed　distance。　But　it　was　perhaps　well　for　him　that　Stephen　had　done　so。　Gathering　turquoises　and　women　as　he　proceeded；　and　followed　by　an　increasing　number　of　natives；　the　negro　pushed　on　to　Cibola。　Before　arriving　at　the　principal　town；　he　sent　forward　a　notice　of　his　approach　in　the　shape　of　a　gourd；　to　which　were　attached　a　few　strings　of　rattles　and　two　plumes；　one　white　and　the　other　red。　This　was　unfortunate　for　Stephen；　for　undoubtedly　it　was　part　of　the　paraphernalia　of　a　medicine　man　of　a　tribe　hostile　to　the　Cibolans。　Its　receipt　made　the　people　both　angry　and　suspicious。　The　chief　who　received　the　gourd　threw　it　upon　the　ground；　and　told　the　messengers　that　〃when　their　people　reached　the　village；　they　would　find　out　what　sort　of　men　lived　there；　and　that　instead　of　entering　the　place；　they　would　all　be　killed。〃　Stephen　paid　no　attention　to　this　warning；　but　recklessly　entered　the　village。　He　was　duly　received　by　the　chief；　but　instead　of　his　being　acclaimed；　and　a　generous　welcome　accorded　him；　he　was　coldly　requested　to　remain　without　the　wa