But, undaunted and unafraid, the brave
friar kept on his way.
He was sent to see the villages of Cibola, and make
a report on them. He had injured no one, and intended to injure no one.
While he must be circumspect and not risk his life unnecessarily, he must
perform his duty, even though by so doing he put his life in jeopardy.
Another difficulty confronted him. The first reports of Stephen's death
were accompanied with the statement that all of his native followers were
also slain. As soon as the Indians who were with Fray Marcos heard this,
they wished to desert and return home at once; but he opened up some
bundles of presents he had with him, and by a free distribution of them
prevailed upon his escort to remain. Then he went apart to pray, and while
he was gone the ingrate Indians decided to kill him as the source of all
their troubles. It took a good deal of argument, more presents, and some
threats, to persuade them that to kill him would be the height of folly.
Before they had time to hatch up any more plots, he succeeded in getting
two of the chief men to go with him to a hilly place overlooking the city
of Cibola, which he describes as a city on a plain, on the slope of a round
height. In his report he writes:
Marcos' Description of Cibola. "It has a very fine appearance for a
village, the best that I have seen in these parts. The houses, as the
Indians had told me, are all of stone, built in stories, and with flat
roofs. Judging by what I could see from the height where I placed myself to
observe it, the settlement is larger than the City of Mexico.... It appears
to me that this land is the best and largest of all those that have been
discovered."
Marcos Returns with His Report. With "far more fright than food," says the
candid friar, he hastened back to New Spain, and made his report to
Coronado in person at Compostela. Later he wrote it officially to the
viceroy, also to the head of his order, and on September 2, in the presence
of both Mendoza and Coronado, swore to the truth of what he had written.
High Office Is Given Him. I have already (in another chapter) told of the
effect of Fray Marcos's report. It made a most popular man of him, and soon
thereafter, when the position of father provincial of his order was vacant,
he was chosen to fill the office, - the highest in the district. Henceforth
he was called to fill all the pulpits of the region. He became known as a
great preacher, and doubtless interlarded his sermons with many references
to his wonderful adventures in search of the famous "seven cities." The
result was the whole country became excited, and many went on the
expedition, the failure of which we are familiar with.
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