or Spain early in 1540 with the hope of retrieving his power by
appearing in person before the monarch. As in the case of Columbus,
scant satisfaction was his, and the end was that the gallant captain,
whose romantic career in the New World seems like a fairy tale, never
again saw the scene of his conquests.

Mendoza, the new viceroy of New Spain, a man of fine character but
utterly without sympathy for Cortes, and who was instrumental in
bringing about his downfall, now determined on an expedition of great
magnitude: an expedition that should proceed by both land and water
to the wonderful Seven Cities of Cibola, believed to be rich beyond
computation. The negro Estevan had lately been sent back to the
marvelous northland he so glowingly described, guiding Marcos, the
Franciscan monk of Savoyard birth, who was to investigate carefully, as
far as possible, the glories recounted and speedily report. They were in
the north about the same time (summer of 1539) that Ulloa was sailing
up the Sea of Cortes. The negro, who had by arrangement proceeded there
some days in advance of Marcos, was killed at the first Pueblo village,
and Marcos, afraid of his life, and before he had seen anything of the
wonderful cities except a frightened glimpse from a distant hill, beat
a precipitate retreat to New Galicia, the province just north of New
Spain, and of which Francis Vasquez de Coronado had recently been made
governor. Here he astonished Coronado with a description of the vast
wealth and beauty of the Seven Cities of Cibola, a description that
does credit to his powers of imagination. Coronado lost no time in
accompanying Marcos to Mexico, where a conference with Mendoza resulted
in the promotion of the monk, and the immediate organisation of the
great expedition mentioned. Coronado was made general of the land
forces, and Hernando de Alarcon was placed in charge of the ships.
Having a land march to make Coronado, started in February, 1540, while
Alarcon sailed in May. Coronado proceeded to San Miguel de Culiacan,
the last settlement toward the north, near the coast, whence he took a
direction slightly east of north.

Alarcon, with his ships the San Pedro and the Santa Catalina, laid a
course for the haven of Sant Iago. They were caught in a severe storm
which so greatly frightened the men on the Santa Catalina, "more afraid
than was need," remarks Alarcon, that they cast overboard nine pieces of
ordnance, two anchors, one cable,