ountry often mountainous and great stretches of table-land,
but generally dry and desolate, except in the immediate vicinity of
rivers. The river valleys themselves are generally very fertile.

Such is the country where we are to investigate native American culture.
The history of the country since its first occupation by the Spaniards
is not devoid of interest. It did not take the Indians of Mexico long to
learn that what the Spaniards most prized was gold, and that the surest
way to curry favor with them was to relate to them exaggerated stories
of wonderful wealth to be gained in distant provinces. About 1530 the
viceroy of New Spain (Mexico) learned from an Indian slave of seven
great cities somewhere to the north; and of their wealth it was said
they had streets exclusively occupied by workers in gold and silver.

Though expeditions to the northern provinces of Mexico speedily
dispelled the illusions in regard to them, the wonderful story of the
Seven Cities flitted further north. Six years later these stories were
invested with new life by the arrival in Mexico of Cabeza De Vaca and
three companions. The story of their remarkable wanderings reads like
an extract from a work of fiction. They were members of the unfortunate
Spanish expeditions to the coast of Florida in 1528. After the shipwreck
and final overthrow of the expedition, these four men had wandered from
somewhere on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, first north, and then
west, passing through, probably, portions of Texas and New Mexico, until
finally they were so fortunate as to meet with their own countrymen near
Culiacan, in Mexico. The story they had to tell fell on willing ears.
They stated to the viceroy that they had carefully observed the country
through which they had passed, and had been told of great and powerful
cities containing houses of four and five stories, with the usual
accompaniments of great wealth.

The next incident was the journey of three Franciscan friars and a negro
(who, by the way, had been with De Vaca in his wanderings), sent out by
the Governor Coronado, with orders to return and report to him all they
could learn by personal observation of the Seven Cities. This expedition
did not accomplish much. Arriving near Cibola (the Spanish name for the
country of the Seven Cities), they sent the negro on ahead to gain the
good will of the Indians. Instead of this, he was killed by them. On
hearing which, the monks contented themse