Majestic Journey: Coronado [SOLD]

From the Preface:

As the twentieth century wanes, the Coronado epic remains a fascinating subject. It tugs at our minds because missing pieces of evidence continue to tantalize us. The search for facts to enlarge our understanding of this sunrise part of our national story remains an unfinished task for history buffs.

Where, for example, is the exact location of the Chichilticale, the Red House landmark? What parts of the present state of California did that exemplary scout Melchor Díaz traverse when he became the first European afoot in that area? What routes did the expedition follow in what is now West Texas in the summer of 1541? These are only a few of the path mysteries that pique our curiosity.

Two kinds of evidence throw flickers of light on Coronado's wanderings. Most important, of course, are the reports written by participants. These include the overlapping chronicles of Pedro de Castañeda (himself a man of mystery) and Captain Juan Jaramillo. There are the revealing letters Coronado wrote to the viceroy and to King Carlos. There is also testimony presented by Coronado's men at an investigation conducted by a Spanish judge and corroborating facts in a provincial history prepared in 1742 by a Franciscan historian, Mota Padilla.

All of this evidence, and more, was sifted and interpreted by Dr. Herbert E. Bolton when he wrote his authoritative work Coronado: Knight of Pueblos and Plains. Bolton was an enthusiast who spent a lifetime enhancing appreciation of our Spanish heritage. He drove and walked across many regions of the U.S. Southwest and Mexico in an effort to match the written stories to the terrain described in the old chronicles. With important exceptions, this book follows Bolton's conclusions.