the grand canyon of arizona-第39部分

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！


　of　the　mainland　toward　the　north；　where　they　were　engaged　in　making　ready　for　extended　inland　explorations；　he　had　a　talk　with　Fray　Marcos。　'And　I　gave　him；'　says　Cortez；　'an　account　of　this　said　country；　and　of　its　discovery；　because　I　had　determined　to　send　him　in　my　ships　to　follow　up　the　said　northern　coast　and　conquer　that　country；　because　he　seemed　to　understand　something　about　matters　of　navigation。　The　said　friar　communicated　this　to　the　said　viceroy；　and　he　says　that；　with　his　permission；　he　went　by　land　in　search　of　the　same　coast　and　country　as　that　which　I　had　discovered；　and　which　it　was　and　is　my　right　to　conquer。　And　since　his　return；　the　said　friar　has　published　the　statement　that　he　came　within　sight　of　the　said　country；　which　I　deny　that　he　has　either　seen　or　discovered；　but　instead；　in　all　that　the　said　friar　reports　that　he　has　seen；　he　only　repeats　the　account　I　had　given　him　regarding　the　information　which　I　obtained　from　the　Indians　of　the　said　country　of　Santa　Cruz；　because　anything　which　the　said　friar　says　that　he　discovers　is　just　the　same　as　what　these　said　Indians　had　told　me；　and　in　enlarging　upon　this　and　in　pretending　to　report　what　he　neither　saw　nor　learned；　the　said　Friar　Marcos　does　nothing　new；　because　he　has　done　this　many　other　times；　and　this　was　his　regular　habit；　as　is　notorious　in　the　provinces　of　Peru　and　Guatemala；　and　sufficient　evidence　regarding　this　will　be　given　to　the　court　whenever　it　is　necessary。'〃

Marcos　an　Exaggerator。　Cortez　never　made　any　attempt　to　confirm　his　statements；　and　it　is　well　known　that　he　himself　was　very　reckless　in　his　handling　of　the　truth　where　his　own　purposes　were　to　be　served；　or　the　plans　of　his　enemies　defeated。　It　seems　a　pretty　clear　matter　that；　while　the　friar　told　the　truth　as　nearly　as　possible　as　to　what　he　actually　saw；　he　did　not　hesitate　to　let　the　more　exaggerated　statements　of　the　things　he　had　merely　heard　have　as　full　weight　as　the　people　to　whom　he　told　them　desired。　Anyhow；　he　has　suffered　a　great　deal　of　abuse　as　an　exaggerator；　and　even　worse；　though　it　must　never　be　forgotten　that　people　who　fail　are　always　ready　to　blame　every　one　concerned　except　themselves。　Bandelier　warmly　defends　Fray　Marcos；　and　his　knowledge　is　confessedly　great；　but　Winship　thinks　he　treats　the　charge　too　lightly。

Poor　Fray　Marcos；　afflicted　with　rheumatism；　had　a　painful　time　during　the　remainder　of　his　life；　and　finally　died　March　25；　1558；　in　the　house　of　his　order；　in　the　City　of　Mexico。　Religious　Zeal　of　Garces。　It　is　appropriate　also　that　Fray　Francisco　Garces　should　find　an　honored　place　in　these　necessarily　brief　historical　notices。　Fired　with　a　wonderful　zeal　for　souls；　without　the　urging　or　backing　of　any　superior　save　the　Spirit　of　God；　which　spoke　to　his　own　soul；　he　marched　from　San　Xavier　del　Bac；　his　station　in　Northern　Mexico　（now　Arizona）；　across　these　inhospitable　wilds；　merely　seeking　opportunities　for　the　establishment　of　mission　settlements；　where　the　natives　could　learn　of　the　way　of　Christ；　salvation　from　sin；　and　heaven。　Five　times　he　left　his　mission　and　made　entradas　（as　they　are　called）　into　the　interior　country；　anxious　to　expand　his　work　and　his　influence。　On　the　third　of　these；　he　followed　the　course　of　the　Gila　down　to　the　Colorado　River；　and　descended　along　its　banks；　possibly　as　far　as　its　mouth。　His　fourth　journey　was　with　the　intrepid　Captain　Juan　Bautista　de　Anza；　when　he　set　forth　in　1774。　to　discover　a　road　from　the　missions　already　established　in　Northern　Mexico；　over　the　then　unknown　Arizona　and　Colorado　deserts；　to　the　new　missions　of　California。　The　road　was　discovered　and；　in　spite　of　its　hardships；　deemed　feasible；　for　in　1775…1776　De　Anza　went　over　it　again；　accompanied　by　the　band　he　had　gathered　together　for　the　establishment　of　a　Spanish　colony　at　San　Francisco。　His　chaplain　on　this　occasion　was　Padre　Pedro　Font。　Fray　Garces；　a　fellow　Franciscan；　also　went　along　as　far　as　the　Colorado　River。　Here　he　left　the　party；　journeyed　down　the　Colorado　to　the　Gulf；　returned　to　the　Mohaves；　then　crossed　the　Colorado　Desert　to　San　Gabriel　Mission　in　California；　back　again　to　the　Mohaves；　and　finally　across　the　Arizona　desert　to　the　province　of　Tusayan；　the　land　of　the　Hopis。

Havasupais　Guide　Garces　to　the　Hopi　Towns。　It　was　on　June　4；　1776memorable　year　in　American　annalsthat　Garces　started　under　the　guidance　of　some　Wallapais　for　the　Hopi　towns。　They　had　given　him　fair　details　of　the　country　he　would　have　to　travel　over。　Passing　by　their　own　home　in　Diamond　Creek　（one　of　the　earliest　approaches　to　the　Grand　Canyon）；　he　decided　to　visit　the　Havasupais；　whom　he　calls　Yabesuas。　Those　familiar　with　Spanish　spelling　and　pronunciation　will　readily　recognize　that　they　are　almost　one　and　the　same。　The　Wallapais　took　the　priest　down　their　own　trail　into　Havasu　or　Cataract　Canyon；a　trail　which　made　his　head　swim；　and　where　his　mule　had　to　be　left　behind；　to　be　brought　to　him　later　by　another　route。　He　also　describes　the　ladder　down　which　he　climbed　just　before　reaching　the　place　where　the　innumerable　springs　flow　out　of　the　solid　rock　and　form　Havasu　Creek。　It　was　the　same　ladder　descended　eighty　years　later　by　Egloffstein；　Lieutenant　Ives's　artist；　who　was　so　heavy　that　he　took　down　ladder　and　all　with　him。　Here　Garces　stayed　five　days；　being　hospitably　treated　by　the　natives；　who　brought　him　melons；　squash；　corn；　beans；　etc。；　and　who　had　thriving　trees　of　peaches　and　apricots。

The　Grand　Canyon　Is　Reached。　Leaving　the　kindhearted　Havasupais；　he　returned　to　the　plateau　above；　and　soon　saw　for　the　first　time　the　deep　gorge　of　the　Colorado　River　itself；the　Grand　Canyon。　He　describes　with　surprising　accuracy　of　detail　the　break　in　the　Kaibabs；　where　the　Marble　and　Little　Colorado　Canyons　unite　and　form　the　Grand　Canyon；　and　then；　a　little　later；　he　gives　a　true　description　of　the　Little　Colorado　Canyon。　From　his　account；　he　doubtless　went　down　by　the　old　Hopi　Salt　Trail　into　the　gorge　of　the　Little　Colorado；　and　thus　on　to　Oraibi；　which　he　reached　July　2；　1776。

Wishes　to　Baptize　the　Indians。　About　this　time　those　interesting；　exciting　and　most　important　of　all　discussions　were　raging　in　the　Continental　Congress　on　the　eastern　side　of　the　continent；　which；　two　days　later；　were　to　result　in　the　signing　of　the　Declaration　of　Independence。　Jefferson　had　undoubtedly　written　it　at　this　time；　but　Garces　knew　not　the　name　of　the　great　patriot　and　his　compeers。　He　was　bent　on　a　different　mission。　He　wished　to　declare　to　the　Hopis　how　they　might　have　freedom；freedom　from　sin　and　the　fear　of　hell。　For；　as　Elliott　Coues　（the　scholarly　translator　of　Garces's　diary；　published　a　few　years　ago　by　F。　P。　Harper　of　New　York）　expresses　it：　〃It　made　him　sick　at　heart　to　see　so　many　natives　going　to　hell　for　lack　of　the　three　drops　of　water　he　would　sprinkle　over　them　if　only　they　would　let　him　do　it。〃

Garces　Reaches　Oraibi。　His　arrival　at　Oraibi　caused　great　excitement；　though　a　priest　had　been　at　work　there　as　early　as　1650。　There　were　four　priests　laboring　among　the　Hopis　in　1680；　when　the　great　native　uprising　throughout　New　Mexico　and　Arizona　occurred；　and　all　of　them；　with　many　others　（laymen　and　soldiers　as　well）　were　slain　at　that　time。　Then；　too；　the　remembrance　had　not　died　away　of　the　total　destruction　of　the　town　of　Awatobi　（one　of　the　Hopi　towns　of　that　day）　in　the　year　1700；　because　the　people　of　that　place　were　hospitable　and　tolerant　of　the　〃long　gowns。〃　The　medicine　men　and　leaders　of　all　the　adjacent　towns　gathered　together；　and　led　a　force　which　fell　upon　Awatobi　in　the　dead　of　the　night。　Every　male　in　it　was　slain；　and　only　some　of　the　women　and　girls　were　saved　and　taken　to　the　other　towns。　The　place　was　fired；　and　remained　a　neglected　ruin；　until　the　scholarship　and　labors　of　recent　ethnologists　dug　up　both　the　town　and　its　tragic　history。

Indians　Are　Hostile。　Poor　Garces！　The　hostility　of　the　Oraibis　was　apparent。　They　refused　to　allow　him　to　enter　a　house；　and　he　was　compelled　to　camp　outside；　in　a　corner　formed　by　a　jutting　wall；　while　his　guide　sheltered　his　mule　in　a　sheep　corral。　He　built　his　little　camp　fire；　cooked　his　frugal　meal；　and　slept　there　during　the　night；　doubtless　committing　himself　and　the　people　who　refused　to　receive　him　to　the　protecting　mercies　of　God。　The　next　day　the　chiefs　of　the　town　came　to　him；　clothed　in　their　ceremonial　costumes　and　feathery　head…dresses；　and　bade　him　leave　the　place。　He　held　up　his　crucifix　as　an　index　of　his　mission；　and　endeavored　to　tell　them　that　he　came　solely　to　do　them　good。　But　they　would　have　none　of　him；　and　on　the　following　day；　the　memorable　Fourth　of　July；　they　expelled　him　peaceably　but　forcibly　from　their　town。　He　returned　to　the　Colorado　River　again　on　July　25；　and　soon　to　San　Xavier；　his　mission；　a　failure。

Establishes　Missions　among　the　Yumas。　Now　he　threw　his　whole　heart　into　the　two　missions　which　the　authorities　had　decided　to　place　among　the　Yumas。　Captain　Palma；　a　Yuma　chief；　who　had　been　very　friendly；　had　urged　it　repeatedly；　and　now　the　desires　of　both　were　to　be　fulfilled。　In　1779；　Garces　went　to　prepare　the　way；　and　the　following　year　the　establishment　took　place。　The　missions　were　eight　miles　apart；　one　was　named　La　Purisima　Concepcion；　the　other；　San　Pedro　y　San　Pablo　de　Bicuner。　Garces　and　Barraneche　took　charge　of　the　upper　mission；　and　Diaz　and　Moreno　of　the　lower。

Garces　Is　Killed。　The　missions　were　a　failure　from　the　start。　The　few　Spanish　soldiers　sent　to　guard　the　padres　were　obliged　to　utilize　some　of　the　best　lands　which　were　tilled　for　their　own　benefit。　The　appropriations　from　the　treasury　were　too　small　to　permit　of　anything　but　the　rudest　and　simplest　of　structures；　and　Palma　and　his　friends　soon　became　disgusted　with　the　whole　affair。　On　July　17　the　Indians；　many　of　whom　had　been　hostile　from　the　first；　arose　and　massacred　both　colonies　of　white　men；　as　well　as　a　small　force　of　soldiers　under　former　Governor　Rivera；　of　California；　who　was　encamped　temporarily　on　the　western　side　of　the　river。　At　first；　Garces'　life　was　spared；　but　before　the　day　was　over　he　and　his　co…laborer　were　beaten　to　death；　and　his　unselfish　mission　on　earth　ended。　In　my　book　〃In　and　Out　of　the　Old　Missions　of　California〃；　I　give　this　interesting　and　tra