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Our Catlzolic Heritage in Texas
one, and Mendoza had every reason to feel confidence in the success of his undertaking." 15 Fray Marcos starts on /zis eventfttl expedition. The detailed instruc- tions were received by Fray Marcos from the hands of the new Governor of Nueva Galicia, Francisco Vazquez de Coronado, at Tonala, on Novem- ber 20, 1538. 16 It was not until March 7, 1539, that the good friar finally started from Culiacan, where he had been escorted by Coronado, who had sent six Pima Indians in advance of those who had been taught in Mexico, to insure the success of the undertaking. With him went Este- vanico as guide and a number of Indians from Jalisco and Michoacan, who were to serve as interpreters and assist the Padre. A lay brother, Fray Honorato, also went along to keep him company. The little band made its way without mishap for sixty leagues as far as Petatlan, and was received all along the road with unmistakable signs of friendship and goodwill. 17 Here Fray Honorato took sick and was unable to proceed. For three days his companions waited, and finally, "in compliance with the said instructions," declares Fray Marcos, "I continued my journey whithersoever the Holy Spirit led me, unworthy though I was." 18 Accompanied by Estevanico, the Indians given him by the viceroy, and natives who attached themseles to the caravan in numbers, he con- tinued on his way to Vacapa, identified as Matapa, a Eudeve settlement in Central Sonora, 19 where he arrived two days before Passion Sunday, March 29, 1539. Desirous of securing information about the Pearl Islands of which Cabeza de Vaca had heard, he stayed a while here to wait for some Indians from the coast. Two days after his arrival, mindful of the main purpose of the expedition, he dispatched Estevanico to recon- noiter in advance with instructions "to go to the north fifty or sixty leagues, to see if in that direction there might be observed something great, or some country rich and well settled; and if he found anything or heard of anything of that kind to stop, and to send a messenger by some Indians. The message was to consist of a wooden cross of white color. In case the discovery was of medium importance, he was to send a cross of one span in length; if important, the cross was to be of two 15 Winship, op. cit., 354. 16 "Certificaciones," in Doc11me11tos lneditos, III, 328. 17 "Relaci6n," in Ibid., III, 329; Herrera, o; cu., Dec. vi, Lib. vii, Vol. 3, pp. l 55·156.
11 "Relaci6n" in Documentos, III, 330. 19 Bandelier, Contributions, 123-124.
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