Spanish exploration in the Southwest, 1542-1706

Front matter

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Preface

This volume is logically the successor in the series of Original Narratives to the one edited by Hodge and Lewis under the title of Spanish Explorers in the Southern United States, 1528-1543. In one important respect the present volume differs from the series in general. The other volumes consist mainly of reproductions of documents which have hitherto appeared in English; but of this volume approximately only one-third of the documents have hitherto been published in English; about one-third have been published in Spanish only; while nearly one-third have never been published hitherto in any language. Of the Eve documents in the collection which formerly have been published in English, three have been retranslated for this work.

In the selection of the documents it was decided to illustrate with some fullness the cardinal episodes in the history of the region and period covered, rather than to treat more lightly a larger number of topics. This procedure has left the history of seventeenthcentury New Mexico almost a blank after its founding by Onate. The brief historical introductions are designed to increase the interest and intelligibility of the documents by giving a connected view of the development of the whole northern frontier of New Spain during the period covered, as well as to furnish the necessary biographical and bibliographical data.

Of the translations here reprinted, that of Massanet's Carta is by Professor Lilia M. Casis, of the University of Texas; and that of De Leon's Itinerary of 1689 is by Miss Elizabeth Howard West, formerly state archivist of Texas. The remaining documents were translated for this work by the editor, assisted by Mrs. Beatrice Quijada Cornish, Mrs. Edith C. Galbraith, Mrs. Anne Hughes Kean, and Miss Elizabeth Howard West. For the final form of the translations the editor is in each case responsible. Thanks are due to Reverend Father Thomas Lantry O'Neill, C. S. P., of Newman Hall, Berkeley, California, and to Reverend Father Zephyrin Engelhardt, vi PREFACE

O. F. M., of Santa Barbara, California, for assistance in the rendering of expressions relating to matters of Catholic doctrine and Church practices.

Of the maps, that which serves as the frontispiece to the volume, a map of explorations on the northern frontier of New Spain during the whole period from 1535 to 1706, has been compiled by me for the present work largely from original data. The second is a reproduction of the official map of Onate's route to New Mexico in 1598 and of his journey to the Arkansas River in 1601, taken from the original in the Archives of the Indies (Archivo General de Indias) at Seville. This original, never before published, was made by the royal cosmographer (in Mexico), Enrico Martinez. It measures 30 centimetres by 42. The third map is a reproduction of the official map of De Leon's route in 1690 from Monclova to the Neches River. The original, evidently made by Sigtienza, is in the Archives of the Indies and has never before been published. It measures 58 centimetres by 58.

H. E. Bolton.

Contents

SPANISH EXPLORATION IN THE SOUTHWEST Edited by Herbert Eugene Bolton

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I. Exploration and Plans for the Settlement of California . . 1