Francisco+Coronado-+Camille+D.

Today, my crew and I finally left in search of Cibola and the seven cities. Everyone believes that I will find it. I know I will. The journey will take about 2 years. I am 30 years old. I have 335 Spaniards, 1300 natives, four Fransisco munks, along with several African and Indian slaves.

February 23, 1540

I have found some dry, hot land near New Spain. In that location I have found a small village by the name of Chichilticalli.There are many Native Indians here called the Zunis and they have small clay or dried mud houses on the side of cliffs. They are not at all as luxiorious as the ones there are back in Spain. At first I thought it was Cibola. Then I realized the crushing truth. It was not a city made out of gold as people said. It can't be Cibola. I then sent back Marcos to Spain for he had lied and tried to make us believe lies.

1540

I have found cliffs and rocks that make up a beautiful formation but my crew and I tried to climb down the steep sides to get to the river way below. It was impossible and several men were injured. We have decided that we have to go back up and find another river.

November, 1540

It is starting to snow and we have been here about a year. We have been looking for a new river for a while now and we need help from the Indians. I think that we should wait for winter to be over but a lot of the crew want to do it now. I do not think we will be able to do it for the ice will be frozen solid. It can ruin our boats and freeze our last supply of food and we will not be able to eat it.

December, 1540

The Indians have decided to help us find the river but first they want to wait for the winter to be over. They have told us about a river that carries animals and people to beautiful, rich land that is called Quivira. A man I call the Turk has told me about it. He will come with me along with several Hopi guides.

January, 1541

We are almost through are journey when I start to think that the Turk is lying to us. The reason why I think that is because the journey has been much longer than I expected it to be. I decide to execute him. A few days later, the Turk is gone.

June, 1541

We ask the Hopi guides if there are any nearby villages where we can ask for food because our food supply is running low and I mean very low. We are almost completely out. They told us were to go and they even showed us. And even better than when we got food from the kind Indians, we also found the land that at first we thought it was Quivira but then we realized that it was far from the land where it was supposed to be. There was rich, fertile, and beautiful land. There were so many animals also.

September, 1541

We have sent messengers back to Spain with imformation about the new land. We have also sent back new riches and prizes from this new land and have asked if they can send more supplies over here so we can start farming and making a living here.

November, 1541

I have decided to explore some more land with other men who do not want to live there. The men who are with me are eager to go back to Spain and see their families. I am like those men. I want to explore more but I also want to go home and see my wife and children.

Febuary, 1542