The Journey of Coronado, 1540-1542, from the City of Mexico to the Grand Canon of the Colorado and the Buffalo Plains of Texas, Kansas and Nebraska Page: 77 of 288

THE JOURNEY OF CORONADO

other towns down the river. These people
were peaceful. The villages are terraced,
like those at Tiguex, and of the same style.
The general went up the river from here,
visiting the whole province, until he reached
Tiguex, where he found Hernando de Alva-
rado and the Turk. He felt no slight joy at
such good news, because the Turk said that
in his country there was a river in the level
country which was 2 leagues wide, in which
there were fishes as big as horses, and large
numbers of very big canoes, with more
than 20 rowers on a side, and that they
carried sails, and that their lords sat on the
poop under awnings, and on the prow they
had a great golden eagle. He said also that
the lord of that country took his afternoon
nap under a great tree on which were hung
a great number of little gold bells, which put
him to sleep as they swung in the air. He
said also that everyone had their ordinary
dishes made of wrought plate, and the jugs
and bowls were of gold. He called gold
acochis. For the present he was believed,
on account of the ease with which he told
it and because they showed him metal orna-
ments and he recognized them and said they
were not gold, and he knew gold and silver
very well and did not care anything about
other metals.
Acoma, and perhaps he is more correct, if we ought
to read it Tutahaio, since the Tiguas(the inhabitants
of Isleta, Sandia, Taos, and Picuris pueolos) call
Acoma Tuthea-uay, according to Bandelier, Gilded
Man, p. 211.
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