6 'Cbc Conservative *
PENALOSA'S EXPEDITION TO
QUIVERA.
Even with the knowledge of Ooro-
nndo's expedition we were still tempted
to call Qnivera a myth , although his
historian describes the surface of the
country so accurately that we cannot
fail'to recognize the streams , valleys
and rolling uplands of Kansas and
Nebraska. The flora found along the
route of the Spaniards and recorded by
them is identical with the flora existing
today. But BO incredulous is the average
mind that little has been made of these
coincidences.
Not until 1885 was there any real light
thrown on this obscure history so inter
esting to every true Nebraskan. About
that date Buckingham Smith discovered
in Madrid , Spain , a manuscript which
had been lost for so long a time that no
one remembered the things of which it
told. True , many writers had referred
in a vague way to Penalosa's expedition
to Qaivera , but they were inclined to
think it one of the count's "fish stories , "
told to amuse his friends ; and we might
be tempted to believe it such still if
there were no evidences of truth marked
on its face.
But the manuscript account of Pena
losa's expedition to Quivera in 16G2 has
thrown such a flood of light upon this
heretofore mythical empire that even
the most incredulous can no longer
donbt that the seat of this great domain
was in Nebraska , and that its capital
was in Platte county , in the year 1624 ,
of quite illustrious ancestry. He was a
Creole , and held many offices of profit
i
and trust in Peru , but having some
altercation with the viceroy , he de
termined to visit Spain. Instead , he
came to Mexico. His trouble with the
viceroy of Peru may have influenced
him to start for Spain and end his
voyage in Mexico. He made friends
with the viceroy of Mexico and soon
held many positions of trust under the
banner of that country.
Some trouble occurred in New Mexico
and Penalosa was appointed to super
sede the governor of that distant and
important province. He proceeded
thither in 1601 and soon bpgan to cast
about for some avenue of escape for his
activities , thus hoping to gain high
esteem in the court of Spain. The
inquisition was playing sad havoc even
with crowned heads in those dark days
of religions strife and turmoil. There
was no one , however high or however
low , but stood in awe of the power of
the clergy. However , Penalosa , being
in the prime and vigor of life and
clothed with important authority , cared
little for this growing power. Being so
remote from Mexico and his superior ,
the viceroy , he had more liberty than
good judgment. His rule came to an
inglorious end , for he was swept from
his moorings by the power of the
inquisition and was never able to extri-
cate himself from the fabrication woven
around him.
Early Explorations.
Santa Fe in those days was considered
the gateway to fabulously rich empires
in the interior. The old stories of
Qnivera bobbed up periodically ; each
new governor sought to distinguish him
self and gain prestige in Spain by ex
ploring and conquering the surrounding
cities. Each in turn lost his good name ,
if not his head , by over zeal in this
direction ; still the governors continued
to be drawn into this maelstrom of
defeat and failure.
Penalosa was no exception , so he set
on foot this expedition of which we have
the manuscript account. The manu
script was written by one of the chap
lains , Nicholas de Freytes , a friar who
accompanied the expedition ; and had he
paid more attention to directions , dis
tance and surroundings we might be
better able to trace the exact location of
the city of Quivera. However , enough
has been proved as truth in this manu
script to substantiate the remainder and
allow the foregoing assertion to rest
upon an authentic basis.
On the 6th of March , 1662 , Don Diego ,
Count of Penalosa , who was then gover
nor-general of New Mexico , fitted out
an expedition to conquer the empire of
Qnivera.
Again the wonders of this great
empire were told to the adventurous
Spanish cavaliers , probably with the
usual embellishments ; how the precious
metals were abundant and held in light
esteem ; how the king sailed in a boat
covered to the very water with plates of
gold , while upon the prow perched an
eagle made of the shining metal ; how
he reveled in a garden where the sway
ing branches supported a chime of
golden bells 1
The expedition contained eighty
Spanish cavaliers , one thousand natives ,
thirty-six wagons , eight hundred horses
and three hundred mules , besides a
coach for Penalosa , as well as two sedan
chairs and a litter. Two chaplains ,
with their vestments and materials
necessary to celebrate mass , composed
the religious equipage.
For three months this force bore in a
northeasterly direction , and De Freytes
in his description enumerates the fruits ,
flowers and grasses in a very accurate
manner. In fact , one can but believe
that an enumeration so accurate would
be wholly impossible if one had not
really traversed the ground. He tells of
the great quantities of strawberries , the
plums of such noble size and the clusters
of grapes as large and delicions as any
seen in his own beloved Spain.
Joins the Indians.
With few mishaps this gorgeous array
continued for eight hundred and fifty
or one thousand miles (250 ( or 300
leagues ) until they came to the banks of
a wide , rushing river. Here they en
countered a band of Escanzaqnes , In
dians dwelling along the fortieth parallel
of latitude , who were marching north
ward to make war upon the city of
Qnivera. Penalosa joined this force of
three thousand Indians , and marched
along the right bank of the river ( west )
for a whole day to a point where the
current flowed from due north. This
river cannot be other than the Platte ,
and the point reached must be near the
present site of Ashland , as every point
in the manuscript meets the natural
conditions found there to this day. The
Spaniards followed the right bank of
the stream northward for a whole day
and then followed the windings of the
stream until they saw , still farther north
of it , a high ridge covered with signal
smokes , which gave them to understand
that their approach was being heralded.
Presently they halted near where a U
stream of considerable size from the
north joined the one they were follow
ing. Here they saw a populous Indian f1
city situated on both sides of this second
stream. Anyone at all familiar with
the locality will easily recognize this
last mentioned stream as the Loup ;
where the prosperous city of Columbus
now stands once stood this great capital
of a vast Indian empire.
There , before the eyes of these Spanish
adventurers , stood houses built of hewn T \ \
timber , many of them tnree and even
four stories high ; they were circular in , ,
shape and neatly thatched. Hi
We may be sorry that the historian of
the expedition did not "give us a more
graphic description of this city , but he
told it all in these few brief words :
"There were many thousands of these
houses , many of which were three and
four stories high. " More words could
add nothing unless he should have
described some one of these many thous
and houses and told us the exact size and
style of architecture. When we realize
that gold , silver and precious stones
were the allurements which drew this
army of adventurers from their homes ,
and , as they say , they found none of
these , we may be thankful that Freytes
did not forget , like Castaneda , to tell us
the number of the houses and the
magnitude of the city even briefly.
When we study the manuscript which
tells of the flora of this country so
accurately , how can we , with consist
ency , say that the city and people of
which it tells are myths ? If it tells the
truth about the fruits growing here ,
why should the description of the houses
and size of the city be fictitious ? Would
the historian be likely to mislead by
quoting the size greater than it really
was ? I should rather think he erred by
stating it smaller , as he was accustomed
to seeing large cities and disappointed
in finding wealth ; the sight must have
awed him to elicit even a single adjective
of praise from his pen.
There were many roads leading into