Dominguez and Escalante Journal
Source: Chavez, A. & Waner, T. (1995) The Dominguez and Escalante Journal,  University of Utah Press, SLC, UT
Disclaimer: Educational Material / Non-Commercial

September 22
We set out from San Mateo to the southeast along the north slope of this valley in which there were many perilous defiles and slides with no other trail than the one which we were opening. The rough and uneven ground of the sierra here forced us at each step to change our direction and to make many turns. Suffice it to say that after going up and down hills and high elevations, some of them rough and stony, for about five leagues, we descended by a long passable slope with plentiful pasturage to a small plain between two creeks which join in it, after traveling along the slope a league to the southwest. When we arrived the animals were all worn out. There was plentiful pasturage and so we camped in this place, naming it San Lino. -Today we traveled six leagues which, on account of the many windings, would take us with respect to San Mateo, three leagues west-southwest.

From the top of the last ridge we saw in front of us and not very far away many large columns of smoke arising in the same sierra. The guide Silvestre said they must have been made by his people who were out hunting. We replied to them with other smoke signals so that if they had already seen us they would not take us to be enemies and thus flee or welcome us with arrows. They replied with larger smoke signals in the pass through which we must travel to the Lake, and this caused us to believe they had already seen us, because this is the most prompt and common signal used in any extraordinary occurrence by all the people of this part of America. Consequently, we warned Silvestre that tonight he must be on the qui-vive lest some of his people who knew of our arrival should approach the camp to see what people had come here. And about two o'clock in the morning, the hour when according to his opinion there might be one or more Indians close at hand, he made a long speech in his language, giving them to understand that we were peaceable people, friendly and good, but we do not know whether or not anyone heard him10.

September 23
Knowing that we were now arriving at the Lake, in order that the two Indians, Silvestre and Joaquin, might enter their land or settlement feeling happier and more friendly toward us, we again gave each one a vara of woolen cloth and another vara of red ribbon with which they at once set about adorning themselves. The guide Silvestre donned the cloak previously given him, wearing it like a mantle or cape, and the cloth which we now gave him he wore like a wide band around his head, leaving two long ends hanging loose down his back. And so he paraded about on horseback, the living image of the captives whom the father redemptors bring out in their processions on this feast day of Nuestra Señora de la Merced. This event seemed to be a happy omen of the friendly disposition of these captives, whose liberty we desired and besought of the Redeemer of the World, through the intercession of His Immaculate Mother, who, in order to encourage us in this, wished to give the name which the Church celebrates today. We set out early from San Lino to the southwest, ascended a small hill on whose summit we found a large ant hill, composed of very fine alum rock, pure and crystalline. We descended to the little river of San Lino, and having traveled a league through its small meadows, which are very level, we swung to the west without leaving the river and continued downstream. Here the river is joined by a smaller one, and in both there are pretty meadows and everything else necessary for stock-raising. Having traveled west downstream three-fourths of a league, we saw and passed three large springs of hot water which we tasted and liked. It is of the same sulphurous character as the spring which is near the pueblo of San Diego de los Hemes in New Mexico. We continued west another three-quarters of a league, entered the narrowest part of the river canyon and swung a mile to the north. Here there are three other springs of water like the foregoing, all of which rise on this north bank at the foot of a very high hill close to the river into which they flow. For this reason we named the stream Rio de Aguas Calientes. In these narrows of the canyon there are some places that are difficult but which can be made passable. We continued northwest half a league, crossed to the other side of the river, climbed a small hill, and beheld the lake and the wide valley of Nuestra Señora de la Merced de los Timpanogotzis, as we shall call it henceforth. We also saw that all around us they were sending up smoke signals one after another thus spreading the news of our coming. We went down to the plain, and entering the valley, crossed the river again. After traveling through the wide meadows on its north bank somewhat more than a league, we crossed to the other side, and camped in one of its southern meadows, which we named Vega del Dulcisimo Nombre de Jesús. - Today five and one-half leagues.

We found that the pasture of the meadows through which we were traveling had been recently burnt, and that others nearby were still burning. From this we inferred that these Indians had thought us to be Cumanches or some other hostile people, and since they had perhaps seen that we had horses, they had attempted to burn the pastures along our way, so that the lack of grass might force us to leave the plain more quickly. But since the plain is so large and extensive they could not do this in such a short time even though they had started fires in many places. As soon as we camped, therefore, while the rest of our small company remained here, Father Fray Francisco Atanasio set out for the first ranchos with the guide Silvestre, his companion Joaquin and the interpreter, Andrés Muñiz. In order to get there this afternoon, they pushed the horses as hard as they could, to the point of tiring them out, for six and one-half leagues to the north-northwest, and arrived at the ranchos. Some men came out to meet them with weapons in their hands to defend their homes and their families, but as soon as Silvestre talked to them, the guise of war was changed into the finest and simplest expression of peace and affection. They took them very joyfully to their poor little houses, and after the father had embraced each one separately and made known to them that we came in peace and that we loved them as our best friends, he gave them time to talk at length with our guide Silvestre. The latter gave them an account of what he had observed and seen ever since he had joined us and of our purpose in coming, and it was so much in our favor that we could not have wished for a better report. He told them at great length how well we had treated him and of our love for him. Among other things, he told them with great surprise that although the Lagunas had told us that the Cumanches would kill us or steal our horses, we had passed through the regions which they most frequent, and even found their very fresh tracks, but they had not attacked us nor had we even seen them, thus verifying what the fathers had said, namely, that God would deliver us from all our enemies and from these in particular, in such a way that although we might pass through their very territory, they would not detect us nor would we see them. He concluded by saying that only the fathers told the truth, that in their company one could travel through all the land without risk, and that only the Spaniards were good people. They were further confirmed in this belief on seeing that the boy Joaquin was on such good terms with us that he paid no attention to his own people. He even refused to leave the father except to care for the horses which they brought. He would scarcely talk to his people or even stay near them, but clung to the father, sleeping at his side during the brief space of time that was left in this night. Such an attitude found in an Indian boy so far from civilization that he had never before seen fathers or Spaniards was an occasion for surprise not only to his own people but to us as well. When they had talked a long time concerning this matter, and many persons had assembled from the nearby ranchos, the father gave all of them something to smoke, and explained to them through the interpreter and Silvestre, who already had some understanding, our reasons for coming. Of these the principal one was to seek the salvation of their souls and to make known to them the only means whereby they could obtain it, the primary, first and most necessary being to believe in the true and only God, to love Him and obey Him completely, doing what is provided in His holy and immaculate law. Furthermore, if they wished to be Christians he would teach them all this more clearly and at greater length and would sprinkle upon them the water of holy baptism, and that fathers would come to instruct them and Spaniards to live with them, in which case they would be taught likewise to plant crops and raise cattle, and then they would have food and clothing like the Spaniards. For this purpose, if they consented to live as God commands and as the fathers would teach them, everything necessary would be sent by our Captain, who is very grand and rich and whom we call King. For if he saw that they wished to become Christians, he would regard them as his children, and he would care for them just as if they already were his people. Afterwards he told them that, since we must continue on our way in order to get news of the other padre, our brother, we needed another of their people to guide us to some other tribe known to them who might furnish us still another guide. In all this we were aided by the good offices of Silvestre. They listened gladly and replied that they were ready to do all this, thereby exhibiting from then on their great docility. Although two chiefs were present, the one who ruled these people as head-chief was absent, and so the father requested that they send for him. They replied that he was at his house, which was distant and that he would come the next day. Thereupon they withdrew to their homes, some remaining and conversing all night with our Silvestre.

September 24
We sent word by Joaquin and another Laguna to the other companions that they should come from El Dulcisimo Nombre de Jesfis to the rancho where we were and where the Indians of this and other rancherias were gradually assembling, and they arrived here a little before noon. Early in the morning the head-chief came with the two other chiefs, several old men and many other persons. We explained to them at greater length the things already mentioned, and all of them unanimously replied that if the fathers should come, that they would live with the Tatas (as the Yutas call the friars), who would rule and teach them. They offered the Spaniards all their land so they might build their houses wherever they pleased, adding that they would scout through the country and be always on the watch for the inroads of the Cumanches, so that if they tried to enter the valley or the vicinity of the sierra, the Spaniards would be promptly warned and they all could go out together to punish them. Seeing such admirable docility, and having achieved our purpose, we told them that after finishing our journey we would return with more fathers and Spaniards to baptize them and live with them12, but that from now forward they must be careful what they said so that later on they might not have to repent. They replied that they were sincere in what they were promising, adding with earnest supplication that we must not delay our return for long. We told them that although our people would believe what we might say about them, they must give us a token showing that they wished to be Christians, et cetera, so we could show it to our Great Captain, and to the rest of the Spaniards, so that by means of it they would be more convinced of their good intentions and be encouraged to come more quickly. We did this the better to sound out their intentions, and they replied that they would very gladly give us the token the next morning.

We then presented the chief, who was a man of good presence, with a hunting knife and strings of beads, and Don Bernardo Miera gave him a hatchet. We gave some white glass beads to the others for which they were happy and grateful, though we could give only a few to each one because the Indians were numerous. Afterward we reminded them of their promise regarding a guide, and we told them that if they were agreed we would take Joaquin who wanted to go on with us. They replied that they had already discussed the matter and had decided that not only Joaquin, but also a new guide should go with us, perhaps as far as our land, and that they should return with us when we came back. They added that none of them knew much about the country in the direction which they knew we had to take, but that with the two, Joaquin and the guide, we should make inquiries of the tribes along our route. This most sincere expression of their sentiments, so clear and satisfactory, filled us with an inexpressible joy and assured us completely that without the least duplicity and with spontaneous and free will, moved by the Divine Grace, they accepted and desired Christianity. We put in front of them the same present which we had given to Silvestre, so that on seeing it the one who was to go with us as guide might make himself known. Immediately one of those present accepted it and became, thereupon, our guide and companion, who from that time we called José Maria. This being arranged, we decided to continue our journey to the establishments and port of Monterey next day.

They informed us that there was a sick child, in order that we might go to see him and baptize him. We went and, finding that he was rather large and that he was now almost recovered from a long illness, and in no immediate danger, we did not think it desirable to sprinkle upon him the water of baptism. Afterward his mother brought him to where we were, begging us to baptize him, and we consoled her by saying that we should soon return, when everyone, large and small, would be baptized.

Finally, we told them that we now had only a few provisions and would be grateful if they would sell us a little dried fish. They brought it and we purchased a considerable quantity of it. All day and a part of the night they kept coming and conversing with us, and we found them all very simple, docile, peaceful, and affectionate. Our Silvestre was now looked upon with respect, and acquired authority among them for having brought us and being so much noticed by us13.

September 25
In the morning they again assembled and brought us the requested token, explaining what it contained. As soon as we had asked for it the day before, we warned the interpreter that neither he nor the rest should say anything to the Indians about the matter, in order to see what they of their own accord would produce. When the token was brought, a companion, who did not know of the order that had been given, saw the pictures on it and showing them the cross of the rosary, he explained to them that they should paint it on one of the figures, and immediately they took it back and painted a little cross above each one. They left the rest of it as it was and gave it to us, saying that the figure which on both sides had the most red ochre or, as they called it, the most blood, represented the head-chief, because in the battles with the Cumanches he had received the most wounds. The two other figures which were not so bloody, represented the two chiefs subordinate to the first, and the one which had no blood represented one who was not a war chief but a man of authority among them. These four figures of men were rudely painted with earth and red ochre on a small piece of buckskin. We accepted it, saying that the Great Captain of the Spaniards would be very much pleased to see it, and that when we returned we would bring it with us so that they might see how much we esteemed their things and in order that the token itself might be a guarantee of their promises and of everything we had discussed. We told them that if, while awaiting us, they should have any difficulty in the way of sickness or enemies they must call upon God, saying, "Oh true God, aid us! Favor us!" But seeing that they were unable to pronounce these words clearly, we told them that they should say only "Jesús Maria! Jesús Maria!" They began to repeat this with ease, our Silvestre very fervently leading them, and all the time we were preparing to leave they kept on repeating these holy names. The time for our departure arrived and all of them bade us goodbye with great tenderness. Silvestre especially embraced us vigorously, almost weeping. They again charged us to come back soon, saying they would expect us within a year.


DESCRIPTION OF THE VALLEY AND LAKE OF NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LA MERCED DE LOS TIMPANOGOTZIS OR TIMPANOCUTZIS OR COME PESCADOS, ALL OF WHICH NAMES ARE GIVEN TO THEM
To the north of the Rio de San Buenaventura, as we have said above, there is a sierra which in the parts we saw runs from northeast to southwest more than seventy leagues, and its width or breadth must be at most forty leagues, and where we crossed it, thirty. In the western part of this sierra in latitude 40° 49' and about northwest by north of the town of Santa Fé, is the valley of Nuestra Señora de la Merced de los Timpanocutzis, surrounded by the peaks of the sierra, from which flow four fairsized rivers which water it, running through the valley to the middle of it where they enter the lake. The plain of the valley must be from southeast to northwest, sixteen Spanish leagues long (which are the leagues we use in this diary), and from northeast to southwest, ten or twelve leagues. It is all clear and, with the exception of the marshes on the shores of the lake, the land is of good quality, and suitable for all kinds of crops. Of the four rivers which water the valley, the first on the south is that of Aguas Calientes, in whose wide meadows there is sufficient irrigable land for two good settlements. The second, which follows three leagues to the north of the first and has more water, could sustain one large settlement or two medium-sized ones with an abundance of good land, all of which can be irrigated. This river, which we named Rio de San Nicolas, before entering the lake divides into two branches, and on its banks besides the cottonwoods there are large sycamores. Three and one-half leagues northwest of this river is the third, the country between them being of level meadows with good land for crops. It carries more water than the two foregoing streams, and has a larger cottonwood grove and meadows of good land, with opportunities for irrigation sufficient for two or even three good settlements. We were close to it on the twenty,-fourth and twenty-fifth, and we named it Rio de San Antonio de Padua. We did not reach the fourth river although we could see its grove of trees. It is northwest of the Rio de San Antonio and has in this direction a great deal of level land which is good, judging from what has been seen. They told us that it has as much water as the others, and so some ranchos or pueblos could be established on it. We named it Rio de Santa Ana. Besides these rivers, there are many pools of good water in the plain and several springs running down from the sierra. What we have said regarding settlements is to be understood as giving to each one more lands than are absolutely necessary, for if each pueblo should take only one league of agricultural land, the valley would provide for as many pueblos of Indians as there are in New Mexico. Because, although in the directions indicated above we give the size mentioned, it is an understatement, and on the south and in other directions there are very spacious areas of good land. In all of it there are good and very abundant pastures, and in some places it produces flax and hemp in such quantities that it looks as though they had planted it on purpose. The climate here is good, for after having suffered greatly from the cold since we left the Rio de San Buenaventura, in all this valley we felt great heat both night and day. Besides these most splendid advantages, in the nearby sierras which surround the valley there are plentiful firewood and timber, sheltered places, water and pasturage for raising cattle and horses. This applies to the north, northeast, east and southeast. Toward the south and southwest close by there are two other extensive valleys, also having abundant pasturage and sufficient water. The lake, which must be six leagues wide and fifteen leagues long, extends as far as one of these valleys. It runs northwest through a narrow passage, and according to what they told us, it communicates with others much larger. This lake of Timpanogotzis abounds in several kinds of good fish, geese, beaver, and other amphibious animals which did not have an opportunity to see. Round about it are these Indians, who live on the abundant fish of the lake, for which reason the Yutas Sabuaganas call them Come Pescados [FishEaters]. Besides this, they gather in the plain grass seeds from which they make atole, which they supplement by hunting hares, rabbits and fowl of which there is great abundance here. There are also buffalo not very far to the north-northwest, but fear of the Cumanches prevents them from hunting them. Their habitations are chozas or little huts of willow, of which they also make nice baskets and other necessary utensils. In the matter of dress they are very poor. The most decent clothing they wear is a buckskin jacket and long leggings made of the same material. For cold weather they have blankets made of the skins of hares and rabbits. They speak the Yuta language but with notable differences in the accent and in some of the words. They have good features and most of them have heavy beards. In all parts of this sierra to the southeast, southwest and west live a large number of people of the same tribe, language, and docility as these Lagunas, with whom a very populous and extensive province could be formed.
The personal names of the chiefs contained in the token described above, in their own language are as follows: of the head chief, Turuñianchi; of the second, Cuitzapununchi; of the third, who is our Silvestre, Panchucumquibiran (which means "Talker") ; of the fourth, who is not a chief but is brother of the head chief, Picuchi.

The other lake with which this one communicates, according to what they told us, covers many leagues, and its waters are noxious and extremely salty, for the Timpanois assure us that a person who moistens any part of his body with the water of the lake immediately feels much itching in the part that is wet. Round about it, they told us, live a numerous and peaceful nation called Puaguampe, which in our ordinary speech means "Witch Doctors" and who speak the Cumanche language. Their food consists of herbs. They drink from several fountains or springs of good water which are around the lake, and they have houses of grass and earth (the earth being used for the roofs). They are not enemies of the Lagunas, according to what they intimated, but since a certain occasion when the Puaguampes approached and killed one of their men they do not consider them as neutral as formerly. On this occasion they entered by the last pass of the Sierra Blanca de los Timpanosis (which is the same one in which they live), to the north by northwest, and they say that right here the Cumanches make their entries, which did not appear to be very frequent.

The Timpanogotzis were so-called from the lake on which they live, which they call Timpanogó, and this is the special name of this lake, for the name or word with which they designate any lake in general is "pagariri." This one must be six leagues wide and fifteen leagues long to the narrows and the junction with the large one.

September 25
About one o'clock in the afternoon we set out from these first ranchos and the river of San Antonio where we had been, and having traveled a little more than three and one-half leagues, we camped for the night on the bank of Rio de San Nicolás.

September 26
With the two Lagunas, José Maria and Joaquin, we set forth from the Rio de San Nicolás, arrived at the Rio de Aguas Calientes, crossed it, and having traveled beyond it two leagues to the south, we halted, still in the plain, near a creek of good water which we. called Arroyo de San Andrés.°$ It appears to flow continuously and therefore is rather a small river or creek than an arroyo. On its banks there is a species of medium-sized trees on whose foliage live a vast number of little insects as strange to us as are the trees. - Today two leagues.

September 27
We set out toward the south from the Arroyo de San Andrés and having traveled a league still in the plain, we crossed another small stream with as much water as is contained in a fair-sized irrigation ditch. It runs along the surface of the land through which it passes, which is very good for crops. We continued south through the same plain for a league and a half, left it through the southern pass, which we named Puerto de San Pedro, and entered another large valley. Because the salt flats from which the Timpanois get their salt are very close to this valley toward the east, we called it the Valle de las Salinas, which is one of the nearby valleys mentioned above. It must be about fourteen leagues long from north to south and five wide from east to west. It is all of level land with abundant water and pasturage, although only one small river flows through it. In it there are large numbers of fowl of the kind which we have already mentioned in this diary. We traveled four more leagues south along the plain of the valley and camped at a large spring of good water which we called Ojo de San Pablo . As soon as we halted, José Maria and Joaquin brought five Indians from the nearby ranchos. We gave them something to eat and to smoke, and told them the same things that we had told the others at the lake in-so-far as was appropriate to the circumstances. We found them as docile and affable as the others. Manifesting great joy on hearing that more fathers and Spaniards were coming to live with them, they remained with us until nearly midnight. - Today six and one-half leagues to the south.

September 28
We set out from the Ojo de San Pablo toward the south, and having traveled four leagues we arrived at a small river which comes down from the same eastern part of the sierra in which the salt flats are, according to what they told us. We stopped here a short time in the shade of the cottonwoods on the bank to get some relief from the great heat, and we had scarcely sat down when, from among some thick clumps of willows, eight Indians very fearfully approached us, most of them naked except for a piece of buckskin around their loins. We spoke to them and they spoke to us, but without either of us understanding the other, because the two Lagunas and the interpreter had gone ahead. BY signs we gave them to understand that we were peaceful and friendly people. We continued toward the south, and having traveled three leagues we swung southeast half a league and another half to the south and camped, while still in the valley, near a spring which we named San Bernardino. -Today eight leagues almost all to the south.
 

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