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untry before reaching the inhabited region； which the Indians said was more than twenty days journey。 After they had gone twenty days； they came to the banks of the river； which seemed to be more than three or four leagues above the stream which flowed between them。 This country was elevated and full of low； twisted pines； very cold； and lying open toward the north； so that； this being the warm season； no one could live there on account of the cold。 They spent three days on this bank looking for a passage down to the river； which looked from above as if the water was six feet across； although the Indians said that it was half a league wide。 It was impossible to descend； for after these three days Captain Melgosa and one Juan Galeras and another companion； who were the three lightest and most agile men； made an attempt to go down at the least difficult place； and went down until those who were above were unable to keep sight of them。 They returned about four o'clock in the afternoon； not having succeeded in reaching the bottom on account of the great difficulties which they found； because what seemed to be easy from above was not so； but instead very hard and difficult。 They said that they had been down about a third of the way and that the river seemed very large from the place that they reached； and that from what they saw the Indians had given the width correctly。 Those who stayed above had estimated that some huge rocks on the side of the cliffs seemed to be about as tall as a man； but those who went down swore that when they reached these rocks they were bigger than the great tower of Seville。 They did not go farther up the river because they could not get water。 Before this they had to go a league or two inland every day late in the evening in order to find water； and the guides said that if they should go four days farther； it would not be possible to go on； because there was no water within three or four days； for when they travel across this region themselves they take with them women loaded with water in gourds； and bury the gourds of water along the way to use when they return； and besides this； they travel in one day what it takes us two days to accomplish。
〃This was the Tison （Firebrand） river； much nearer its source than where Melchior Diaz and his company crossed it。 These were the same kind of Indians； judging from what was afterward learned。 They came back from this point and the expedition did not have any other result。 On the way they saw some water falling on a rock and learned from the guides that some bunches of crystals which were hanging there were salt。 They went and gathered a quantity of this and brought it back to Cibola； dividing it among those who were there。 They gave the general a written account of what they had seen； because one Pedro de Sotomayor had gone with Don Garcia Lopez as chronicler for the army。 The villages of that province remained peaceful； since they were never visited again； nor was any attempt made to find other peoples in that direction。〃
Place Described by Cardenas Unknown。 There has been some attempt on the part of students who are familiar with the country to locate the spot where Cardenas and his men gazed down into the depths of the Canyon of the Colorado River。 The long distance travelled； according to Castaneda's narrative； was totally unnecessary to bring the Spaniards to the banks of the river。 Twenty days' journey； through a desert region； away from Tusayan in the direction of the Colorado River； would have brought them as far down as Yuma or Mohave。 But at these points there is no canyon。 It is well known that the Canyon system terminates near the Great Bend； some miles beyond the Grand Wash； hence this could not have been the objective point of the guides of Cardenas。
Dellenbaugh's Opinion。 Dellenbaugh； in his 〃Romance of the Colorado River；〃 argues that the Tusayan of Castaneda could not have been the land of the Hopis； for； as he truthfully remarks； 〃an able…bodied man can easily walk to the brink of the Marble Canyon from there in three or four days。〃 He also says that it has usually been stated； without definite reason； that Cardenas reached the Grand Canyon about opposite Bright Angel River； or near the spot where El Tovar Hotel now stands。 I have never heard this statement made by any one who has any knowledge either of Castaneda's narrative； or of the relative locations of the Hopi towns and the Grand Canyon。
Evidently a Hopi Stratagem。 The Hopis of to…day； with whom I have talked； insist upon it that Cardenas was taken to the barren and desolate point near the junction of Marble Canyon； the Little Colorado Canyon and the Grand Canyon。 Here； the river may be said to come from the northeast and turn toward the south…southwest； and the conditions are not at all like those described by the historian。 But if one accepts this modern statement of the Hopis； he is met with the questions： Why make Cardenas travel fifty leagues to see an inaccessible river that could be reached in three or four days？ Did Cardenas really travel fifty leagues？ I do not know； but I hazard the conjecture that the Hopis gave Cardenas as much wandering about as they could； took him to this terribly bleak and barren spot where even to…day one can scarcely prevail upon a Hopi or Navaho to guide him； in order that he might be discouraged from making further explorations in the neighborhood。 The Hopis had no use for explorers or strangers。 They had suffered too much from foes； for too many decades； to welcome any one who seemed eager to possess anything of theirs； and； in my judgment； their treatment of Cardenas was a deliberate ruse to get rid of him。 They had a trail over which they habitually traveled； that brought them to Huetha…wa…li； the White Rock Mountain；opposite Bass Camp；and on to the Havasupai villages。 Several times a year they went to and fro over this trail。 It crosses the Little Colorado where it would have been easy to show the Spaniards the Salt Spring； to which Castaneda later refers。 There is another point on the river； some miles beyond Bass Camp； where the Hopis used to visit the Havasupais； and that is just beyond the Great Curve； where the river may be said to flow from the northeast to the southsouthwest。 But both at Bass Camp and at this point； the Havasupais had made trails down to the river； of the existence of which the Hopis may； or may not； have known。 So I freely confess that； as yet； I have not settled in my own mind at what point Cardenas and the Spaniards gazed into the depths of the Great Canyon。
Alarcon's Discovery of Colorado River。 While the main portion of Coronado's army had been advancing eastward； a sea force sent out to cooperate with Coronado； under Alarcon； had sailed up the Gulf of California； and had entered the Colorado River； thus solving the problem of its exit into the Gulf。 To Alarcon； belongs the discovery of the Colorado River； which he named the Buena Guia。 He went up the river twice in boats； the second time ascending possibly as high as a hundred miles above the mouth of the Gila。 Finally he entered 〃between certain very high mountains； through which this river passeth with a straight channel； and the boats went up against the