Escalante and Dominguez, Early Explorers

ESCALANTE AND DOMINGUEZ. DESCRIPTION OF UTAH VALLEY BY FIRST WHITE EXPLORERS.

BY MAJOR RICHARD W. YOUNG, FORMERLY OF THE SUPREME COURT OF MANILA, P. I.

In 1540, Francisco Vazquez de Coronado, while waiting at Cibola, now know as Zuni, for the main body of his expedition to come up, despatched Captain Garcia Lopez de Cardenas with twelve men to explore a large river said to be to the northward. This small body reached the great chasm of the Colorado, or Tizon, river, and after following its inhospitable banks for three days, returned, without effecting a crossing, to Cibola. Mr. Hubert H. Bancroft, with whom concurs Bishop 0. F. Whitney, is of the opinion that these were the first Europeans to enter the boundaries of the state of Utah as now constituted. This conclusion is based upon various speculative considerations, and, while probably true, is by no means indisputable. Accepted as true, the exploration was so brief and confined as to be without special historical value or interest. An expedition, destined to traverse a large part of the limits of what is now known as Utah, left Santa Fe on the twenty-ninth of July, 1776 —at a period when the immortal declaration that the Colonies were, and of right ought to be,free and independent states was being heard by the British Colonists with shouts of enthusiastic endorsement. This expedition was projected to discover, if pos- sible, a feasible route from Santa Fe, then a city a hundred and

fifty years old, to Monterey, in California. It was hoped then to

secure a line of communication between the City of Mexico and the New Mexican capital, which being chiefly by the Pacific, would

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be more speedily and easily traversed than the overland road, then exclusively used. This party consisted of two Franciscan friars, Francisco Atanasio Dominguez and Silvestre Vehez de Escalante,the historian of the expedition, Juan Pedro Cisneros, mayor of Zuni, Captain Bernardo Miera y Pacheco, of Santa Fe, and five soldiers. The expedition passed through Abiquiu to the river Chama, and on the fifth of August reached Nieves on the river San Juan, three leagues below its junction with the Navajo. They passed down the north bank of the San Juan river, crossed over to a branch of the Mancos, and on the twelfth of Aug- ust camped on the north bank of the Dolores. This river was fol- lowed for many leagues down stream. Turning from the Dolores to the north-eastward, the party followed for a distance a small affluent of that stream, called the San Pedro, (flowing into the Dolores near La Sal) and then, bending their course still farther to the eastward, crossed over to the Rio San Francisco, (Uncompah- gre?) at about ten leagues above its point of juncture with the San Xavier (Gunnison?) Then following the right bank of the San Francisco (Uncom- pahgre?) to a point some distance above its mouth, the expedition crossed over to the Rio de San Xavier, (Gunnison?) called Tomiche by the Indians. Escalante says that Don Juan Maria de Ribera, in 1765, reached a point somewhat below the junction of the San Xavier and San Francisco rivers. Bancroft says Ribera's visit was in 1761, and that probably he did not enter the boundaries of the present state of Utah. It seems that Escalante then crossed the San Xavier (Gunnison?) river tc the North Fork of the Gunnison, which he ascended for many leagues. He here encountered a large rancheria of Indians, and procured guides. Crossing over the di- vide to the north-westward, he reached, September 5, the San Rafael, (Grand) quite a large river. Fording this stream, the expedition passed north-westerly westerly,down over to the San Clemante (White) river, and thence the Rio de San Buenaventura, (Green) the stream, to a point on about ten leagues up stream from the mouth of the White river.

between The San Buenaventura is described as the boundary line

the Utes and Comanches. At the point called Santa Cruz, there were six large, black

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poplars upon one of which they left an inscription, possibly a cross. Passing to the right side of the river, the expedition descended its banks nearly to Uintah, which they ascended naming its prin- cipal affluent from the north, the Rio de San Cosme. The Duchesne was crossed, and the party with great toil tra- versed the mountains to the westward until they emerged into the valley of the Utah Lake, which they called the valley of Nuestra Senora de la Merced de los Timpanogotzis (Our Lady of Mercy of the Timpanogotzis.) The route taken from the Duchesne to Utah Lake cannot be accurately determined from the evidence at hand : it may be pos- sible,though improbable, that the original manuscript, said to be deposited in the City of Mexico, might remove the difficulties that remain after a perusal of the available information. Bancroft says that the expedition crossed to the Provo (or Timpanogos) river, which was named the Purisima, and followed the stream to the lake. If so, either the route via the Duchesne and thence to the source of the Provo, or via Strawberry creek and Daniel's can- yon may have been followed. Mr. Philip Harry in his memorandum, in Simpson's Explora- tions across the Great Basin, says that Escalante descended into the more level country at the south end of Utah Lake. If so, the Purisima may have been either Hobble Creek, or the Spanish Fork. Escalante tells us that the Indians called the lake "Timpanogo." He gives a particular account of this lake and valley which will be inserted later. The chief of the expedition had been of the opinion that a better route to Monterey lay to the northward of the old Santa Fe-Los Angeles trail, but they were now convinced that they had gone far enough in that direction, and bent their steps September 26, after a short delay in the country of the Timpanogotzis, south- westerly. They soon reached the Sevier river, which they named the Santa Isabel. This river they followed to the west for some fif-

teen leagues without reaching Sevier Lake. They were told that the river entered the lake and again ran out of it to the westward. Escalante states that from the name given the Santa Isabel (Sevier) by the Indians, from the manner in which his guides spoke

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of it.one might be led to suppose that it was the same river as the San Buenaventura (Green,) but this he discredits, since it contained so much less water than the latter, even where crossed, and cer- tainly less than where augmented by the White, Uintah and other rivers.

Passing to the southward through the Escalante valley, they determined, October 11, on account of the lateness of the season, to abandon any attempt to reach Monterey that year, and to return to Santa Fe by way of the Moqui and Zuni valleys. This decision was opposed by some of the party, but was approved by the ma- jority in the casting of lots. The expedition passed near Parowan, and followed the Rio Del Pilar (likely the Santa Clara) for fifteen or twenty leagues. The provisions of the expedition were now exhausted, and it was necessary to rely upon the bounty of the Indians. The Colora- do was reached on the twenty-sixth of October, but on account of the precipitous banks, could not there be crossed. Turning to the north- east, the expedition sought for twelve days to find a place where the river might be reached. They were at last successful in find- ing a ford at a point near the Utah-Arizona line. This crossing is now well-known as that of the Padres. They reached Oraybi, November 16, Zuni, November 20, and Santa Fe, January 2, 1777. The subjoined is a literal translation of Escalante's descrip- tion of Lake Timpanogo, and the surrounding valley, made in 1860, by Mr. Philip Harry for Captain Simpson of the U. S. Engineers, and published in the report above referred to. This translation was made from a copy of the original then in possession of Col. Peter Fone, of Washington, D. C. It will be observed that the Great Salt Lake is referred to, though it was not visited by these early explorers.

At the northern part of the river San Buenaventura there is a range of mountains, which, according to what was ascertained yesterday, ex- tends from the north to the southwest more than sixty leagues, and which in breadth is at most forty; where we crossed it, it is thirty. In this range, and in the westerly portion of it, and in latitude 40° 49', (Escalante's latitudes are not reliable), in a direction northwest quarter north (north 33f ° west) from the town of Santa Fe, is the valley of our

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Lady of Mercy of Timpanogotzis, surrounded by the crests of moun- tains,whence issue four middle-sized rivers, which water it until they enter the lake, which lies in the middle thereof. The area of the valley is in extent from southeast to northwest (probably the magnetic course, being about 17° east) sixteen Spanish leagues, which are what we speak of in this journal, and from north to southwest, ten or twelve. It is level, and, with the exception of the marshes, which are found on the margin of the lake, is of a very good

quality of soil for every kind of grain. Of the four rivers that irrigate it, the first or most southerly is that of Hot Springs (Rio de Aguas Cal- ientes), [Bancroft says this is Currant Creek] and, in its wide-spreading meadows, there is sufficient irrigable land for two good settlements (poblaciones) ; the second, at three leagues north of the first one, and having more water, might support a good large "poblacion," or two middle-sized ones, with an abundance of land, all open to irrigation. This river, before it enters the lake, divides into two branches; on its banks,, besides cottonwood trees, there are large alders. We called it the Rio de San Nicolas [Bancroft says this is Spanish Fork]. Three leagues and a half to the northwest of this comes the third, and the intervening space is composed of flat meadow-land, the soil of which is good for grain crops. It is more copious than the two preceding streams, has larger groves of cottonwood, and meadows of good soil, with enough of it ir-

rigable to support two or even three, good "poblaciones.'* We were in its neighborhood on the 24th and 25th of September, and we named it,,

"Rio de San Antonio de Padua." [Bancroft says this is the Provo, I be- lieve, correctly.] We did not visit the fourth river, though we saw its cottonwood groves. It is to the northwest of the San Antonio, and there is in this direction much level land, and, so far as we saw, good;; and, therefore, several "poblaciones might be established there. They '

told us that this stream had as much water in it as the others. We called it the Rio de Santa Ana [Bancroft says this is the Jordan; Philip Harry

says it is the Provo, my own opinion is that it is the American Fork.] Besides these rivers, there are in the valley many good springs of water, and numerous streamlets that come down from the mountains. What we have just said about the settlements (poblaciones) is to be un- derstood as allowing to each one more land than would be absolutely neces- sary for it,f or if merely one square league of arable land were assigned to each "pueblo," there might be established in the valley as many"pueblos"of Indians as there are in New Mexico; for although in the forementioned directions we gave it a certain extent, it is larger; for to the south, and in other directions, it has very extensive bays (angulos), and all of them:

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containing good soil. Throughout the whole, there is good and abund- ant pasturage, and in parts there grow flax and hemp in such abundance that it appears as if it had been sown artificially; and the temperature here is pleasant, for after having suffered considerable from cold ever since we left the river San Buenaventura, we felt warm everywhere in the valley, both by night and by day. Besides these magnificent capa- bilities, there are found, in the mountains that surround it, plenty of wood for fuel and timber, and many sheltered spots, water, and pastur- age adapted to the raising of large droves of cattle and horses. This is as regards the north, northeast, and southeast; to the south, and south- west, there are two other wide valleys, also full of abundant pastures, and with plenty of water; to one of these reaches the lake, and next to the latter there is a large piece of the valley strongly impregnated with saltpeter. The lake is six leagues wide by fifteen long; it runs to the northwest, and by a narrow outlet, as we were told, it communicates

with other much larger lakes. This one of the Timpanogotzis abounds in every kind of good fish, geese, otters, and other amphibious animals, which we had no opportunity of seeing. On its shores dwell the afore- mentioned Indians, who live upon the abundant fish-supplies of the lake, whence the Sabuagana Gutas call them fish-eaters (comepescados). Be- sides this,they gather on the plains seeds of plants,and make a sort of gruel (atole) with them; although they add to this the hunting of hares, rabbits,

and sage-hens (gallinas), of which there is a great abundance. There are also buffaloes not far to the eastward, but the fear of the Comanches (hostiles) prevents them from hunting them; their dwellings are a sort of

huts, or "jacalijos," of osiers, of which they make also baskets, and other necessary utensils. Their dress manifests great poverty; the most decent which they wear is a coat or shirt (sago) of deerskin, and big moccasins (botas) of the same in winter; they have dresses made of hare and rabbit skins. They speak the Yuta language, but with a noticeable variation of accent, and even of some words. They are good-featured, and mostly without beard. There are found inhabiting most parts of this sierra to the southwest and northwest — a great many tribes of the same nation, language, and docile disposition as these lake Indians, out of whom might be formed a populous and extensive province. The names of the chiefs contained in the sena above referred to, are, in their language, of the principal chief, Turunianchi; of the second, Cuitzapamichi; of the third, who is the same as our friend Silvestre,

Panchucunquibran (which means the orator or speaker;) the fourth who is not a chief and is the brother of the principal chief, is called Pichuchi. The other lake with which this one communicates is, as they in-

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formed us, many leagues in extent, and its waters are noxious and ex- tremely salt, so that the Timpanogotzis asserted to us that when any one rubbed a part of his body with it he would feel an itching sensation in the moistened part. On its borders, they told us, there dwelt a num-

erous and peaceable nation, called Paguampe, which, in our language, means sorcerers, which nation speaks the Comanche language, and live upon herbs, drink at the springs and streams of good water that are found around the lake, and have their huts of grass and earth (which must be their roofs.) They are not considered enemies by the Timpan- — ogotzis so it was said — but ever since a certain time when they came together, and a man was killed, there has not been the same good fellowship as before. On this occasion the Timpanogotzis entered by the extreme point of the Sierra Blancha (which is the same as that where they are) by a route north quarter west from their country, and by this same route they say that the Cemanlos (hostiles?) also make their entrances, which do not appear to be very frequent. (This sentence is quite obscure in the original.) The Timpanogotzis call themselves thus after the lake, which they name Timpanogo, and this is a name peculiar to it —for the name or word by which they designate a lake is usually "Pagarri."

The people of Utah have paid scant respect to the memory of these our earliest explorers, either in naming objects, places, or political subdivisions, after them, or in perpetuating the names which they bestowed during their journey. This omission should be corrected as opportunity offers.