Page:Don Coronado through Kansas.djvu/40

29 FIRST WHITE MAN IN KANSAS. 29 Comprehension of the status of affairs may be under- stood. We each had a wife and soon children came, and the majority of our party became attached to their families, so we dared not suggest that we con- template escaping, and this is the principal reason why we four banded ourselves together in secret and asked no others, as it was invariably found that they were adverse to going away. After being with these people for about six years and having learned their language, we had frequently been told that there were large and rich cities in the north and west, and as near as we could calculate we were east of New Spain, although we had lost our bearings; but longing for our native country, we four concluded to make our escape. "For several months before leaving we were care- ful to equip ourselves each with a good bow and arrows in which we had become quite expert; also to tan some hides which we made into clothes. At the designated time we met at the rendezvous and then began the trip of our lives which lasted over twenty months before we had the satisfaction of discovering this colony. "To attempt to inform Your Excellencies where we traveled and what we saw, would fiU a book, but that you may have some comprehension of the vast imexplored territory traversed by us, I shaU en- deavor to give the general course pursued, although It is impossible to come within many leagues. (Num- erous routes are given at this date. Some even as- sert that these four men traversed the State of Kansas.)