Antonio de Espejo
Encyclopedia
Antonio de Espejo was a Spanish explorer who led an expedition into New Mexico
and Arizona
in 1582-1583. The expedition created interest in establishing a Spanish colony among the Pueblo Indians of the Rio Grande
valley.
in 1571 along with the Chief Inquisitor, Pedro Moyas de Contreras, who was sent by the Spanish king to establish an Inquisition
. Espejo and his brother became ranchers on the northern frontier of Mexico. In 1581, Espejo and his brother were charged with murder. His brother was imprisoned and Espejo fled to Santa Barbara, Chihuahua
, the northernmost outpost of Mexico. He was there when the Chamuscado-Rodriguez
expedition returned from New Mexico.
Espejo followed the same route as Chamuscado and Rodriguez, down the Conchos River to its junction (La Junta) with the Rio Grande River and then up the Rio Grande to the Pueblo villages.
Along the Conchos River, Espejo encountered the Concho Indians "naked people...who support themselves on fish, mesquite, mescal, and lechuguilla (agave)." Further downriver, he found Conchos who grew corn, squash, and melons. Leaving the Conchos behind, Espejo next encountered the Passaguates "who were naked like the Conchos" and seemed to have had a similar lifestyle. Next, came the Jobosos who were few in number, shy, and ran away from the Spaniards. All of these tribes had previously been impacted by Spanish slave raids."
Near the junction of the Conchos and the Rio Grande, Espejo entered the territory of the Patarabueyes who attacked his horses, killing three. Espejo succeeded in making peace with them. The Patarabueyes, he said, were also called "Jumanos"
. -- the first use of the name for these Indians who would be prominent on the frontier for nearly two centuries. To add to the confusion, they were also called Otomoacos and Abriaches. Espejo saw five settlements of Jumanos with a population of about 10,000 people. They lived in low, flat roofed houses and grew corn, squash, and beans and hunted and fished along the river. They gave Espejo well-tanned deer and bison
skins Espejo found the Rio Grande Valley well populated all the way up to the present site of El Paso, Texas
. Leaving the Jumano behind, he passed through the lands of the Caguates or Suma
, who spoke the same language as the Jumanos, and the Tanpachoas or Mansos
. Upstream from El Paso, the expedition traveled 15 days without seeing any people
Espejo confirmed that the two priests had been killed by the Indians in the pueblo of Puala, near present day Bernalillo
. As the Spanish approached the Pueblo the inhabitants fled to the nearby mountains. The Spanish continued their explorations, east and west of the Rio Grande apparently with no opposition from the Indians. Near Acoma, they noted that a people called Querechos
lived in the mountains nearby and traded with the townspeople. These Querechos were Navajo
. The closely related Apache
of the Great Plains
during this period were also called Querechos. Espejo also visited Zuni and Hopi and westward as far as the Jerome, Arizona
area. Along the way, Espejo met several Spanish-speaking Mexican Indians who had been left behind by, or escaped from, the Coronado
expedition more than 40 years earlier.
The priest, several of the soldiers, and the Indian assistants decided, despite Espejo's entreaties, to return to Mexico. It is possible that the priest was repelled by the high-handed tactics of Espejo in dealing with the Pueblos. Espejo and eight soldiers stayed behind to look for silver and other precious metals. The little force had a skirmish with the Indians of Acoma, apparently because two women slaves or prisoners of the Spanish escaped. The Spanish recaptured the women briefly, but they fought their way free, wounding a Spanish soldier. In aiding the escape of the women, the Acomans and the Spanish exchanged volleys of harquebus fire, stones, and arrows. The Spanish, thus, were placed on notice that the hospitality of the Pueblos had limits. The Spanish then returned to the Rio Grande Valley where they executed 16 Indians at a village who mocked them and refused them food.
The Spanish quickly departed the Rio Grande and explored eastward, journeying through the Galisteo Basin
near the future city of Santa Fe and reaching the large pueblo at Pecos
, called Ciquique.
which he called "Rio de Las Vacas" because of the large number of bison the Spaniards encountered during the first six days they followed the river downstream. After descending the river about 300 miles from Ciquique the soldiers met Jumano Indians near Pecos, Texas
who guided them across country up Toyah Creek and cross country to La Junta. From here they followed the Conchos River upstream to San Bartolome, their starting place, arriving September 20, 1583. The priest and his companions had also returned safely. Espejo was the first European to traverse most of the length of the Pecos River.
Espejo died in 1585 in Havana, Cuba. He was enroute to Spain to attempt to get royal permission to establish a Spanish colony in New Mexico.
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
and Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
in 1582-1583. The expedition created interest in establishing a Spanish colony among the Pueblo Indians of the Rio Grande
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande is a river that flows from southwestern Colorado in the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way it forms part of the Mexico – United States border. Its length varies as its course changes...
valley.
Life
Espejo was born about 1540 in Cordova, Spain and arrived in MexicoMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
in 1571 along with the Chief Inquisitor, Pedro Moyas de Contreras, who was sent by the Spanish king to establish an Inquisition
Inquisition
The Inquisition, Inquisitio Haereticae Pravitatis , was the "fight against heretics" by several institutions within the justice-system of the Roman Catholic Church. It started in the 12th century, with the introduction of torture in the persecution of heresy...
. Espejo and his brother became ranchers on the northern frontier of Mexico. In 1581, Espejo and his brother were charged with murder. His brother was imprisoned and Espejo fled to Santa Barbara, Chihuahua
Santa Bárbara, Chihuahua
Santa Bárbara is a city and seat of the municipality of Santa Bárbara, in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua. As of 2005, the city had a total population of 8,673.-History:...
, the northernmost outpost of Mexico. He was there when the Chamuscado-Rodriguez
The Chamuscado and Rodriguez Expedition
The Chamuscado and Rodriguez Expedition visited New Mexico in 1581-1582. The expedition was led by Francisco Sanchez, called "El Chamuscado," and Friar Augustin Rodriguez, the first Spaniards known to have visited the Pueblo Indians since Francisco Vasquez de Coronado 40 years...
expedition returned from New Mexico.
Enroute to New Mexico
Espejo, a wealthy man, assembled and financed an expedition for the ostensible purpose of ascertaining the fate of two priests who had remained behind with the Pueblos when Chamuscado led his soldiers back to Mexico. Along with fourteen soldiers, a priest, about 30 Indian servants and assistants, and 115 horses he departed from San Bartolome, near Santa Barbara, on November 10, 1582.Espejo followed the same route as Chamuscado and Rodriguez, down the Conchos River to its junction (La Junta) with the Rio Grande River and then up the Rio Grande to the Pueblo villages.
Along the Conchos River, Espejo encountered the Concho Indians "naked people...who support themselves on fish, mesquite, mescal, and lechuguilla (agave)." Further downriver, he found Conchos who grew corn, squash, and melons. Leaving the Conchos behind, Espejo next encountered the Passaguates "who were naked like the Conchos" and seemed to have had a similar lifestyle. Next, came the Jobosos who were few in number, shy, and ran away from the Spaniards. All of these tribes had previously been impacted by Spanish slave raids."
Near the junction of the Conchos and the Rio Grande, Espejo entered the territory of the Patarabueyes who attacked his horses, killing three. Espejo succeeded in making peace with them. The Patarabueyes, he said, were also called "Jumanos"
Jumano Indians
The Jumano Indians were a prominent Native American tribe or several tribes who inhabited western Texas and adjacent New Mexico, especially near the La Junta region. They were discovered by Spanish explorers in the 16th century. but had nearly disappeared as a people by 1750.-The Jumano...
. -- the first use of the name for these Indians who would be prominent on the frontier for nearly two centuries. To add to the confusion, they were also called Otomoacos and Abriaches. Espejo saw five settlements of Jumanos with a population of about 10,000 people. They lived in low, flat roofed houses and grew corn, squash, and beans and hunted and fished along the river. They gave Espejo well-tanned deer and bison
Bison
Members of the genus Bison are large, even-toed ungulates within the subfamily Bovinae. Two extant and four extinct species are recognized...
skins Espejo found the Rio Grande Valley well populated all the way up to the present site of El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
. Leaving the Jumano behind, he passed through the lands of the Caguates or Suma
Suma-Jumano
The Suma and the Jumano were people in western Sonora and Trans-Pecos region of western Texas. The Suma was the western division and the Jumano were the eastern division.-History:...
, who spoke the same language as the Jumanos, and the Tanpachoas or Mansos
Manso Indians
The Manso Indians are a indigenous people who lived along the Rio Grande, near El Paso, Texas from the 16th to the 18th century. Their descendants remain in the area to this day....
. Upstream from El Paso, the expedition traveled 15 days without seeing any people
The Pueblos
In February 1583, Espejo arrived at the territory of the Piros, the most southerly of the Pueblo villagers. From there the Spanish continued up the Rio Grande. Espejo described the Pueblo villages as "clean and tidy." The houses were multi-storied and made of adode bricks. "They make very fine tortillas." Espejo commented and the Pueblos also served the Spanish turkeys, beans, corns, and pumpkins. The people "did not seem to be bellicose." The southernmost Pueblos had only clubs for weapons plus a few "poor Turkish bows and poorer arrows." Further north, the Indians were better armed and more aggressive. Some of the Pueblo towns were large, Espejo described Zia as having 1,000 houses and 4,000 men and boys. In their farming, the Pueblos used irrigation "with canals and dams, built as if by Spaniards." The only Spanish influence that Espejo noted among the Pueblos was their desire for iron. They would steal any iron article they could find.Espejo confirmed that the two priests had been killed by the Indians in the pueblo of Puala, near present day Bernalillo
Bernalillo, New Mexico
Bernalillo is a town in Sandoval County, New Mexico, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 6,611. It is the county seat of Sandoval County.Bernalillo is part of the Albuquerque Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
. As the Spanish approached the Pueblo the inhabitants fled to the nearby mountains. The Spanish continued their explorations, east and west of the Rio Grande apparently with no opposition from the Indians. Near Acoma, they noted that a people called Querechos
Querechos
The Querechos were a Native American people.In 1541 the Spanish conquistador Francisco Vazquez de Coronado and his army journeyed east from the Rio Grande Valley in search of a rich land called Quivira...
lived in the mountains nearby and traded with the townspeople. These Querechos were Navajo
Navajo people
The Navajo of the Southwestern United States are the largest single federally recognized tribe of the United States of America. The Navajo Nation has 300,048 enrolled tribal members. The Navajo Nation constitutes an independent governmental body which manages the Navajo Indian reservation in the...
. The closely related Apache
Apache
Apache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans in the United States originally from the Southwest United States. These indigenous peoples of North America speak a Southern Athabaskan language, which is related linguistically to the languages of Athabaskan...
of the Great Plains
Great Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
during this period were also called Querechos. Espejo also visited Zuni and Hopi and westward as far as the Jerome, Arizona
Jerome, Arizona
Jerome is a town in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town is 353.-History:...
area. Along the way, Espejo met several Spanish-speaking Mexican Indians who had been left behind by, or escaped from, the Coronado
Francisco Vásquez de Coronado
Francisco Vásquez de Coronado y Luján was a Spanish conquistador, who visited New Mexico and other parts of what are now the southwestern United States between 1540 and 1542...
expedition more than 40 years earlier.
The priest, several of the soldiers, and the Indian assistants decided, despite Espejo's entreaties, to return to Mexico. It is possible that the priest was repelled by the high-handed tactics of Espejo in dealing with the Pueblos. Espejo and eight soldiers stayed behind to look for silver and other precious metals. The little force had a skirmish with the Indians of Acoma, apparently because two women slaves or prisoners of the Spanish escaped. The Spanish recaptured the women briefly, but they fought their way free, wounding a Spanish soldier. In aiding the escape of the women, the Acomans and the Spanish exchanged volleys of harquebus fire, stones, and arrows. The Spanish, thus, were placed on notice that the hospitality of the Pueblos had limits. The Spanish then returned to the Rio Grande Valley where they executed 16 Indians at a village who mocked them and refused them food.
The Spanish quickly departed the Rio Grande and explored eastward, journeying through the Galisteo Basin
Galisteo Basin
The Galisteo Basin is a surface basin and a closely related groundwater basin in north-central New Mexico. Its primary watercourse is the Galisteo River or Galisteo Creek, a perennial stream, for part of its course, that flows from the eastern highlands down into the Rio Grande about three...
near the future city of Santa Fe and reaching the large pueblo at Pecos
Pecos, New Mexico
Pecos is a village in San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,441 at the 2000 census, growing much faster than in other parts of San Miguel County, partly because Pecos is within commuting distance of Santa Fe. The village is built along the Pecos River which flows from...
, called Ciquique.
The Return Journey
Rather than return to the now unfriendly Rio Grande Valley, Espejo decided to return to Mexico via the Pecos RiverPecos River
The headwaters of the Pecos River are located north of Pecos, New Mexico, United States, at an elevation of over 12,000 feet on the western slope of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range in Mora County. The river flows for through the eastern portion of that state and neighboring Texas before it...
which he called "Rio de Las Vacas" because of the large number of bison the Spaniards encountered during the first six days they followed the river downstream. After descending the river about 300 miles from Ciquique the soldiers met Jumano Indians near Pecos, Texas
Pecos, Texas
Pecos is the largest city in and the county seat of Reeves County, Texas, United States. It is situated in the river valley on the west bank of the Pecos River at the eastern edge of the Chihuahuan Desert and the Trans-Pecos region of west Texas and near the southern border of New Mexico...
who guided them across country up Toyah Creek and cross country to La Junta. From here they followed the Conchos River upstream to San Bartolome, their starting place, arriving September 20, 1583. The priest and his companions had also returned safely. Espejo was the first European to traverse most of the length of the Pecos River.
Espejo died in 1585 in Havana, Cuba. He was enroute to Spain to attempt to get royal permission to establish a Spanish colony in New Mexico.