Coronado had recently been made governor. Here he astonished Coronado
with a description of the vast wealth and "beauty of the Seven Cities
of Cibola, a description that does credit to his powers of
imagination. Coronado lost no time in accompanying Marcos to Mexico,
where a conference with Mendoza resulted in the promotion of the
monk, and the immediate organisation of the great expedition
mentioned. Coronado was made general of the land forces, and Hernando
de Alarcon was placed in charge of the ships. Having a land march to
make Coronado, started in February, 1540, while Alarcon sailed in
May. Coronado proceeded to San Miguel de Culiacan, the last
settlement toward the north, near the coast, whence he took a
direction slightly east of north.

Alarcon, with his ships the San Pedro and the Santa Catalina, laid a
course for the haven of Sant Iago. They were caught in a severe storm
which so greatly frightened the men on the Santa Catalina, "more
afraid than was need," remarks Alarcon, that they cast overboard nine
pieces of ordnance, two anchors, one cable, and "many other things as
needful for the enterprise wherein we went as the ship itself." At
Sant Iago he repaired his losses, took on stores and some members of
his company, and sailed for Aguaiauall, the seaport of San Miguel de
Culiacan, where Coronado was to turn his back on the outposts of
civilisation. The general had already gone when Alarcon arrived, but
they expected to hold communication with each other, if not actually
to meet, farther on; and it seems from this that they must have felt
confidence in finding a river by which Alarcon might sail into the
interior. As early as 1531 there were vague reports of a large river,
the mouth of which was closed by the Amerinds living there by means
of a huge cable stretched across from side to side. There may also
have been other rumours of a large river besides the surmises of the