the stream looked very large, and buttes that from above seemed no
higher than a man were found to be taller than the great tower of
Seville. There can be no doubt that this was the gorge we now call
the Grand Canyon. No other answers the description. Cardenas said the
width at the top, that is, the "outer" gorge with its broken edge,
was three or four leagues or more in an air line.* This is the case
at both great bends of the river. The point he reached has usually
been put, without definite reason, at about opposite Bright Angel
River, say near the letter "L" of the word "Colorado" on the relief
map, page 41 op., but here the river comes from the SOUTH-EAST and
turns to the NORTH-WEST, directly the reverse of what Cardenas
observed. The actual place then must have been about midway of the
stretch referred to, that is, near the letter "A" of the word "Canon"
on the relief map. Where he started from to arrive at this part of
the canyon cannot be discussed here for want of space, but the writer
believes the place was some three hundred miles south-east, say near
Four Peaks on the new Mexican line.** Cardenas was, therefore, guided
along the southerly edge of the great Colorado Plateau, through the
superb Coconino Forest, where he had wood, water, and grass in
abundance. The locality he reached was very dry, and they were
obliged to go each night a long distance back from the brink to
procure water. For this reason, Cardenas gave up trying to follow the
canyon, and returned again, by way of Tusayan, to Cibola, passing on
the way a waterfall, which possibly was in the Havasupai (Cataract)
Canyon. Castaneda, the chief chronicler of the Coronado expedition,
says the river Cardenas found was the Tizon, "much nearer its source
than where Melchior Diaz crossed it," thus showing that its identity
was well surmised, if not understood, at that time. Nothing, however,
was known of its upper course; at least there is no evidence of any
such knowledge, though the natives had doubtless given the Spaniards