Page:American Historical Review vol. 6.djvu/152

142 Rc-jiczc's 0/ Books among savage tribes. Its great value consists in the fact that it is the earliest complete record of travels in the regions described. Kino, Ugarte and others had passed to the Colorado and the Gila, but Garces was the first to leave an intelligible record of the country and its inhabi- tants. He also was the first to travel over the present routes of the South- ern Pacific and the Santa Fe (Atlantic and Pacific) railroads across Cali- fornia, the former by way of Yuma and the latter by way of the Needles. The knowledge to be gained by a careful reading of his diary alone is of comparatively little historical value, but with the excellent critical notes of Mr. Coues, aided by Mr. F. W. Hodges of the American Bureau of Ethnology, the book throws much light upon an obscure corner of United States territory. Moreover, because it is an original docu- ment' of the first extensive exploration of a part of the present domain of the United States, it is an important addition to American history no matter how meagre the narrative. Garces noted the various Indian tribes, their location and general characteristics, the rivers, springs, lakes, forests, deserts, mountains, and the ruins of Casa Grande, all of which add a certain interest to the narrative of his lonely travels. The charming presentation of the subject by the late erudite scholar has given new life to a somewhat tedious narrative. The critical notes on Tucson, San Xavier del Bac, Casa Grande, the rivers Gila and Colorado and many other points of interest dispel many errors of traditional belief Garces was a Franciscan friar and missionary priest, stationed at the famous mission of San Xavier del Bac, not far from the present city of Tucson, in Arizona, then in Sonora. From this station he made five ex- peditions (^enfradas') to the north and west among the wild tribes, cross- ing rivers, deserts and mountains, through forests, facing dangers and enduring discomforts for the sake of the lives of others. The first journey was through the Papago country to the Gila river and return, a distance of about eighty leagues, made in 176S ; the second entrada, in 1770, took him through the Seris and Apaches to the Gila ; the third in 1 77 1 was to the Gila and the Colorado; and the fourth was still more extended, as on this journey he crossed the Colorado and travelled over Southern California to the Mission San Gabriel, near Los Angeles. The fifth journey, of which a diary was kept, — the one translated in this book — came about in this way ; Lieutenant-Colonel Anza was ordered by the viceroy of New Spain to ascertain if it was feasible to make con- nection over land between the missions of northern Sonora and those of the Pacific coast. Spain had conceived a wholesome fear of the en- croachments on her territory on the north-west. A revival of life under Carlos III. had caused the planting of missions and presidios on the north-west coast and the viceroy was seeking the best means of extending and supporting the defenses of the border, hence the expedition of Anza. Anza was accompanied by Garces and Diaz, two priests, an Indian guide and thirty additional men. .fter reaching San Gabriel mission, Anza sent Garces back to the Colorado river, while he and Diaz pushed forward to Monterev. Anza returned to San Xavier and thence to Mexico