=Purpose of the Spaniards.= The chief purpose of all the Spanish explorers was to search for wealth. Cortez is said to have made this remark to the Indians: “We Spaniards are troubled with a disease of the heart for which we find gold, and gold only, a specific remedy.” The hope of finding gold and precious stones lying about like pebbles lured many Spaniards into enterprises filled with terrible hardships. Reports of great cities of untold wealth to the northward, the “Seven Cities of Cibola,” as they were called, had reached New Spain at various times, and when Cabeza de Vaca told similar tales that he had heard from the Indians it stirred the Spaniards to explore the region. =Coronado.= Great preparation was made for an expedition. An army of three hundred Spaniards and eight hundred friendly Indians was gathered and placed under the command of Coronado. This was a large army for those times and the burden of furnishing it with arms and supplies fell heavily on New Spain. But so hopeful were the people of the success of the expedition that no sacrifice seemed too great. In the spring of 1540 the long march into unexplored country began. =The Search for Quivira.= After months of travel in a northerly and then in a northeasterly direction, Coronado and his army reached the province of Cibola, which was probably in the western part of what is now New Mexico, and the “Seven Cities” proved to be ordinary adobe Indian villages. They took possession of the Indian supplies and spent the winter in the villages. The Indians, anxious to get rid of their unwelcome visitors, persuaded a Quivira Indian, whom they held as a prisoner, to tell the Spaniards tales of the wonderful land of Quivira in order to lead them off into the wilderness where they would die from lack of food and water. Coronado and his men listened to this Indian, whom they called “Turk,” and followed him as a guide for many days. He led them steadily toward the east, and after a time they became convinced that they were being deceived and made him confess that Quivira was far to the northward. They had been only too willing to listen to Turk’s stories, but when they learned that he had misled them they put him to death. Supplies were now low and Coronado sent back the main body of the army, which was composed of footmen, and with thirty horsemen started northward. [Illustration: THE JOURNEYS OF CABEZA DE VACA AND CORONADO.]