Existing comment:
Spanish Discovery:
Near here in late summer of 1549, soldiers from the Spanish expedition of Francisco Vasquez de Coronado became the first Europeans to see Grand Canyon.
After journeying for six months, Coronado's army arrived at the Hopi mesas, east of Grand Canyon. From there, Garcia Lopez de Cardenas, guided by Hopi Indians, led a small party of men to find a reported "great river". After 20 days, they reached the south rim of Grand Canyon, emerging from the forest to stand on the edge of this vast chasm.
Cardenas's party spent three days trying to reach the bottom of the canyon, in vain, then returned to Coronado to report their discovery. |