154 SPANIARDS KNEW A GOOD COJN'ir./. Into the Missouri, thence going north up the "Big Muddy" to the mouth of the Nemaha river at the northeast corner of Kansas, thence up the Nemaha west and continuing west along the south fork of the Nemaha and Clear Creek, crossing the Blue at Marysville, thence southwest to Clay Center on the Bepubliean, then down that stream to Junction City, the place of beginning, it will be seen that this beau- tiful chunk of land is about sixty by one hundred and twenty miles, and is the Italy of the United States. Jaramillo says: "This country presents a very fine appearance. - 1 have not seen a better in all Spain nor Italy nor a part of Prance, nor indeed in the other countries where I have traveled in His Majesty's service, for it is not a very rough country, but it is made up of hillocks and plains and very fine appear- ing rivers and streams which certainly satisfied me and made me sure that it wUl be very fruitful in all sorts of products. Indeed, there is profit in the cat- tle ready to the hand, from the quantity of them, which is now as great as one could imagine." All you have to do is to examine the map and see what line natural boundaries it has. i'-om the numerous villages within ten or fifteen in'.lo-s from the camping ground of our party came the young warriors to view the wonderful strangers and their equipment. , Coronado states that they were painted Indians, so it is not a stretch of the imagination to describe their decorations, and of course you may be sure that ihey had on their best clothes, which comprised a narrow pkir ot ■wimming dvawere, made fvom calf or de*r«lciB. Bone hAd laoe
