The author of this work does not intend to say that there has not been both sincere and competent translations, for most assuredly there have been many such. For instance Hodge's translations of the narratives of Cabeza de Vaca, De Soto, Coronado, Castaneda, Jaramillo and other discoverers and conquerors of New Mexico do not, in anything impair the sense-nor the meaning of the original narratives; but some of the English speaking authors have, apparently, only copied each other to the extent that no two of them agree in their translations whence a great deal of confusion arises in their exposition of historical events and incidents. Such reasons as these led the author of this work to dedicate many years to the study of the original writings, with the end in view of writing, as correctly as possible, a true his tory, for which purpose be spared neither means nor ex penses, and now he offers the present work as the fruit of his labors.--From the preface.