Tag Archives: mexico

AS ESTÉBAN DE SANDOVAL, a young cartographer, ventures out of Spain to present day Mexico in 1541, he couldn’t have imagined the treasure waiting beneath a still lake along side an Indian settlement. Captain Blas de Mendoza, Estéban, musicians Roa, Lunes and Zuñiga, as well as Mendoza’s thought to be loyal soldier, Torres, and Father Francisco, the army’s priest, left their ship in the Mar Del Sur and boarded The San Pedro, their home until reaching the shores of New Spain. All with the desire for treasure, they sought out a guide to lead them from the coast to the Seven Cities in hope of finding gold. Zia, a young teenager with as much passion for maps as Estéban, would be this person.
As they approached the first city, much to their disappointment, no gold was found. Yet, after talking to many settlers, they learned a city twenty moons away had the treasure they wanted. Trusting this statement, they left on a dangerous journey through the Valley of Hearts, only to find nothing
protective Indians defending their settlement. Many were injured in a battle between the two groups, though they continued north, and much to their luck, approached a new settlement with gold nuggets and fine gold sand in a nearby river. They obtained the gold dust by illegally killing sheep belonging to the Indians, and placing their hides in the river. What seemed to be success soon changed into disaster when Torres stole the hides and left camp. Finally, a lake with a golden bottom gave the young explorers hope in returning home with their desired treasure. Captain Mendoza drained the lake, and bagged the gold. The others waited until he finally returned, in which they left for the River of Good Guidance.
Throughout their journey, the level of greed increased causing the explorers to go against the law, their religion, and their beliefs. Zia and Estéban’s relationship built by their love of map making was lost when Zia realized Estéban had changed into a greedy man who focused so
solely on wealth instead of his passion.
Captain Mendoza died from a dog attack, and the group split into too leaving young Estéban in the Inferno alongside Father Francisco. The priest encouraged him to bury the gold where no one could ever find it, but Estéban continued with it. Shortly after entering the desert, Francisco died leaving Estéban alone. After his death, he decided to drop the gold in a deep spring, so no one including himself could retrieve it. After losing the gold, he realized how the greed taken over him and that Father Francisco had been right in wanting to lose the gold forever.
After returning to Vera Cruz, Estéban awaited trial for not submitting the Quinto Real, or royal fifth to the king of Spain, and is accused of the murder of Captain Blas de Mendoza, however he believes his trial is focused more on finding the gold than anything. He is found innocent to murder, with the help of Zia, yet faces 3 years of imprisonment for not giving his fifth to the king.
Only Zia preserves both her freedom from greed and friendship with Estéban.