Compostela is the remote staging point from which Francisco Vázquez de Coronado’s expedition sets out. A town described as small, sleepy, and unusually lacking Indian heritage, it becomes a temporary military center: troops drill there for two weeks, take formal oaths, and then leave its edge for an uncertain journey into the unmapped country beyond.

Setting and Assembly

Compostela lies at the very edge of the map and is one of the few towns in the region said not to have an Indian heritage. The expedition arrives to find 250 cavalrymen and foot soldiers already assembled. From the next day, the force undertakes two weeks of daily practice in calisthenics, musket marksmanship, marching, horsemanship, and swordplay. The repetitive drills gradually change the gathering from a collection of officers, enlisted men, and priests into a force bound by the shared experience of preparing to face the unknown.

The Send-Off

The departure ceremony begins at sunrise with a mass led by Friar Antonio at the eastern edge of town. After the sacrament, Viceroy Mendoza addresses the assembled force, invoking allegiance to God, the King, and Commander Francisco Vázquez de Coronado. From a hastily built viewing stand, he signals the parade to begin. Coronado is sworn in first; each soldier then passes an inspector, declares his possessions for the journey, and has the lengthy inventory recorded by scribes. In order of rank, the men proceed to Friar Antonio, place a hand on a cross, and swear aloud to uphold the name of God and King Ferdinand. Juan is the fifty-third to take the oath. Once the officers have completed the ceremony, the expedition forms ranks, unfurls pennons atop its lances, and rides out past a beaming Mendoza.

Departure and the Scouts

The expedition’s departure carries Compostela’s role beyond ceremony: Juan and the other scouts ride days ahead of the main force, traveling with native guides or in pairs. Juan and Bando ride together. Their first nights on the route also establish a practical rhythm between them: Bando proves adept at hunting rabbits, and on the fourth night out from Compostela he brings back two for Juan to cook. The town thus marks both the formal beginning of the expedition and the point from which its advance party separates from the larger body.