University of Arizona

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Diario, de las ultimas peregrinaciones del Padre Fr. Francisco Garcés, hasta la provincia del Moqui, y noticias de varias nuevas naciones exparcidas hasta el Rio Colorado en California

Francisco Tomás Hermenegildo Garcés (1738-1781) was a Spanish Franciscan missionary, explorer of the Southwest United States, and priest at San Xavier del Bac, near Tucson, AZ, beginning in 1768.

Eighteenth century manuscript copy of Padre Francisco Garcés' 11-month travel diary. Leaving San Xavier Mission in the autumn of 1775, he traveled with the second Anza Expedition until reaching the Yuma area. From there, he traveled with two Yuma Indian companions through California, re-visiting the San Gabriel Mission. After exploring the Mojave and Colorado Rivers, they crossed northern Arizona to the Hopi mesas and back, returning to San Xavier Sept. 17, 1776. The last sentence gives his name, the date of 1777, and the location of writing as the Tubutama Mission, in Sonora.