Marcos de Niza, born in Nice (de…

Marcos de Niza, born in Nice (de Niza means of Nice in Spanish), which is at this time under the control of the Italian House of Savoy, had emigrated to America for exploration of new land, and after serving his order zealously in Peru and Guatemala, had been chosen to explore the country north of Sonora, whose wealth has been depicted in the accounts of Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca.

He had arrived in Mexico City in 1537 at the request of the viceroy Antonio de Mendoza.

Preceded by the enslaved Estevanico, the Moroccan-Berber companion of Cabeza de Vaca in his wanderings and the Black Mexican of Zuni traditions, Fray Marcos leaves Culiacán in March 1539, crosses southeastern Arizona near the present-day Lochiel, penetrates to the Zuni or the Seven Cities of Cibola—actually, the relative gold-poor Zuni pueblos of Háwikuh and five or six others.

Estevanico, one of four men assigned to Fray Marcos de Niza's expedition, is the first non-native to visit Hawikuh.

Traveling ahead of the main party with a group of Sonoran natives, he has been instructed to communicate by sending back crosses to the main party, with the size of the cross equal to the wealth discovered.

One day, a cross arrives that was is tall as a person, causing de Niza to step up his pace to join the scouts.

After Estevanico enters the Zuni village of Hawikuh (in present-day New Mexico), he sends a gourd.

The Zuni tribesmen reportedly kill Estevanico and expel from the village the Mexican natives with him.

De Niza, who never enters the village but sees Cibola only from a distance, quickly returns to Culiacán in September and fabricates a wild tale of the pueblos’ rich treasures.

Some historians suggest the Zuni did not believe Estevanico's story that he represented a party of whites, and that he was killed for demanding women and turquoise.

Roberts and Roberts write that "still others suggest that Estevan, who was dark-skinned and wore feathers and rattles, may have looked like a wizard to the Zuni."

Both theories are speculation.

Juan Francisco Maura will suggest in 2002 that the Zunis did not kill Estevanico, and that he and friends among the natives faked his death so he could gain freedom from slavery.

Some folklore legends say that the Kachina figure, Chakwaina, is based on Estevanico.

Fray Marcos’ description of Cibola as equal in size to Mexico City is probably exact, but he embodies much mere hearsay in his report, Descubrimiento de las siete ciudades, which will lead Francisco Vázquez de Coronado to make his famous expedition next year to Zuni Pueblo, in present-day New Mexico, of which Fray Marcos will be the guide; the realities will prove a great disappointment.