The general had already gone when Alarcon arrived, but they expected to hold communication with each other, if not actually to meet, farther on; and it seems from this that they must have felt confidence in finding a river by which Alarcon might sail into the interior.

As early as 1531 there were vague reports of a large river, the mouth of which was closed by the Amerinds living there by means of a huge cable stretched across from side to side.

There may also have been other rumours of a large river besides the surmises of the Ulloa party.

At any rate, Alarcon and Coronado fully expected to be in touch much of the time.

This expectation appears absurd to us now when we understand the geography, but there was nothing out of the way about the supposition at that time.