FABERT, Antoine (fahbare), French traveler, born in Moirans, FrancheComte, in 1532" d, in Zoguato, Mexico, 2 March 1574. He settled in Mexico in 1854, where he soon acquired a competency. Thenceforward he decided to devote himself to exploring the northern part of the country. He departed on his first expedition in 1565 with Father Pinto, a Franciscan monk. The party, consisting of four Europeans and thirty porters, after thirty-two days of steady marching, reached a large town called Chaco, in the province of Las Tiguas, where the hostility of the Indians forced them to turn back, and on the return journey Father Pinto died of a fever. Fabert was made bailiff of Cuatro Cienegas, in New Biscay, in 1566, retaining the office for four years, He finally decided to undertake a new exploring trip, and set out from Cuatro Cienegas, 7 October 1570, accompanied by fifteen soldiers, numerous slaves, and one hundred horses and miles laden with arms and provisions. Taking his former route, he had penetrated by December to the country of the Tobosos, who disputed his passage.

He set out on his return journey on 11 December, taking with him as prisoners a dozen Tobosos, after burning two of their villages. His third expedition was his most important. Leaving San Bartolom6, 8 November 1573, with 25 soldiers, 200 slaves, and 140 baggagehorses and mules, he reached the Conchos territory on the llth. Turning eastward, he avoided the Tobosos, and on 14 Dec. entered the country of the Cumanes, or Patarabuyes, a warlike tribe, who inhabited the borders of the Rio del Norte, and who were quite advanced in civilization. Their principal town was built of stone, its Streets were straight and clean, and it contained several squares, ornamented with fine trees. A march of 140 miles through a pine forest brought Fabert to the borders of the Rio del Norte, a thickly populated region. On 29 Jan. he entered the Cumanes territory, where he saw four cities and estimated their population at about 25,000. The capital was Cia, a commercial City.

The inhabitants were clothed in garments of woven cotton. On 11 February he reached the country of the Ameyas, which contained five towns with a population of about 30,000. On the 16th he visited the City of the Acomas, built in the midst of rocks, and 60 miles farther on he reached, on 20 February the Zuni country, the capital of which was Cibola. Fabert here found the cross-planted by Francisco Vasquez de Coronado in 1540 marking the graves of three of his companions. On 26 February he arrived at the province of Mohotze and stopped in the principal town, Zoguato, which had a population of about 10,000inhabitants. Here Pabert died of a fever. His companions raised a tomb to his memory, and conducted the expedition back to San Bartolome, where it arrived 15 May 1574. The countries through which Fabert passed were explored about twenty years later by Espejo (q. v.). Fabert is mentioned by Mendoza in his "Historia del Grande Reyno de China" (Madrid, 1589); by Hakluyt in his " Voyages"; by Humboldt in his " Essai politique sur le Royaume de la Nouvell Espagne"; and by Bordier in his "Histoire du Mexique."