Journey of Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, The by Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca (c. 1488 - 1558)
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Few stories of shipwreck and survival can equal that of the 16th
century Spaniard Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca who, cast ashore near
present day (USA) Tampa Bay, Florida, in 1528, survived eight years
of hand-to-mouth existence among the Indians of the South and
Southwest, and who walked on foot across the plains to the Pacific
Coast, arriving in Mexico in 1536. In 1542 he published an account
of his adventures, and the present reading is based on Fanny
Bandelier’s English translation of that text. Cabeza de Vaca, along
with three other survivors, two Spaniards and a North African
(Estévanico, a black slave) endured incredible hardships. Cabeza da
Vaca was, himself, at first enslaved by the Indians, forced to dig
roots with his bare hands for food. However, he soon showed powers
of adaptation that allowed him to survive. He became a trader,
bartering “seashells and cockles” from the coast for hides, red
ochre, flint, and deer hair tassels from the inland tribes. “Trade
suited me well,” he writes, “because it gave me liberty to go where
I pleased.” The Indians “rejoiced greatly when seeing me and I
would bring them what they needed, and those who did not know me
would desire and endeavor to meet me for sake of my fame.” Cabeza
de Vaca’s “fame” soon grew to include a reputation as a healer. In
return for his “cures,” the Indians gave him “all that they had,”
which included food, often in perilously short supply. The success
of the survivors’ final overland treck in search of Spanish
settlement reflected their comprehension of Indian customs and
values. They were passed along from one tribe to another,
accompanied by an ontourage of friendly natives. At each stop,
Cabeza de Vaca saw to it that the food and presents he received
were distributed to his followers by their chiefs, thus ensuring
their loyalty. After eight years among the Indians, Cabeza de Vaca
had a hard time adjusting to “civilization.” He writes that the
Spanish governor in Mexico “received us very well, giving us what
he had, for us to dress in; but for many days I could bear no
clothing, nor could we sleep except on the bare floor.” His first
person narrative is an exciting tale of survival “against the
odds.” (Introduction by Sue Anderson)
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