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Ottr Catliolic Heritage in Texas
crune, only fifteen were· alive, and of these several were seriously ill, Cabeza de Vaca among them. Even these scanty survivors had been in grave danger of being extermi- nated. During the winter an epidemic broke out and many Indians began to die. The natives naturally suspected that the Spaniards had some- thing to do with it. They demanded that they be put to death. But the chief, who had control of Cabeza de Vaca, wisely observed that if the Spaniards were the cause of their illness, it was strange that many of them should have died of the same sickness also. Satisfied with the explanation, the Indians declared that the Spaniards should try to cure them. "They wished to make us doctors without an examination," declares Cabeza de Vaca. Seeing that the Spaniards refused to treat them, the natives adopted the policy of giving the visitors no food until they attempted to restore the savages to health. Forced by circumstances the survivors reluctantly tried their hand at curing. With great misgivings they blew-•their breath upon ·those who were ill, as they had seen the native -medicine men do, and they prayed most earnestly to God, saying an Ave JJfa,;.ia and a Pater Noster. They then made the sign of the cross over them and trusted in God's mercy to do the rest. Much to their surprise, all those who were treated in this manner felt immediate relief from their maladies. 41 The Indians who lived on Malhado Island were of two different tribes, one called Capoque and the ~her Han, who spoke different languages. They had excellent physiques and were expert archers. Their arms at this time consisted only of the bow and arrow. Generally they lived on the island from October to February, during which time they subsisted on roots and fish . They then would go to the mainland to eat oysters, where they spent three months. In April they went to the coast to look for berries." Early in the spring, therefore, they all proceeded to the mainland to eat oysters and took the Spaniards along, who, at this time, had been reduced to practical slavery. In April, I 529, the Indians who had control of Castillo and Dorantes, returned to the island, while those with whom Cabeza de Vaca was living remained on the coast eating berries. He was now so very sick that he was not expected to live. Upon his return to the island, Dorantes gathered all the Spaniards 41 Pacheco y Cardenas, Docummtos, Vol. 14, pp. 277-278; Davenport, Quarterly, Vol. 27, p. 231, note 4. "Hodge, 50-51; Pacheco y Cardenas, Vol. 14, 277; Barcia, I, I 5-16.
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