Tlte Narvaez Expedition, I526-I536
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scattered over the island and found there were fourteen. Desirous of starting once more in quest of Panuco and anxious to see Cabeza de Vaca before their departure, they gave a tribesman, their guide to the main- land, the beautiful cloak of marten skins which they had acquired a year ago from Indians on the coast of Alabama. ·when they left, however, only twelve were able to go: Alonso de! Castillo, Andres Dorantes, Diego Dor- antes, Valdivieso, Estrada, Tostado, Chavez, Gutierrez, Asturiano, a cleric, Diego de Huelva, Estevanico the Moor, and Benitez. The two men who remained on the island because of sickness, were Lope de Oviedo and Hieronimo Alaniz. When the Spaniards reached the mainland, they thought it inadvisable to attempt to visit Cabeza de Vaca, as they had originally planned, for they were told by some natives that he was so critically ill that at any moment he might die. Others stated that he was already dead. Hence the seeming neglect, disloyalty and even desertion of his comrades during his sorry plight was a bitter disappoint- ment to him. They decided to set out along the coast in the direction of Panuco, still thinking that the river was but a short distance away. On the route they found another Christian, Francisco de Leon. The thirteen survivors, like the four messengers, who had preceded them during the previous winter, traveled along, hoping to reach their desired goal, the nearest settlement of New Spain. Almost seven years later, when only three of this little band remained alive, they beheld with much surprise and astonishment their old companion, whom they had long since regarded as dead. 49 While Dorantes and his group traveled west, Cabeza de Vaca remained for a whole year with the Indians of Malhado. After he had recovered from his illness the natives had maltreated and abused him to such an extent that his life became unbearable. So tender had his fingers become from pulling roots out of the water during the second winter, that the slightest touch caused him intense pa in and made him bleed. He decided to run away from his cruel masters and take refuge with a tribe of Indians, who lived on the mainland, called Charrucos. They proved much more kindly disposed towards him than those of the island. They allowed him considerably more freedom and encouraged him to become a trader. Because of the constant warfare waged by the various tribes, the Indians were not in the habit of traveling far and seemed glad to allow Cabeza de Vaca to go wherever he pleased and bring them many of the things they needed. He was thus able to explore the country as
49 Hodge, 55-56; Barcia, I, 17-18.
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