Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca

[Chronicle of the Narvaez Expedition: Norton critical Edition] by Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca
An extraordinary first hand account of Spanish Conquistadores blown off course and making landfall in the uncharted land of the Florida panhandle in 1528. Cabeza de Vaca was the treasurer in Panfilo de Narvaez’s expedition which was intent on land grabbing, treasure hunting and slaving in Northern Mexico, but storms and hurricanes pitched them on an inhospitable coastal region that soon turned into show more a battle for survival, for which they were iill equipped. A fleet of five ships and 400 men were reduced to just four survivors who became slaves themselves before battling through Texas to the Pacific Ocean over six years later.

Cabeza de Vaca wrote his first version of his extraordinary adventures in 1537 for the King of Spain and his aim was to secure a post as Governor of the River Plate. It is therefore very much De Vaca’s view of events and he is very critical of Panfilo de Narvaez, but it is also a description of flora, fauna and native peoples encountered for the first time by Europeans, who find themselves in a hostile environment. It is a story of failure and one which costa most of them their lives. De Vaca’s account is matter of fact, but there is enough there to read between the lines, remembering that he is lost, bewildered, but very much a survivor, who becomes dependent on the natives (indians in the text). He is able to describe in some detail the customs and culture of the groups/tribes to whom he manages to attach himself. Here is an example:

“On the island I have described they (the indians) wanted to turn us into physicians without giving us any examinations or asking us for any diplomas, because they heal diseases by blowing on the patient, and with that puff of breath and their hands they drive illness out of him. And they ordered us to do the same so that we would at least be of some use to them. We laughed at this, saying it was ridiculous and that we did not know how to heal, so they took away our food until we did what they told us to. And seeing our obstinate refusal, an Indian told me that I did not know what I was saying when I said what he knew was useless, because the stones and other things that grow in the countryside have virtue……. “

The irony is that the conquistadores who came to conquer the land are soon reduced to a position of slavery. Their ships are wrecked, their horses prove useless in negotiating the swamp lands, their armour proves to be not very effective against well aimed arrows employed by skilful bowman, but worst of all is that they cannot find enough to eat and drink. They are in a world of hunter gatherers where the hunting and the gathering are slim pickings. They die from disease, starvation, hurricanes at sea and from hostile natives on land. They make poor decisions, being unable to negotiate successfully with the more friendly Indians and initially when they were at reasonable strength lured inland in a search for gold and slaves in a Country which was totally unknown to them.

Cabeza de Vaca is very much a man of his times. As a Christian he believes that through all the vicissitudes of war, he is following orders from his king who has a direct link with God and so he is already confessed and leaves his testament done and his soul secured. However de Vaca’s experiences lead him to take a more humane view of the treatment of the Indians, than is customary from their brutal treatment by their Spanish conquerors. He says:

“In order to entice all theses people into being Christians and into obedience to his Imperial Majesty, they must be attracted with good treatment, and that this way is the surest, and the other is not”

De Vaca and three companions; one of whom is an African, escape from their slavery and journey toward the hill country they have seen. Their years among the Indians have taught them how to survive. They eventually find themselves in Northern Texas an area that has come under partial control of the Spaniards. The Indians are frightened of them, but using their skills as physicians they attract a following who become a sort of rag-tag army not above looting and plundering as they go looking for civilisation and a means of getting back home.

The Norton Critical Edition contains a translation of Cabeza de Vaca’s 1542 published text, which is just over 90 pages in length and very readable. There are some other contemporaneous texts about the expedition and some sequels and finally some pages of criticism. I found the criticism extremely helpful in putting the account in perspective, especially from a geographical point of view. I think this is a unique document, a real telescope back to the 16th century, with a description of a part of the American Continent before colonisation. Five stars. show less

While the chronology and geography are too vague to be a thrilling adventure, and the writing is too plain and characterless for the book be a hidden gem, there is something discreetly fascinating about this true and contemporary account of the New World in the time of the Conquistadors. Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca was a member of a crew shipwrecked off the coast of Florida less than ten years after Cortés took Mexico. What follows is an epic journey through the unexplored territory show more stretching across the Gulf of Mexico from Florida into what is now Texas and California. As the years pass and the number of survivors dwindles to just four, Cabeza de Vaca negotiates the harshness of the wilderness, the prospect of starvation and cannibalism and the presence of various Indian tribes.

Abridged into a Penguin volume published as The Shipwrecked Men, Cabeza de Vaca's account actually deals little with cannibalism and what we would now recognise as a survival story. Its great fascination comes from experiencing, through contemporary eyes, America as it was when Europeans were first starting to gain a foothold on the continent. The geography is loose, but it's fascinating to know, for example, that Cabeza de Vaca and his companions took refuge on the island that is now Galveston, Texas, which they named the Isle of Misfortune.

Though Cabeza de Vaca encounters some brutal Indian tribes, including one who have the custom of leaving their newborn girls to be eaten by dogs, and purchase wives from their enemies instead (pg. 68), our chronicler develops a broadly sympathetic view of the tribes he encounters across the American Southwest. His account was written for a Spanish audience back home, and is keen to stress that the Indians should be well-treated in the event of further Spanish colonization (pg. 125). His instincts for non-interference, or at least for compassionate interference, provide a conscience to the book that is usually absent from colonial accounts. While not possessing of a palatably modern morality (at one point, he encounters two Indian men married to one another, which he describes as "very repulsive" (pg. 98)), Cabeza de Vaca appears to act like a genuine Christian. It's an interesting contrast to the rapacious, Inquisitorial actions that have formed our general view of the conquistadors.

These odd wanderings across untouched America, with Cabeza de Vaca becoming at times a sort of shaman, arbiter and advocate for the native tribes, are strangely heartening. While, as I said, the writing and the geography of the account are not arresting enough for the book to be considered a hidden gem, the nature of the adventure is such that it remains deeply fascinating. When you add the surprising dimensions of Cabeza de Vaca's interactions with Indians to the fascination of exploring the virgin continent, you get a book you can recommend even if it is rather plain in the telling. Though not a hidden gem, it can be considered an uncut gem. show less

This is the horrifying misadventure of Spanish explorer Cabeza de Vaca. He relates to the Spanish king what befell his fellow Spaniards in their exploration of the new world. The large host he began with, upon reaching Florida, was eventually destroyed by shipwreck, disease, malnourishment and the predations of the indigenous inhabitants. After spending many years making his way up Florida, across the Gulf Coast, through northern Mexico, down the Pacific coast before finally making it home show more again, only he and three others managed to survive. His detail of the never before seen flora, fauna and descriptions of the various tribes he encountered provided a wealth of detail regarding customs and general anthropology. The survivors went from being abused by the natives to being perceived as medical men with the power to heal and were followed by adoring tribes everywhere they went. When finally encountering fellow Spaniards again, he was horrified by their enslavement and mistreatment of the Indians. He provides new meaning to the word survival as his detail of the suffering they endured and what they had to do to survive makes one ache for them. This would make an excellent adventure film as it touches upon so many aspects of culture clash and wonder. show less

The memoirs of a horrific, doomed settlement expedition to Mexico and Florida, told by one of the few survivors. Very strong Aguirre vibes here. One thing about being a surivor, you get to tell the story your way, and make it sound like it would have gone differently if everybody had just listened to you. One thing I will take away from this book: Don't walk into a village and steal their corn, then expect them not to come hunt you down.