The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 1, July 1897 - April, 1898 Page: 170
334 p. : ill., ports., maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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170 Texas Historical Association Quarterly.
Two days later Cabeza joined the other three in the walnut
grove. They were three of the party who had left the island six
years before. Their companions had been killed by the Indians
or had died from hardships. Of the powerful force which, not
long before, Narvaez had led into the swamps of Florida, there
now remained only this mere handful of wretched creatures, who
maintained a precarious livelihood as slaves of the Indians.
We believe we can identify the vicinity in which this meeting
occurred. But of this we shall speak more at length in another
place; it is sufficient to say here that the Spaniards were most prob-
ably in the neighborhood of Matagorda bay, and, perhaps, near
the mouth of the Colorado river. They remained quietly here for
six months, waiting until the Indians should go to the prickly pear
region, at which time, many tribes being gathered together, they
thought they could best make their escape. For three months in
the year the Indians in that part of the country lived entirely on
the fruit of the cactus. So luxuriant and thick is the growth of
this plant in southwestern Texas that we can safely say it was to
this region that the Indians came yearly.
As the Spaniards had anticipated, they were taken in due season
to the prickly pear region, where they planned their escape. On
the day settled upon for their departure the Indians quarreled
among themselves, and the Spaniards were separated. After a
year's weary waiting, at the next prickly pear season they were
again brought together, and again separated before they could es-
cape. In despair they appointed a meeting place, and each pledged
himself to elude the vigilance of his master, and join the others
at the appointed time. This time they were successful, and the
four men began their desperate journey to find the Spanish settle-
ments in Mexico.
For the first few days they travelled very rapidly, fearing greatly
lest the Indians should overtake them. They soon came to another
Indian tribe, where they were kindly treated. From here they
went on to another tribe, where they stayed eight months.
At this point, their social position, if such it may be called, was
exalted beyond their wildest hopes, and they entered upon a career
that probably has no parallel in all history. As far back as Cabeza's
slave residence on Malhado island, he had on occasions been called
upon to perform cures after the Indian fashion; he had done so
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Texas State Historical Association. The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 1, July 1897 - April, 1898, periodical, 1897/1898; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101009/m1/191/: accessed April 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.