The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 22, July 1918 - April, 1919 Page: 212
521 p. : ill. (some col.), ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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The Southwestern Historical Quarterly
Omitting immaterial details, Cabeza de Vaca's account of the
escape from the Anagados and the subsequent journey with the
Avavares follows:"86
Two days after moving . we fled, hoping that although
it was late in the season and the fruits of the tunas were giving
out, by remaining in the field we might still get over a good
portion of the land. . . . At sunset we came in sight of
. . lodges, and . . met four Indians waiting for us,
and they received us well. We told them in the language of
the Mariames that we had come to see them. They appeared to
be pleased with our company and took us to their homes.
These Indians speak another language and are called Avavares.
They were those who used to fetch bows to ours and barter with
them, and, although of another language and speech, they under-
stand the idiom of those with whom we formerly were, and had
arrived there on that very day with their lodges. Forthwith they
offered us many tunas, because they had heard of us.
They celebrated our coming for three days, and at the end of
which we asked them about the land further on, the people and
the food that might be obtained. They replied that there were
plenty of tunas all through that country, but that the season was
over and nobody there, because all had gone to their abodes after
gathering tunas; also that the country was very cold and very
few hides in it. Hearing this, and as winter and cold weather
were setting in, we determined to spend it with those Indians.
Five days after our arrival they left; to get more tunas at a
place where people of a different nation and language lived, and
having travelled five days, suffering greatly from hunger, as on
the way there were neither tunas nor any kind of food we came
to a river, where we pitched our tents. As soon as we were set-
tled we went out to hunt for the fruit of certain trees, which are
like spring bittervetch (orobus), and as through all that country
there are no trails I lost too much time hunting for them .
I went astray and got lost. . .. I went on for five days.
I went to the brush in the timber near the rivers and
stopped in it every evening . .. during all that time I
did not eat a mouthful, nor could I find anything to eat.
At the end of five days I reached the shores of a river and there
met my Indians. They, as well as the Christians, had given me
up for dead, thinking that perhaps a snake had bitten me. They
. . told me that thus far they had wandered about famish-
ing, and therefore had not hunted for me, and that night they
gave me of their tunas. On the next day we left and went where
we found a great many of that fruit. . . . We removed to
"sCabeza de Vaca, 89-114.212
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 22, July 1918 - April, 1919, periodical, 1919; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117156/m1/226/: accessed April 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.