Andrés Dorantes de Carranza

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the journey of alvar nunez cabeza de vaca and his companions from florida to the pacific fifteen twenty eight fifteen thirty six translated by fanny bandelier introduction this volume offers the original narrative of the first white man to cross north america the remarkable journey of alvar nunez cabeza de vaca andres dorantes alonso del castillo maldonado and the moore estevanico from florida to northwestern mexico sonora and sinaloa near the pacific coast antedates the expeditions of coronado and de soto whose histories have already been published in the trail makers nevertheless it is proper to publish his narrative later compared with either of them the journey of cabeza de vaca and his companions is an episode important an incident brought about by a disastrous failure this history describes the only and comparatively meager results of the expedition undertaken by panfilo de narvaez in fifteen twenty seven and an outcome which had nothing more to do with narvaez and his ill-conducted scheme yet it is certain that the appearance of cabeza de vaca and his fellow sufferers at culiacan and their statements directed the attention of the spanish authorities at the young city of mexico to the north more than the reports about the seven cities and the raids which nuno de guzman had made in that direction nevertheless the importance of the story of cabeza de vaca must not be overestimated a perusal of the narrative shows that the forlorn wanderers were not as it has long been admitted the discoverers of new mexico they never saw nor do they claim to have seen any of the so-called pueblos they only heard of them in a more or less confused manner on the other hand more precise than their information on this point is what they said about the plains their indians and it seems above all doubt that the first knowledge of the american bison or buffalo is due to their descriptions on the minds of the spanish occupants of mexico especially on what may be called the floating population proportionately large at the time as everywhere in newly occupied countries the impression of the feat performed by the travelers and the tale of their unequaled sufferings produced a much greater effect than on the authorities the people saw in their reports an outline for a possible advance into the unknown beyond the picture of the country traversed was in the main not enticing but the allusion to permanent settlements beyond the unprepossessing plains was looked upon as full of promise the outcome was a moderate excitement among the adventurous and the idle and this excitement was ably taken advantage of by the viceroy of new spain don antonio de mendoza this high functionary as sagacious as he was cautious regarded the real merits of cabeza de vaca who is the representative figure in the whole episode with reserve on february eleventh old style fifteen thirty seven he wrote to the empress recommending cabeza de vaca and dorantes the letter mentions dorantes but it was castillo who went to spain with cabeza de vaca recommending cabeza de vaca and dorantes to the benevolence of the monarch in consideration of what they have done in it this country and suffered and their disposition to continue there and here wherever they may be sent he does not seem to attach more than a modest importance to the practical results of their adventures in that same letter he states that the wanderers had already made a report to him on their journey which report he had sent to the empress previously it cannot be the one contained in oviedo's historia general y natural de indias edition of eighteen fifty volume three book thirty five since the latter was directed to the audiencia of santo domingo There is a fragment of a relación attributed to Cabeza de Vaca alone, without date, in volume 14 of the Documentos Inéditos de Indias.

It reads like a resume or condensation of the narrative presented in this volume.

This fragment terminates abruptly at the time when a meeting of Cabeza de Vaca and Dorantes was being prepared.

This, however, he distinctly attributes to a misprint, not to a misstatement by the author.

On the whole, the difference between the two documents is so slight that there has been no occasion to publish the letter to the Audiencia also.

Oviedo mentions Andres Dorantes among the signers of the letter, which was, as he states, sent to the Audiencia at Santo Domingo from Havana.

Cabeza de Vaca affirms Dorantes remained at Veracruz and thence went back to Mexico.

This volume offers the original narrative of the first white man to cross North America.

The remarkable journey of Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, Andrés Dorantes, Alonso del Castillo Maldonado, and the Moor Estebanico from Florida to Northwestern Mexico, Sonora, and Sinaloa, near the Pacific coast, antedates the expeditions of Coronado and de Soto, whose histories have already been published in The Trailmakers.

Nevertheless, it is proper to publish his narrative later.

Compared with either of them, the journey of Cabeza de Vaca and his companions is an episode, important but an incident brought about by a disastrous failure.

Hearing this, I sent two Christians with two Indians to guide them to those people.

Very nearby they met them, and they also were looking for us, as the Indians had told them of our presence in the neighborhood.

These were the captains Andrés Dorantes and Alonso del Castillo with all of their crew.

When they came near us they were much frightened at our appearance and grieved at being unable to give us anything, since they had nothing but their clothes.

Well played.

INTRODUCTION TO THE JOURNEY OF ALVAR NÚÑEZ CABEZA DE VACA AND HIS COMPANIONS FROM FLORIDA TO THE PACIFIC, 1528-1536. the journey of alvar nunez cabeza de vaca and his companions from florida to the pacific fifteen twenty eight fifteen thirty six translated by fanny bandelier introduction this volume offers the original narrative of the first white man to cross north america the remarkable journey of alvar nunez cabeza de vaca andres dorantes alonso del castillo maldonado and the moore estevanico from florida to northwestern mexico sonora and sinaloa near the pacific coast antedates the expeditions of coronado and de soto whose histories have already been published in the trail makers nevertheless it is proper to publish his narrative later compared with either of them the journey of cabeza de vaca and his companions is an episode important an incident brought about by a disastrous failure this history describes the only and comparatively meager results of the expedition undertaken by panfilo de narvaez in fifteen twenty seven and an outcome which had nothing more to do with narvaez and his ill-conducted scheme Yet it is certain that the appearance of Cabeza de Vaca and his fellow sufferers at Culiacan and their statements directed the attention of the Spanish authorities at the young city of Mexico to the north, more than the reports about the seven cities and the raids which Nuno de Guzman had made in that direction.

Nevertheless, the importance of the story of Cabeza de Vaca must not be overestimated.

a perusal of the narrative shows that the forlorn wanderers were not as it has long been admitted the discoverers of new mexico they never saw nor do they claim to have seen any of the so-called pueblos they only heard of them in a more or less confused manner on the other hand more precise than their information on this point is what they said about the plains their indians and it seems above all doubt that the first knowledge of the american bison or buffalo is due to their descriptions on the minds of the spanish occupants of mexico especially on what may be called the floating population proportionately large at the time as everywhere in newly occupied countries the impression of the feat performed by the travelers and the tale of their unequaled sufferings produced a much greater effect than on the authorities the people saw in their reports an outline for a possible advance into the unknown beyond the picture of the country traversed was in the main not enticing but the allusion to permanent settlements beyond the unprepossessing plains was looked upon as full of promise the outcome was a moderate excitement among the adventurous and the idle and this excitement was ably taken advantage of by the viceroy of new spain don antonio de mendoza this high functionary as sagacious as he was cautious regarded the real merits of cabeza de vaca who is the representative figure in the whole episode with reserve on february eleventh old style fifteen thirty seven he wrote to the empress recommending cabeza de vaca and dorantes the letter mentions dorantes but it was castillo who went to spain with cabeza de vaca recommending cabeza de vaca and dorantes to the benevolence of the monarch in consideration of what they have done in it this country and suffered and their disposition to continue there and here wherever they may be sent he does not seem to attach more than a modest importance to the practical results of their adventures in that same letter he states that the wanderers had already made a report to him on their journey which report he had sent to the empress previously it cannot be the one contained in oviedo's historia general y natural de indias edition of eighteen fifty volume three book thirty five since the latter was directed to the audiencia of santo domingo there is a fragment of a relation attributed to cabeza de vaca alone without date in volume fourteen of the documentos ineditos de indias it reads like a rsum or condensation of the narrative presented in this volume this fragment terminates abruptly at the time when a meeting of cabeza de vaca and dorantes was being prepared it is entitled relation de cabeza de vaca tesorero que fue en la conquista and preceded by a truncated copy of the directions which the king issued to cabeza de vaca as factor of the expedition whether this document noticed in the index under a very misleading title is perhaps the first report mentioned in the letter of mendoza from february fifteen thirty seven i am unable to decide thus far but there are some indications favoring the supposition the influence which the return and reports of cabeza de vaca and companions may have had upon the subsequent enterprise of hernando de soto was if any but slight the contract made with the latter by the crown on april twentieth fifteen thirty seven documents the indias volume twenty two pages five thirty four to five forty six capitulation que se tomo con hernando de soto para conquistar y poblar desde el rio de las palmas hasta la florida does not permit any conclusion on this point the first report of the outcasts had probably reached spain before that time but on august fifteenth of the same year cabeza de vaca was still at lisbon the statements of other survivors of the expedition of narvaez mentioned at the close of our narrative as having been met by cabeza de vaca in mexico and in spain cannot have been very encouraging to a fresh attempt at penetrating florida still soto tried to enlist the services of cabeza de vaca but failed of the biography of cabeza de vaca only such portions are well known as relate to his career in america it is also known that he was born in jerez de la frontera in spain and hence was an andalusian his father according to oviedo was francisco de vera son of the spanish conqueror of the canaries pedro de vera his mother was teresa cabeza de vaca a native of jerez Why he assumed the name of his mother in place of his paternal appellative, I am unable to state.

Hence he proved a failure as soon as raised to a position beyond the scope of his abilities.

Of the three companions of Cabeza de Vaca, little is known.

Andres Dorantes, who had been a captain with Narvaez, was the son of Pablo Dorantes, a native of Hebraleon, Castilla.

maldonado was from salamanca and the son of dr castillo y aldonza maldonado he is said to have remained in spain whereas dorante stayed in mexico and entered in fifteen thirty eight into an agreement with the viceroy for a journey of exploration to the north or sinaloa it was never carried out lastly the negro was an arab moor from the town of azamor on the atlantic coast of morocco it is therefore not unlikely that he was not a negro proper but from one or other of the tribes of the desert his subsequent fate is well known as guide and advanced scout of father marcos of niza he became the victim of his own imprudence or lack of understanding of the differences in customs and beliefs between indian tribes far distant from each other It is well known that Cabeza de Vaca wrote two principal works, both of which were published at Valladolid in 1555 by Francisco Fernandez de Córdoba.