Page:Don Coronado through Kansas.djvu/31

20 ^0 A MARVELOUS JOURNEY. court, introduced the other three by stating, "Your Excellencies, I have the pleasure of introducing to you Cabeza de Vaca, my commander and superior officer, and this is Lieutenant Andres Dorantes and that is Stephen, "the last named a Barbery Negro. After the introduction the four men were requested to be seated. Maldonado then asked De Vaca to recite the story of their travels and adventures, who, arising and making the sign of the cross, proceeded with the following narration: "Eight years ago we four left Seville with Panfilo de Narvaez. He had command of the expedi- tion, which comprised four vessels and 600 men. We put In at Havana for repairs and to replace one of OTir ships which had been wrecked, and then set sail for the coast lying east of this colony, but owing to the storms we encountered, we were driven out of our course, but the pilots said that the place where we landed, (Tampa Bay, Florida), was but a short distance from our destination. Our party numbered 300 men and flfty horses. "After unloading the equipment and supphes Narvaez sent one ship back to Havana for recruits, the other three were to sail along the coast towards the north and west and then return. "Finally we began our march. We took a north erly direction, and then turned towards the west. Our progress was slow, for our men knew nothing of the country, and the forests and morasses presented many difficulties. Our men were unused to travel- ing through such dense timber and the Indians would give us no help, but soon became openly