Page:Don Coronado through Kansas.djvu/36

25 BBSCUED BY THE INDIANS. 25 was not to be, for after going west from where we lost our commander, we were all wreoked in a storm and driven ashore." (Pardon the digression, but this river spoken of was the Mississippi, so that the five boats sailed from Mobile Bay, a distance of about 160 mUes, when they met with disaster, but the authorities are not in har- mony as to the place where the three remaining boats were driven ashore, but Galveston seems to be about the point, which would then be another 340 miles, a total of 500 mUes covered by the four rudely con- structed boats.) Maldonado continuing the account of their experiences further said: "The natives were watch- ing us when our four boats went ashore; they treated us kindly owing to despondency and lack of cour- age, for, as you know, when men are lacking food, it soon makes cowards of them; but there was no neces- sity of resisting, so the 120 men allowed themselves to be captured by our rescuers. We were able to save aU pur harquebuses and powder. This was agreed upon when we saw ourselves drifting ashore and witnessed the crowds of natives awaiting our be- ing cast on the land; we expected the Indians would attempt to massacre us, but instead, they helped us out of our dilemma. "After being given food and recruiting our strength for a few days, aU hands with the assistance of the Indians took the wrecked boats apart and we constructed buildings for ourselves which made ue quite comfortable. "From the time of losing Narvaez, the genius of