Page:The negro trail blazers of California; a compilation of records from the California archives in the Bancroft library at the University of California (IA negrotrailblaze00beas).pdf/26



The reader in the preceding chapter has been given the tracing of the discovery of the name "California" to a Spanish novel published in 1510, while California was not discovered by Cortez until 1535. Nine years previous to its discovery there started from Spain an exploring expedition "under the direction of Governor Panfilo de Narvaez, who departed from the port of San Lucar de Barameda with authorities and orders from your majesties to conquer and govern the provinces that extend from the river of the Palms to the cape of the Floridas, these provinces being on the mainland. The fleet he took with him consisted of five vessels in which went six hundred souls." (From the translation by Fanny Bandelier of the Journey of Alva Nuez Cabeza de Vaca, and his companions). This translation further states that "The expedition met with many hardships. Several ships were destroyed by a West Indian hurricane and hostile Indians killed a large number of the remaining members of the party; and at one time the party was so reduced that it seemed they were all doomed. It was then a thought occurred to Cabeza de Vaca, who in the beginning of the expedition acted as treasurer of the company; he decided to act as leader in an effort to save the lives of the remaining members of the party, turned 'Medicine Man,' saying the 'Rosary' and making the 'Sign of the Cross' on the sick Indians." This pleased the Indians, who afterward passed the party in safety from one tribe to another.

"Nevertheless the party grew smaller every year until at the end of nine years, when they reached Culiacan, out of six hundred souls there were only a party of three Spaniards and one Negro remaining." This translation also gives a graphic account of the nine years of exploring by Cabeza de Vaca and his companions before they reached Culiacan, and how they would pass tents which showed that civilized men had spent the previous night. Cabeza de Vaca said that, "Having positive traces of Christians and becoming satisfied they were very near, we gave thanks to God our Lord for redeeming us from our sad and gloomy condition * * * That night I entreated one of my companions to go after the Christians who were moving through that part of the country. * * * Seeing their reluctance in the morning, I took with me the Negro and eleven Indians, and, following the trail, went in search of the Christians."

He then tells how he and the Negro were the first to meet Diego de Alcaraza, who was an officer of Nueno de Guzman, and that he asked for a "certified statement of the year month, and day when he met them, also the condition in which he came." To which request this officer complied. Cabeza de Vaca then tells how that, afterward, he sent the Negro as guide with a party of horsemen and fifty Indians after Dorantes and Castillo, who were the remaining members of the party. He stated that "Five days afterward they joined him, returning in company with the Negro and those sent after them."

Cabeza de Vaca then decides that it will be well to give the names of those who after nine years of exploring should be fortunate in reaching the Pacific Coast and said, "And now that I have given an account of the ship, it may be well to record also who those are and where from, whom it pleased God to rescue from all those dangers and hardships. The first is: Alonzo de Castillo Maldonado, a native of Salamanca, a son of Dr. Castillo Maldonado, and Dona Alonza Maldonado. The second is Andrew Dorantes, son of Pablo Dorantes, born at Benjar, but a resident of Gilraleon. The third is Alvar Nuez Cabeza de Vaca, son of Frances de Vera and grandson of Pedro de Vera, who conquered the Canary Islands. His mother was called Dona Teresa Cabeza de Vaca and she was a native of Xerez de la Frontera. The fourth is Estevanico, an Arab Negro from Azamore on the Atlantic Coast of Morocco." The writer has quoted the four names to show that the Negro was in the original party when they started from Spain, and that he came from Azamore on the Atlantic Coast of Morocco.

Through this translation the reader is given the knowledge that the first two persons to reach the west coast of Mexico in an exploring overland expedition from Florida to the Pacific Coast were one Spaniard and a Negro, and that in five days afterward they were joined by two other Spaniards and a number of Indians.

In another translation by the same author of the "Report of Father Marco of Nissa and his expedition to Cibolia in which Estevanico, the Negro, acted as guide and perished,"