The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-02-06

Of Alysr Nuaez
Cabeza De vscs.
IAyGH STORY OF ADVENTURE.
Non who Travelled Through an
l.xu,ored ReGion, sn6crlhg
Many rrivations.

"a OF recent years the attention
abie writer's has been turned to
wrtten history OF this great State.
,mch valuable information Is beink
n TO light.
Z, me most valuable agencies for
,rnose OF stimulating historical re-
u" mis- State is the Texas State His-
'association, organized at Austin
year ago, 1t Is using every method
- 10 encourage investigation OF the
h,siory of the State anu TO promote
,crest az Texas citizens In this line
AZ The University of Texas is
connected with this movement, and
dents are helping TO gather bits OF
that are certainly worth preserv-
~ last issue Of the Quarterly Of the
State Historical association a paper
i brownie Ponton and Bates H. Nc
two students OF the State Uni
tolls of the many adventures of
Nnnez Cabeza de Vaca. the first
man to enter Texas. and gives a
description of his route in crossing
into Mexico This article is wor-
q permanent place in the historical
ure OF the Southwest and contains
strong points. Part OF it is given
side of the Arabian Nights and the
., fairy tales and fiction. there Is
e no stranger story Of adventure
that OF Cabeza de Vaca's ten years
rings in Texas and Mexico.
first that we hear OF this interest
,aniard is in 1927, when he was made
treasurer OF an expedition under
hilo de Narvaez. bound for the gulf
Of the New World. "Notwith-
ing, says Buckingham Smith, the
Jealous devotion Of scholars. and the
ass delvings of anucuaries, the place
beriod. both of his birth and decease.
eyaded their research"
as he was man in 1877, his boy
youth and early manhood must have
spent in one OF the most wonderful
a of time-tte age in which the Old
found the New-the age In which
YARN Southern blood of Italy, Spain
france, as we'll as the cold Northern
Of England, was being intoxicated
the love of adventure. with the
or untold wealth Every explorer
rcd that in this new land lay mis-
a. his palace of Montezuma. waiting
lin its CorteI.
of the many expeditions bearing the
sh flag was that of de Na:vaez. Witn
as we have said went Cabeza de
as treasurer. The tract which had
granted to Naryaez stretched IRON
outbern part Of Florida to the Rio de
3almas, which has oeen Identified WIN
kio Grande. As was usual, the eSpe-
first stopped in Cuba. Whiie wall
ere two vessels were sunk py TER
storm and sixty men were lost. ler :,
Inv this. Narvaez waited Eere until
following spring, when. pilot having
found, he sailed for his grant. When
few DAYS out, strong westerly
arose. and, beaten out Of their track.
b,ps we're driven off the coast OF t!or-
The pilot assured the Spaniards tney
near the Rio de las Palmas. NaTvaez
strongly advised to the contrary py
la. divided his men into two parties.
a sail the vessels along the coast. the
to make an inland expedition. OF
he himself was to be the leader.
two parties, he said, would unite at
good harbor. and taking with MIN
three hundreD men. with whom was
IA he started inland. Let me an
HE here, aud say that after a year
hess searching, those aboard tne VS.
returned to the islands. bearips lne
news that Narvaez and his m had
jhed on che mainlald. ,.
hat in truth was the fate OF inns iucn
expedition" Necessarily unable ~
but a few days provisions. they soop
b to suffer from hunger. True ines
d Indian villages, but IN them tnere
very little food and no treasure p'
on. the Indiarts sata. in the 'liihSe vi
hlache, there are treasures anu W.
K things that white men desire; WY
|worn. they pushed on. lwluc M
In proved a bitter disappointment NO
kure was found. and the Indians were
Icherous and hostile. However, they
led here several months. living cnieliy
haze. The Indians here told them 81
lher village, Aute, nine or ten GAZE
b Of there on the seacoast. Towafi .h's
u they directed their course t
hey reached Aute in T.. last stages "
|air. after fighting their way th.otsn
mps and forests, frequently IN w,ltst
came above the knees. The .nd,nns
hostile; there was little to eat. Weah
emaciated from hunger and travel
|pered by the sick and dying, threaten'a
mutiny, the outlook was dre1ry. not
ay hopeless. To march inlaud vas u
'ch to certain death; on the sea ihS
one chance for life.
rom strange land they sailed cat Oh
nge waters.
OF daring to trust themselves ,fr Out
sea, and In the vain hope VI fihdihe
G Spanish settlement, they kert close
ne shore. For thirty lays or ,io.s, they
ed along in this manner. Then tht
pr bags rotted. and many Of them, de-
us with thirst. drank the briny water
y sea and died in agony. While q like
u ;e mel inevitable to all, they came 10
indian village. where was .ood ara
~ After day ana nights stay, during
~ they were attacked by the Indians.
re-embarkei ard called Gil. In thif
Ter they continued for many days. suf-
" all that men can suffer from want
col ana water.
length they came to a broad river, AT
mouth OF which We're many little Vs.
s-a II Err which. Tor several reasons
Nprosed 10 have bee, he Mississippi.
current being too strong to allow them
md. they were borne out to ssa. and In
darkness. separated IRON each ether.
captains boat finally reached Land
Two others. one or which WAS Caheza's
,ed out to sea. for the .,en were too
70 row. For several days these two
stayed together. but O storm arose
they. too. drifted apart.
Z eza's beat was finally cast ashore o.:
stand. which. for reasons to be given
=, we believe 10 have anen Galveston
~. The Spaniards named II MaihaIo
ming III luck" The indians came
= 70 the shore, gave them fish and roots
lreated them kindly. In nm endesvof
1uhcn the boat en- the following day IL
capsizei and borne on. N sea. They
nov entirely At the mercy of the In
= These. however. were kindly tl,s