Naked and Starving on the Gulf Coast

…[ha]bian prometido, y nos trajeron mucho pescado y de unas raíces que ellos comen, y son como nueces, algunas mayores ó menores; la mayor parte de ellas se sacan de bajo del agua y con mucho trabajo. A la tarde volvieron, y nos trajeron mas pescado y de las mismas raíces, y hicieron venir sus mujeres y hijos para que nos viesen; y ansí, se volvieron ricos de cascabeles y cuentas que les dimos, y otros días nos tornaron á visitar con lo mismo que estotras veces.

…[they] had promised, and they brought us much fish and some roots that they eat, and they are like nuts, some bigger or smaller; most of them are taken from under the water and with much labor. In the evening they came back and brought us more fish and some of the same roots, and they had their women and children come to see us; and so they went back rich with bells and beads that we gave them, and on other days they came back to visit us with the same as those other times.

[The next morning the Indians came] as they had promised. They brought us a great deal of fish and some roots that they eat, which are like nuts, some bigger and some smaller. Most of them are dug from under the water, with great labor. In the evening they came back and brought us more fish and more of the same roots. They had their wives and children come to see us. So they went home rich with the little bells and beads we gave them.1 On other days they came back to visit us, bringing the same things as before.

1. Glass beads and small bells were the usual trade goods Spanish expeditions carried to give away.

Como nosotros víamos que estábamos proveídos de pescado y de raíces y de agua y de las otras cosas que pedimos, acordamos de tornarnos á embarcar y seguir nuestro camino, y desenterramos la barca de la arena en que estaba metida, y fué menester que nos desnudásemos todos y pasásemos gran trabajo para echarla al agua, porque nosotros estábamos tales, que otras cosas muy mas livianas bastaban para ponernos en él; y asi embarcados, á dos tiros de ballesta dentro en la mar nos dio tal golpe de agua, que nos mojó á todos; y como íbamos desnudos, y el frio que hacia era muy grande, soltamos los remos de las manos, y á otro golpe que la mar nos dió, trastornó la barca; el veedor y otros dos se asieron de ella para escaparse; mas suscedió muy al revés, que la barca los tomó debajo y se ahogaron.

As we saw that we were provided with fish and roots and water and the other things we asked for, we agreed to embark again and follow our way, and we dug the boat out of the sand in which it was buried, and it was necessary that we all strip and go through great labor to put it in the water, because we were such that other much lighter things were enough to put us in it [= in great labor]; and so embarked, two crossbow shots out to sea, such a blow of water struck us that it soaked us all; and as we were going naked, and the cold was very great, we let the oars go from our hands, and at another blow that the sea gave us, it overturned the boat; the veedor and two others held on to it to escape; but it happened quite the other way, for the boat took them under and they drowned.

We saw that we had been given fish and roots and water and the other things we asked for. So we decided to put to sea again and go on our way. We dug the boat out of the sand where it was buried. We all had to strip and work very hard to get it into the water. We were in such a state that much lighter tasks were enough to wear us out. Once we were aboard, two crossbow shots2 out to sea, such a wave struck us that it soaked us all. Since we were naked and the cold was very great, the oars fell from our hands. With the next wave the sea gave us, the boat turned over. The veedor3 and two others held on to it to save themselves. But it turned out the opposite way, for the boat dragged them under and they drowned.

2. A crossbow shot was a common Spanish measure of short distance, perhaps 200 to 300 yards.
3. Alonso Enríquez, the expedition’s veedor (royal inspector).

Como la costa es muy brava, el mar de un tumbo echó á todos los otros, envueltos en las olas y medio ahogados, en la costa de la misma isla, sin que faltasen mas de los tres que la barca había tomado debajo. Los que quedamos escapados, desnudos como nascimos, y perdido todo lo que traíamos; y aunque todo valia poco, para entonces valía mucho. Y como entonces era por noviembre, y el frío muy grande, y nosotros tales, que con poca dificultad nos podian contar los huesos, estábamos hechos propria figura de la muerte.

As the coast is very rough, the sea in one roll threw all the others, wrapped in the waves and half drowned, onto the coast of the same island, without more missing than the three the boat had taken under. Those of us who remained escaped, naked as we were born, and having lost everything we carried; and though it was all worth little, for then it was worth much. And as it was then about November, and the cold very great, and we such that with little difficulty they could count our bones, we were made the very figure of death.

The coast is very rough. With one roll the sea threw all the rest of us onto the shore of the same island, tangled in the waves and half drowned. No one was missing but the three the boat had dragged under. Those of us who escaped were as naked as the day we were born, and we had lost everything we had with us. All of it was worth little, but at that time it meant a great deal. It was November then, and the cold was bitter. We were so thin that our bones could be counted with no trouble, and we looked like the very image of death.

Plugo á nuestro Señor que, buscando los tizones del fuego que allí habíamos hecho, hallamos lumbre, con que hicimos grandes fuegos; y ansí, estuvimos pidiendo á nuestro Señor misericordia y perdon de nuestros pecados, derramando muchas lágrimas, habiendo cada uno lástima, no solo de sí, mas de todos los otros, que en el mismo estado vian. Y á hora de puesto el sol, los indios, creyendo que no nos habíamos ido, nos volvieron á buscar y á traernos de comer; mas, cuando ellos nos vieron ansí en tan diferente hábito del primero, y en manera tan extraña, espantáronse tanto, que se volvieron atrás. Yo salí á ellos y llamélos, y vinieron muy espantados; hícelos entender por señas cómo se nos habia hundido una barca, y se habían ahogado tres de nosotros; y allí en su presencia ellos mismos vieron dos muertos, y los que quedábamos íbamos aquel camino.

It pleased our Lord that, searching for the brands of the fire we had made there, we found fire, with which we made great fires; and so we were asking our Lord for mercy and pardon for our sins, shedding many tears, each one having pity not only on himself but on all the others, whom they saw in the same state. And at the hour of sunset the Indians, believing that we had not gone, came back to look for us and to bring us food; but when they saw us thus in such a different condition from the first, and in so strange a manner, they were so frightened that they turned back. I went out to them and called them, and they came very frightened; I made them understand by signs how a boat had sunk on us and three of us had drowned; and there in their presence they themselves saw two dead, and those of us who remained were going that way.

It pleased our Lord that, as we searched among the embers of the fire we had made there, we found some live coals. With them we built big fires. And so we prayed to our Lord for mercy and the forgiveness of our sins, weeping many tears. Each of us felt pity not only for himself but for all the others, whom he saw in the same state. At sunset the Indians, thinking we had not left, came back to look for us and to bring us food. But when they saw us in such a different state from before, and so strange to look at, they were so frightened that they drew back. I went out to them and called them, and they came, very frightened. I made them understand by signs that one of our boats had sunk and three of us had drowned. There in front of them they saw two of our dead themselves, and the rest of us were going the same way.

Los indios, de ver el desastre que nos había venido y el desastre en que estábamos, con tanta desventura y miseria, se sentaron entre nosotros, y con el gran dolor y lástima que hobieron de vernos en tanta fortuna, comenzaron todos á llorar recio, y tan de verdad, que léjos de allí se podía oir, y esto les duró mas de media hora; y cierto ver que estos hombres tan sin razón y tan crudos, á manera de brutos, se dolian tanto de nosotros, hizo que en mí y en otros de la compañía cresciese mas la pasión y la consideración de nuestra desdicha.

The Indians, from seeing the disaster that had come upon us and the disaster in which we were, with so much misfortune and misery, sat down among us, and with the great grief and pity they had at seeing us in such a [mis]fortune, they all began to weep loudly, and so truly that it could be heard far from there, and this lasted them more than half an hour; and certainly to see that these men, so without reason and so crude, in the manner of brutes, grieved so much for us, made the suffering and the thought of our misfortune grow more in me and in others of the company.

When the Indians saw the disaster that had come upon us, and the disaster we were in, with so much misfortune and misery, they sat down among us. They felt such great sorrow and pity at seeing us in that state that they all began to weep loudly, and so sincerely that they could be heard far away. This went on for more than half an hour. These men seemed to us so lacking in reason and so rough, like brutes. Truly, to see them grieve so much for us made my anguish, and that of others in our company, grow all the greater, and we felt our misfortune all the more.

Sosegado ya este llanto, yo pregunté á los cristianos, y dije que, si á ellos parescia, rogaría á aquellos indios que nos llevasen á sus casas; y algunos de ellos que habían estado en la Nueva-España respondieron que no se debía hablar en ello, porque si á sus casas nos llevaban, nos sacrificarian á sus ídolos; mas, visto que otro remedio no había, y que por cualquier otro camino estaba mas cerca y mas cierta la muerte, no curé de lo que decían, antes rogué á los indios que nos llevasen á sus casas, y ellos mostraron que habían gran placer de ello, y que esperásemos un poco, que ellos harían lo que queríamos;

This weeping having now calmed, I asked the Christians, and said that, if it seemed [good] to them, I would ask those Indians to take us to their houses; and some of them who had been in New Spain answered that one should not speak of it, because if they took us to their houses, they would sacrifice us to their idols; but, seeing that there was no other remedy, and that by any other way death was nearer and more certain, I did not heed what they said, but rather asked the Indians to take us to their houses, and they showed that they had great pleasure in it, and that we should wait a little, for they would do what we wanted;

When the weeping had died down, I asked the Christians whether they agreed that I should ask these Indians to take us to their houses. Some of them had been in New Spain.4 They answered that we should not even speak of it, because if the Indians took us to their houses, they would sacrifice us to their idols. But since there was no other way out, and any other path led to a nearer and surer death, I paid no attention to what they said. Instead I asked the Indians to take us to their houses. They showed that they were very glad to do it, and told us to wait a little, and they would do what we wished.

4. New Spain, the Spanish name for Mexico. Some of the men had served there and had heard of, or seen, the human sacrifices of the Mexica.

y luego treinta de ellos se cargaron de leña, y se fueron á sus casas, que estaban lejos de allí, y quedamos con los otros hasta cerca de la noche, que nos tomaron, y llevándonos asidos y con mucha priesa, fuimos á sus casas; y por el gran frío que hacia, y temiendo que en el camino alguno no muriese ó desmayase, proveyeron que hobiese cuatro ó cinco fuegos muy grandes puestos á trechos, y en cada uno de ellos nos escalentaban; y desque vían que habíamos tomado alguna fuerza y calor, nos llevaban hasta el otro tan apriesa, que casi los piés no nos dejaban poner en el suelo, y de esta manera fuimos hasta sus casas, donde hallamos que tenían hecha una casa para nosotros, y muchos fuegos en ella;

and then thirty of them loaded themselves with firewood and went to their houses, which were far from there, and we stayed with the others until near nightfall, when they took us, and carrying us held [up] and in great haste, we went to their houses; and because of the great cold, and fearing that on the way someone might die or faint, they provided that there should be four or five very large fires set at intervals, and at each of them they warmed us; and when they saw we had taken some strength and warmth, they carried us to the next one so fast that they almost did not let us put our feet on the ground; and in this way we went to their houses, where we found they had made a house for us, and many fires in it;

Then thirty of them loaded themselves with firewood and went off to their houses, which were far from there. We stayed with the others until nearly nightfall, when they took hold of us and hurried us along to their houses. The cold was bitter, and they feared that someone might die or faint on the way. So they had four or five very large fires built at intervals along the path, and at each one they warmed us. As soon as they saw that we had gained a little strength and warmth, they rushed us on to the next one. They went so fast that our feet hardly touched the ground. In this way we reached their houses, where we found they had built a house for us, with many fires in it.

y desde á un hora que habíamos llegado, comenzaron á bailar y hacer grande fiesta (que duró toda la noche), aunque para nosotros no habia placer, fiesta ni sueño, esperando cuando nos habían de sacrificar; y la mañana nos tornaron á dar pescado y raíces, y hacer tan buen tratamiento, que nos aseguramos algo, y perdimos algo el miedo del sacrificio.

and from an hour after we had arrived, they began to dance and make a great celebration (which lasted all night), though for us there was no pleasure, celebration or sleep, waiting for when they were to sacrifice us; and in the morning they again gave us fish and roots, and treated us so well that we were somewhat reassured, and lost somewhat the fear of the sacrifice.

About an hour after we arrived, they began to dance and hold a great celebration, which lasted all night. For us, though, there was no pleasure, no celebration, and no sleep, as we waited for the moment they would sacrifice us. In the morning they gave us fish and roots again and treated us so well that we felt a little safer and lost some of our fear of being sacrificed.