Chronicle of the Narvaez Expedition

Scholars believe that the Spanish items discovered by members of the Narváez expedition in Chapter 4 most likely had been left behind by Ponce de León. This sheds light on how little information was shared between expeditions: Narváez seemed to know little about where Ponce de León had been, as the production and reproduction of written materials was limited. Ponce de León himself left little information about his journey besides his ship’s logs. Although Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas did write an account if Ponce de León’s voyages based on those logs in 1601, Narváez seemingly did not have access to the logs. Still, it’s not clear whether the logs would have given Narváez a better sense of the coastal layout of Florida—historians continue to debate the exact locations of Ponce de León’s landings, debates which attest to the vagueness of the historical record.

Cabeza de Vaca often refers to Narváez as governor. Narváez was named adelantado (governor) of La Florida by Charles V of Spain. Legally, the position of governor gave Narváez not only complete command over the expedition (answerable only to the king), but also over any settlements established in the area, and over the Indigenous population. Of course, the sentiments of Indigenous peoples were never considered.

Chapter 4 provides an example of the importance the conquistadores placed on personal honor. Cabeza de Vaca is adamant about his objections to separating the army from the ships, arguing that the army was too poorly provisioned to march into unknown territory, as living off the land, when one does not know what the land provides, is risky. Furthermore, the difficulties the expedition experienced in Santo Domingo and Cuba illustrated the danger of the elements, highlighting the need for any inland excursion to remain in close contact with the ships—the only possibility for escape or provisions. History proved Cabeza de Vaca’s trepidations correct. However, despite the danger, Cabeza de Vaca feared losing face, opting to travel inland with Narváez even if it cost him his life.

We must read Cabeza de Vaca with some skepticism. As previously mentioned, Cabeza de Vaca was seeking political favor. He had already been the governor of the Río de la Plate region (modern Paraguay and Argentina), but was arrested in 1544 for poor administration, though the extent of his mismanagement is unclear. Regardless of the validity of the accusations, he strenuously fought against the tarnishing of his reputation as a governor; this chronicle was partially written in self-defense, the first edition composed in 1542, during his governorship in Paraguay, and later revised in 1555. This political background may explain the possibly exaggerated admonitions to Narváez not to separate the army from the ships. By saying that he had steadfastly advised against the decision that ultimately led to failure, he provides an argument in favor of his perceptive leadership abilities, lending credence to the argument that his political enemies had simply fabricated the accusations against him.

A recurring theme that emerges in the chronicle is that whenever Europeans and Indigenous people encounter one another, the Europeans are never sure how the Indigenous people will receive them. The chief of the Timucua greets the Spaniards warmly and quickly becomes an ally, while the Apalachee attack them. Possibly, the Apalachee knew that their enemies were leading the Europeans; perhaps they would have met the Europeans amicably had they not been in the presence of the Timucuans. It’s interesting to note that what the Timucuans did to the Apalachee—making peace with the Spanish and sending them on to another, purportedly richer group—is exactly what the Apalachee did to the Aute.

When the expedition arrives in Aute (possibly a subgroup of the Apalachee), the Aute have abandoned their village and burnt everything, a tactic known in military parlance as scorched earth, an effective tactic designed to deny an invading army the chance to supply itself. This tactic displays the Aute’s organizational abilities, because evacuees would have needed a place to flee to while burning their homes and food stores.