LORE: Cannibalism
In De Vaca’s account, the famous explorer
paints a grim picture of the fate that befell five
of his Spanish comrades. This was after “...the
weather became so cold and tempestuous that
the Indians could no longer pull roots..”, and
they were all situated on the Isle of Ill Fate or
Galveston Island.
“...and five Christians, quartered on the coast, were driven
to such an extremity that they ate each other up until but one
remained, who being left alone, there was nobody to eat him.
Their names are: Sierra, Diego, Lopez, Corral, Palacios and
Gonzalo Ruiz. At this the Indians were so startled, and there
was such an uproar among them, that I verily believe if they
had seen this at the beginning they would have killed them,
and we all would have been in great danger.”
From: “The Journey of Alvar Nuñez Cabeza De Vaca”
This is the only act of cannibalism that De Vaca reported in
his journey, and it was certainly not condoned by the natives
of Galveston Island or Isle of Ill Fate, as De Vaca had labelled
it.
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