Becoming America - An Exploration of American Literature from Precolonial to Post-Revolution, 2018a

BECOMING AMERICA
PRE- AND EARLY COLONIAL LITERATURE
still be enabled to travel over a large territory. Hurrying on that day in great
dread lest the Indians should overtake us, we saw some smokes, and going in the
direction of them we arrived there after vespers, and found an Indian. He ran as
he discovered us coming, not being willing to wait for us. We sent the negro after
him, when he stopped, seeing him alone. The negro told him we were seeking
the people who made those res. He answered that their houses were near by,
and he would guide us to them. So we followed him. He ran to make known our
approach, and at sunset we saw the houses. Before our arrival, at the distance of
two cross-bow shots from them, we found four Indians, who waited for us and
received us well. We said in the language of the Mariames, that we were coming
to look for them. They were evidently pleased with our company, and took us to
their dwellings. Dorantes and the negro were lodged in the house of a physician,
Castillo and myself in that of another.
These people speak a dierent language, and are called Avavares. They are the
same that carried bows to those with whom we formerly lived, going to trac with
them, and although they are of a dierent nation and tongue, they understand
the other language. They arrived that day with their lodges, at the place where we
found them. The community directly brought us a great many prickly pears, having
heard of us before, of our cures, and of the wonders our Lord worked by us, which,
although there had been no others, were adequate to open ways for us through a
country poor like this, to aord us people where oftentimes there are none, and to
lead us through imminent dangers, not permitting us to be killed, sustaining us
under great want, and putting into those nations the heart of kindness, as we shall
relate hereafter.
Chapter XXI
OUR CURE OF SOME OF THE AFFLICTED.
That same night of our arrival, some Indians came to Castillo and told him that
they had great pain in the head, begging him to cure them. After he made over them
the sign of the cross, and commended them to God, they instantly said that all the
pain had left, and went to their houses bringing us prickly pears, with a piece of
venison, a thing to us little known. As the report of Castillo’s performances spread,
many came to us that night sick, that we should heal them, each bringing a piece
of venison, until the quantity became so great we knew not where to dispose of it.
We gave many thanks to God, for every day went on increasing his compassion
and his gifts. After the sick were attended to, they began to dance and sing, making
themselves festive, until sunrise; and because of our arrival, the rejoicing was
continued for three days.
When these were ended, we asked the Indians about the country farther on,
the people we should nd in it, and of the subsistence there. They answered us,
that throughout all the region prickly pear plants abounded; but the fruit was now
Page | 42