nder water.--E.]

Cabeza de Vaca continued in this mode of life to the year 1535, always
well entertained, and always travelling towards the south west to gain
ground in hopes of regaining his liberty by getting out of the country
into Mexico[138]. Though naked and alone, and enduring much hunger and
cold, he enjoyed his liberty, and remained six years in that part of the
country, always in hopes of being able to bring away his two remaining
countrymen, Oviedo and Alanis, who had tarried in the island of
Mal-hado. At length Alanis died, and he set off along with Oviedo.
Coming to a creek near a mile in breadth, supposed by them to be that
called _Del Espiritu Santo_[139], they were informed by some Indians
that they would find three men like themselves farther on, whose names
they told. They also said that the Indians had slain Orantes,
Valdivieso, Huelva, Esquibel, and Mendez[140]; but that the three who
still lived were very ill used, especially by the boys, who kicked,
beat, and abused them for their amusement. At this time the Indians
treated Cabeza and Oviedo very ill, so that Oviedo went back along with
some of the natives, but Cabeza stayed and they two never met more.

[Footnote 138: Herrera, V. 92.]

[Footnote 139: It is quite impossible to form any reasonable conjecture
as to the situation of this creek, which could not be the bay of
Espiritu Santo in East Florida; nor that of the same name nearly
opposite in West Florida at the mouth of the Missisippi.--E.]

[Footnote 140: There is considerable difficulty to understand the
translation here, as Mr Stevens does not seem to have understood his
original. Orantes appears in the sequel to have been still alive; but we
must take the translation as it is, not having the original to
consult.--E.]

Two days after the departure of Oviedo, the Indians with whom Orantes
resided came to the banks of this creek to eat nuts, on which they fed
two months of the year. Orantes went to visit Cabeza who had been hidden
by some Indians who favoured him, and it was a great satisfaction to
these friends to meet, though in great trouble as being naked and
miserable in a land of savages. They agreed to endeavour to proceed to
the south-west, but to remain with the Indians till the nuts were
consumed, and then to remove along with them to another place where they
fed upon _tunas;_ because if they should attempt to escape the Indians
would kill them.

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