em with singular humanity, giving praise to God for having delivered
them out of their tedious and miserable captivity, and requested them to
use their endeavours to appease the Indians of that part of the country,
who were in arms against the Spaniards. This they most readily
undertook, and sent messages by some of the Indians to the neighbouring
caciques, three of whom came to Culiacan attended by thirty Indians,
bringing presents of feathers and emeralds. In conversation with these
Indians about their religious belief, they said they believed in a being
named _Aguar_, the lord of all things, who resided in heaven and sent
them rain when they prayed to him for it; such being the tradition they
had learnt from their fathers. Cabeza told them that _Aguar_ was GOD the
Creator of heaven and earth, who disposed all things according to his
holy will, and who, after this life, rewarded the good and punished the
wicked. He exhorted them therefore to believe henceforwards in this only
true God, to return to their houses and live in peace, to build a house
for the worship of God after the manner of the Christians, and when any
Spaniards came to visit them, that they should meet them with crosses in
their hands, and not with bows and arrows; promising, if they did this,
that the Spaniards would be their good friends and would teach them
every thing they ought to know, that God might make them happy in the
next life. All this the Indians engaged to perform. Cabeza de Vaca and
his companions went on from Culiacan for San Miguel[143], attended by a
few Indians, the natives by the way coming out to meet them in great
numbers with presents, whom they exhorted to become Christians as they
were now subjects to the king of Spain. They all received these advices
in the most friendly manner, requesting to have their children baptized.
While on the road they were overtaken by Alcaraz, by whom they were
informed that all the deserted country through which they had lately
travelled was again well peopled and in peace, and that the Indians were
all occupied in sowing their lands.

[Footnote 143: San Miguel is not to be found in the most recent map of
New Spain by M. de Humboldt; that name may possibly have been given to
the city of Mazatlan, in lat. 23 deg. 15' N. on the coast of Cinaloa.--E.]

Cabeza de Vaca and his companions judged that the extent of country
through which they had travelled, from Florida on the Atlantic to San
Miguel on th