Cabeza de Vaca's Adventures in the Unknown Interior of America

Cabeza went through a transformation in the book, and learned to appreciate the customs of the Indians, but he also took advantage of them. We gave them beads and bells, and each one of them gave an arrow in pledge of friendship" (Pg: 56). Upon sight of the village, the Governor (Narváez) ordered Cabeza accompanied by nine cavalry and fifty infantry to invade the village. Narváez and his men learned of the Indian village Appalachen and used the captured Indians to guide them to this village. Through his travels Cabeza de Vaca learned much about the land and was able to become the first person with an account of what North America was like when it was still pure and untouched. Did these explorers merely wish to investigate this new land and uncover its vast and unknown mysteries, or did they simply want to exploit its inhabitants and greedily gather up as many riches as one could find? They started off as conquerors and ended up thankful survivors. Cabeza goes on to describe their experiences while traveling through the land.

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As time went on, the Spaniards went through many hardships, and their numbers dwindled significantly. With this new approach towards the Indians it worked in their advantage. Cabeza and the other men learned many of the natives' cultural practices and their overall way of life. Many months passed before Cabeza heard any news of the other Spaniards.

Cabeza de Vaca and the other Spaniards set off on a voyage to conquer the region north of the Gulf of Mexico, but ended up exploring and discovering things they never would have dreamed of. This is the first example on how they were not merely exploring for the sake of acquiring knowledge, but rather to conquer and control. Realizing they should make the best of the situation, the Spaniards began to peacefully deal with the Indians instead of invading villages.