I asked you when you left...
Here's the Extra Credit:
Read the Story of
Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca
Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca was not supposed to be someone special. He was the doctor and navigator on a ship carrying gold to Mexico City from Spain. It wasn't the job he wanted to have, but he was doing it for the money. Unfortunately, Cabeza de Vaca's boat arrived in the Florida Keys around the same time that Hurricane Season was starting up. Their boat sank and took with it a large number of the crew members.
About half of the crew made it to a small island. Of those survivors, half decided to wait on the island for rescue. The other half, including Cabeza de Vaca, decided to try to "float" to the mainland and walk back to Mexico. They got on rafts they made from the wreckage of their ship and left the island and floated right into the middle of another hurricane.
Less than 15 survivors made it to Florida. The native tribes of Florida (the Seminole) were not friendly towards the 15 Spaniards and attacked them and killed all but 5 who managed to escape into the swamp. Alvar was one of those 5 survivors.
He walked for years, with many native tribes who were a lot friendlier than the Seminole walking with them. His skill as a Doctor had many of the natives convinced he was a God and when he was asked if he WAS a God, he said "yes." Anything to get the natives to help him get home.
About half of the crew made it to a small island. Of those survivors, half decided to wait on the island for rescue. The other half, including Cabeza de Vaca, decided to try to "float" to the mainland and walk back to Mexico. They got on rafts they made from the wreckage of their ship and left the island and floated right into the middle of another hurricane.
Less than 15 survivors made it to Florida. The native tribes of Florida (the Seminole) were not friendly towards the 15 Spaniards and attacked them and killed all but 5 who managed to escape into the swamp. Alvar was one of those 5 survivors.
He walked for years, with many native tribes who were a lot friendlier than the Seminole walking with them. His skill as a Doctor had many of the natives convinced he was a God and when he was asked if he WAS a God, he said "yes." Anything to get the natives to help him get home.
From Alvar's Journal: |
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