Leading facts of New Mexican history, volume 1

Page 91

909 LEADING FACTS OF NEW MEXICAN HISTORY and the Spaniards were received with demonstrations of the greatest kindness and were honored by being taken to the lodges of the two native medicine men. These Indians were the Avavares. The Indians knew of the healing powers of the Spaniards. Castillo seems to have been a wonderful healer. One night an Indian came to him saying that he had a great pain in his head and requested him to cure it. Castillo made the sign of the cross and commended the Indian to God, whereupon he announced that the pain had left him. The Indians now brought them venison and the best food that the country afforded. ‘The Spaniards resumed their practice of healing the sick, and each one treated by them speedily or immediately recovered. They made inquiries as to the character of the country beyond them, and when they found out it was uninhabited they concluded to remain with the Indians during the winter. Shortly after their arrival, the Avavares set out in search of food and in a journey of five days they arrived at a river, but found no pears. In wandering over the country Cabeza de Vaca became separated from his companions and was lost for five days. During this time he was entirely without food. On the evening of the fifth day he reached the bank of the river where he found the Indians encamped, all of whom were rejoiced at his return, as they had given him up for dead. Shortly after the return of Cabeza de Vaca some Indians brought five sick persons to the camp and insisted that Castillo cure them of their ills, offering him bows and arrows. CASTILLO CURES THE SICK At sunset he pronounced a blessing over AND PERFORMS MIRACLES _ the sick and all the Christians joined in prayer to God, asking Him to restore them to health, and on the following morning there was not a sick person among them. These and other acts established the reputations of the Spaniards as healers, and the Spaniards themselves were impressed with the belief that the blessings of God were resting upon them, and that they would in due season make their escape. In their wanderings they met with a number of tribes of Indians, the Cuthalchuches, Malicones, Coayos, Susolas, and the Atayos.” 89 Hodge, 76-77: F. W., Spanish Explorers in the Southern United States, note, Pp‘These were possibly the Adai, or Adaize, although their country was THE FIRST SPANISH EXPLORERS 91 Among these Avavares the Spaniards remained eight months, going naked during the day and covering themselves with deer-skins at night. Alvar Nufiez Cabeza de Vaca himself proved an adept in the scientific art of healing. One day Castillo was summoned by some of the Susolas Indians to go to their lodges and CABEZA DE VACA cure the sick, one of whom was at death’s door. RAISES THE DEAD Castillo was somewhat timid and declined to go, when Cabeza de Vaca and the negro, Estevan, went in his stead. Arriving at the lodges of the Indians he ‘‘perceived that the sick man was dead. Many persons were around him weeping, and his house was prostrate, the sign that the one who dwelt in it is no more.” His eyes were rolled up, and the pulse gone, he having all the appearance of death.’’ Cabeza de Vaca removed the mat that covered him, breathed upon him, and supplicated the Lord to restore him to health. According to the Indians who came to their camp the next day he was restored to life for they said “‘he who had been dead, and for whom I wrought before them, had got up whole and walked, had eaten and spoken with them, and that all to whom I had ministered were well and much pleased. ’’1 During the time when the Spaniards were effecting these mar- velous cures they heard the story of a great physician who had been in that country years before.° in northeastern Texas, about Red river and the Sabine; nevertheless they may have wandered very far during the prickly pear season. There is evidence that in 1792, fourteen families of the Adai migrated to a region south of San Antonio de Bejar, where they were merged with the tribes living thereabo ut. The main body although greatly reduced, did not leave their old home until the neteenth century, when the remnant, who had been missionized, were incorporated with their kindred, the Caddo.’’ _ It is a custom among the Navajés at the present time for all the possessions of a member of that tribe to be destroyed at the time of his death. : 1 Lhe Journey of Alvar Nufez Cabeza de Vaca (Bandelier trans.): ‘‘ Until then Dorantes SO pressed and by the the negro had Indians coming not made any cures, but we found ourselves from all sides, that all of us had to become Medicine-men . . . and they had such confidence in our skill as to believe that none of them would die as long as we were among them.’’ 6 . Lhe Journey of Nuftez Cabeza de Vaca (Bandelier trans.): Said there wandered Alwar then about the country a man, whom they called na ‘Bad thing’ of small stature and with a beard, although they never could see his features clearly, and whenever he would approach their dwellings their hair In the doorway of the lodge here would then appear a firebrand. That man thereupon came in and took hold of anyone he chose, and with a sharp knife of flint, as broad as a hand and Would stand on end and they began to tremble.