132: Their wandering had probably been in the country of the
Creeks, in the western parts of Georgia, and the two rivers they crossed
may have been the Catahehe and Mobile; but we have no indications from
which to form any conjecture as to the part of the coast on which they
built their ill-fated barks.--E.]

They embarked on the 22d of September, after having eaten all their
horses, and having lost above forty of their men from sickness, besides
several who were slain by the Indians. Their barks were hardly able to
carry them, and they had no sailors among them to direct their perilous
navigation. After five days painful progress among intricate
creeks[133], they came at last to an island, where they found five
canoes abandoned by the Indians, and on going into a house they found
some dried skates which were a very acceptable though scanty relief to
their necessities. Proceeding onwards with the help of these canoes,
they suffered extremely for want of water, during which five of them
died in consequence of drinking sea-water too freely. Owing to this
necessity they were again obliged to land on the continent, where they
found water and fish ready dressed in some Indian houses. At night these
people attacked them, and the cacique of Apalache whom they had hitherto
kept along with them made his escape, leaving a mantle of sables behind
him so strongly scented with ambergris that it could be smelt from a
considerable distance. Obliged to reimbark, and the weather proving
stormy, the barks were all dispersed, and none of them ever more heard
of except that in which Cabeza de Vaca was, which was thrown ashore.
Panfilo de Narvaez and most of his men were assuredly lost in the storm,
or destroyed by the Indians on shore; though there was a foolish report
long current that he had penetrated to the South Sea.

[Footnote 133: These intricacies may possibly have been between Mobile
Bay, and the western bay of Spiritu Santo at the mouths of the
Mississippi.--E.]

* * * * *

SECTION III.

_Adventures and wonderful escape of Cabeza de Vaca, after the loss of
Narvaez._

When cast on shore, as mentioned at the close of the former section,
Cabeza de Vaca and the people along with him were relieved by the
Indians; and on endeavouring again to put to sea, the bark was overset,
three of the Spaniards were drowned, and Cabeza and a few more got again
on shore, naked and without arms. On seeing th