The Journey of Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca and His Companions From Florida to the Pacific, 1528-1536 Page: 90 of 253

THE JOURNEY OF
of them died, there was great starvation in
most of the lodges, due to their customs and
ceremonials, as well as to the weather,
which was so rough that such as could go
out after food brought in but very little,
withal working hard for it. Therefore the
Indians by whom I was kept forsook the
island and in several canoes went over to
the mainland to some bays where there
were a great many oysters and during three
months of the year they do not eat anything
else and drink very bad water. There is lack
of firewood, but great abundance of mos-
quitoes. Their lodges ape made of matting
and built on oyster shells, upon which they
sleep in hides, which they only get by
chance. There we remained to the end of
April, when we went to the seashore, where
we ate blackberries for a whole month, dur-
ing which time they danced and celebrated
incessantly.
O \ N the island I have spoken of they
wanted to make medicine men of
us without any examination or ask-
ing for our diplomas, because they cure dis-
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