"A Journey Through Texas"

     In "A Journey Through Texas", Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca is a Spaniard who goes to the Americas in the 1540s in search of some new information and discoveries for the Eastern World. In this narrative, he tells of his adventures and journeys around the area in what is today's Texas. He comes across a few groups of Indians, among them being very helpful ones, as well as more aggressive ones. With the guidance of the helpful Indians, him and his crew embark on a journey of explorations and great, new findings. A very important thing they learned from the Indians was how to grow crops like maize (corn).
     Through learning about the Indian's culture and customs, he also tries to influence them by preaching to them about Christianity. He does this mainly because he wants to get the King and Queen back home to see the great role he is playing in the New World. When they realize that he is promoting their beliefs and views, and showing power among the Indians, they will fund him with new ships and equipment so that he can go again. This was very important for Cabeza de Vaca and his crew, because they wanted to explore new lands, and with the aid of the King and Queen, they were guaranteed great successes in the future. This narrative shows how the people of that time were not only after gold, contrary to the belief. They did believe in advancements by the process of gaining new knowledge, and they were very passionate about coming back to the Old World with new ideas, thoughts, perspectives, and stories to tell about their adventures and the people they met on the way.