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Alonso de Solís

The royal inspector (veedor) and factor of the Narváez expedition, drowned off Malhado in November 1528 when his barge overturned.

Naked and Starving on the Gulf Coast

Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, The Account (Zamora, 1542), chapter 12, on the Isle of Misfortune, November 1528 · printed 1542 (events of November 1528)

12.2

Como nosotros víamos que estábamos proveídos de pescado y de raíces y de agua y de las otras cosas que pedimos, acordamos de tornarnos á embarcar y seguir nuestro camino, y desenterramos la barca de la arena en que estaba metida, y fué menester que nos desnudásemos todos y pasásemos gran trabajo para echarla al agua, porque nosotros estábamos tales, que otras cosas muy mas livianas bastaban para ponernos en él; y asi embarcados, á dos tiros de ballesta dentro en la mar nos dio tal golpe de agua, que nos mojó á todos; y como íbamos desnudos, y el frio que hacia era muy grande, soltamos los remos de las manos, y á otro golpe que la mar nos dió, trastornó la barca; el veedor y otros dos se asieron de ella para escaparse; mas suscedió muy al revés, que la barca los tomó debajo y se ahogaron.

We saw that we had been given fish and roots and water and the other things we asked for. So we decided to put to sea again and go on our way. We dug the boat out of the sand where it was buried. We all had to strip and work very hard to get it into the water. We were in such a state that much lighter tasks were enough to wear us out. Once we were aboard, two crossbow shots out to sea, such a wave struck us that it soaked us all. Since we were naked and the cold was very great, the oars fell from our hands. With the next wave the sea gave us, the boat turned over. The veedor and two others held on to it to save themselves. But it turned out the opposite way, for the boat dragged them under and they drowned.