George Goethals once said, "Faith in the ability of a leader is of slight service unless it be united with faith in his justice." Both Cabeza de Vaca's men and the Pilgrims had confidence in their leaders, and they managed to survive. Both groups encountered Indians for the first time, and both had the same reaction. The authors of La Relacion and Of Plymought Plantation each describe their first encounters with Indians in unique and different ways. By examining the similarities and differences of the two accounts, the reader is able to see a parallel relatioship between what society believes "first encounters" should be and what they actually are.
In La Relacion, Cabeza de Vaca and his men set sail to explore the seas and landed on the Americas. When they encountered the inhabitants of the land, fear immediately flooded their minds. De Vaca says, "Half an hour later a hundred bowmen reinforced the first three individuals they were like giants to us in our fright; we could not hope to defend ourselves-(p.74); de Vaca ordered one of his men to search the lands and three Indians followed him back to the camp. When the horde of Indians came to claim their men, Cabeza de Vaca thought that they were going to slaughter him and his men; half of his men could not even stand up. What was going through De Vaca's mind was probably the same as one who is about to get attacked by a neighborhood gang. The experience would be life threatening, and if one does survive such a grisly assault, it would surely scar them for life. Another similar case is in Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation. The Puritans left their homeland to excape religious persecution. When they arrive in America they also encounter Indians. For example, Bradford says, "The cry of the Indians was dreadful, especially when they saw the English run out to the rendezvous toward the shallop to recover their arms-(p.85); the Pilgrims were attacked early in the morning, and they awoke only because on man ran by screaming, "Men, Indians! Indians!" The Pilgrims, like de Vaca and his men, feared for their lives.
