SOURCE: “Some Observations on the Style and Language of Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca,” in Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca: The Forgotten Chronicler, Ediciones Universal, 1975, pp. 125-27.

In the following excerpt, Fernández praises the narrative quality and rich detail of the Relación, which he maintains amply compensate for the author's poor organization and lack of literary sophistication.

The “relacion” as Narrative

As one of the earliest records of Spanish penetration into the North American continent, the Relación of Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca has a certain literary value regardless of its style and form. This will be demosntrated below.

The Relación is not an example of stylistic perfection like the Florida of Garcilaso the Inca. The author of the Relación had a wealth of material and could have spun a fantastic tale, but it was not his intention to do...