The Conquest of the River Plate (1535-1555)

What it is

This book, published in 1891, brings together English translations of two 16th-century accounts: the voyage of Ulrich Schmidt to the Río de la Plata and Paraguay, and the commentaries of Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca. It was translated and edited by Luis L. Domínguez for the Hakluyt Society from the original German and Spanish editions.

Why it matters

These accounts describe the Spanish conquest of the River Plate region in which Juan de Garay later took part. They were written by people who traveled through the same region during the conquest period, offering context for the world Garay operated in, even though the book does not focus on him directly.

Look closer

• Why do you think these accounts were translated into English centuries later?
• How might eyewitness accounts like these differ from later histories?
• What does this source tell you about the wider conquest Garay was part of, rather than about Garay himself?