The Moor's Account

In the Prologue, Mustafa announces his intention to record the “true account” (3) of his life and his part in the ill-fated Narváez expedition. His goal is to “correct details of the history that was compiled by my companions” (3). He explains that they “were led to omit certain events while exaggerating others, and to suppress some details while inventing others” (3).

After a long journey across the ocean, Mustafa and Dorantes disembark. Mustafa describes his master as a man who is eager “to claim the treasures of the new world” (6). At the command of Governor Narváez, the leader of the expedition, the men begin exploring La Florida.

When the men come upon a deserted village, they plunder the food left behind by the native inhabitants. This unsettles Mustafa, who reflects, “I took nothing […] but I felt ashamed, because I had been made a witness to these acts of theft, and, unable to stop them, an accomplice to them as well” (7).

While searching the village, Mustafa finds a yellow pebble. Dorantes takes credit for Mustafa’s discovery and presents the pebble to Narváez, who declares it to be