An account of the first discovery and natural history of ... - NOAA

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AN ACCO T OF THE
ST DISCOVER Y,
A jsr :r>
NATURAL HISTORY
Ô F
? 3. С
LIB
FLO ï о А.
W I T H A
Particular Detail of the fèveral EXPEDITIONS «sand,
J) E s CENTS made on that Coaft.
Collected from the beft Authorities
By WILLI AM ROBERTS.
Illuftrated by a general Map, and fome particular Plans, together
with a geographical Defcription of that Country,
By T. J E F F E R Y S, Geographer to His MAJESTY.
L O N D O N :
Printed for T. J E F F E R Y s, at Charing-Crofs.
M DCC LXIII.

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T H E
PUBLISHER'S PREFACE.
fTT^ H E Geography of Florida being but imperfedly known to the
JL generality of this nation, and, as it is now in our pofleifion,
a more perfect knowledge thereof would be of the greateft fervice to
fuch (hipping as may be fent to that part ; the Publifher presumes
to offer to the public the following account of it. He has been encouraged
thereto by many of hi» friends, who have been pleafed
to favour him with feveral helps for that purpofe. For this reafon,
he imagines .that the reader will find this geographical defcription of
that extennVe fea-coaft, determined to ä much nearer degree of accu*.
racy than any yet extant, as he has collected and digefted it» with(
great care and labour, from a confiderable number of original SpanifibnA-Frencb
charts, found on board íèveral different vefíels (vfhich
were made prizes) belonging to thofe nations, and which were com'*
municated to him by the gentlemen in whofe poflêffion they were.
He was alfo affifted by feveral curious remarks made by gentlemen
who navigated in that part of the world. He has been
.more particularly imfuced to pobHfli it now, fince whatsoever can
affifl? the navigation of that r coaft muft be of the greateft utility aí
this juncture, when the fettling of that country is under the confideration
of the government, and главу veffels fitting out for that
part. If he has in any part fuceeeded, he íhall efteem himfelf
happy, and his labour well employed ; but, if otherwiib, he hopes,
this performance may incite fome other períon; who may have better
helps and greater abilities, to rectify the errors, and render fuch
a defirable piece of fervice, more perfect, to his country. He
moreover flatters himfelf that this work, though it may, in fomc
particulars, be defective, yet will be of the greateft ufe, till more
accurate furveys can be made ; and, in the mean time, in fame meafure,
affift thofe-gentlemen, who may be employed by the government
for that purpofe. Upon the whole, he humbly fpbmits this
work to the public, hoping they will accept it with their ufuat canjdour,
and pardon the deficiencies ; as it was undertaken for their
fervice, by
THO S . JEFFERYS.
A 2

Г î
T H E
AUTHOR's PREFACE.
TT?Lo RI D A being an acquifition likely to become of much fu-
J/ ture ufe and confideration to us, as Britonst it was thought a
proper fubjecT: of prefent animadverfion. The reader is delired previoufly
to take notice, that we confine the name of Florida to the
tra& of country lately ceded to us by the Spaniards, this appellation
formerly including a much greater portion of coait and continent,
and many regions which are now called by other various
.titles : But we fhall limit our obfervations as nearly as may be compatible
to the above diftincYion ; and, if we are fometimes carried
farther, it mufl be attributed to the neceffity that a fcene of action
extended into the neighbouring provinces of Georgia, Carolina, Lou^ißana,
&c. parts of the ancient Florida, hath hid us under of doing
io. The* reafon we chufe to avoid torching upon thefe laft mentioned
trafts but as little as poffible, is,, that they are Sufficiently
known already -, or> at leaft, enough to raife every improvement
and advantage that refolútion and induftry can invent : Whereas
the parts we are now about to endeavour at giving a defcription of,
have been hitherto but little krtown or confidered ; and, indeed,
have only been very lately made of confequence to us, by being
become our own. It might be looked upon as impertinent, perhaps,
to dwell upon fo trite a fubjeft, as the mutual benefit accru,ing
both to the mother-country, and our American colonies, from
the multifarious commerce carried on between them, a topic fo well
known, and fo often treated of: But it may not be amifs to confider
the particular benefits and conveniences which may accrue
.from this new increafe of territory, and what purpofes it will ferve,
which cannot be effected by our more northern colonies, which now
form

THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE. v
form one continued train along the whole eaftern-fide of'Norfe*-
America, without interruption, as far as- the Cape of Florida,
OF this prodigious extent of land we ihall find but a fmall part
tolerably peopled, excepting the countries bordering upon the Tea ;
'and, indeed, it muft be acknowledged, that the Eng/iß) have always
neglefted the moft obvious method of putting them in a different
condition. They have, indeed, employed themfelves in driving
away-the ancient inhabitants, and feizing upon their native foil, but
have never taken ary other method of increafing the number of civilized
inhabitants, unlefs it be that of encouraging multitudes of
'•Bri'tißt and fome few other European people, to fettle in thefe
colonies ; which, however, tends to impoverim our own country of
its inhabitants, and can, at beft, but ílowly furniíh a fuitable increafe
of people, and thefe too, for ages, expofed to the depredations
and incurirons of the favage, and, in fact» injured former
poílc fibre.
FOR, in fpite of all that the inconfiderate or vicious may pretend',
wherever a tolerably juft apprehenfion of the Divinity hath prevailed,
the more noble and generous have been the exertions of .the
human foul ; finer, and more exaked impreffions, have been called
forth into aition-, in proportion as the mind hath been imbued with
true and vigorous notions of a divine agent ; and, on the contrary,,
whether we view the unenlightened Savage, who roams over the
deferts of America, the native of inbred cruelty and malice, or look
upon the European kingdoms, moftly darkened 'with a more poliihed
perverfion and fupcrftition, we ihall find that this departure from
truth, and their depravity of opinion in matters of religion, debafes
and enilaves mankind, bringing them under fubjeclion to the worft
of the paííions, fuch as fpread havock and defolation throughout the
world.
NATURE and experience both point out a method to make the-
Savage inhabitants of our new acquifitions, by fwift degrees, our firm,'
friends* and that is by the cement of intermarriage with their womenv
Was,

•vi THE AUTHOR's PREFACE.
Was fuch an expedient to take place, inforced by proper rewards and
bounties, to every European or American fubjecî of Britain, who
ihould marry an Indian woman, there would foon, from the certain
tendency of this circumftahce, refait the happy confequences of
uniting the Indians into one people with ourfelves, and pave a way
for the reception .of our pure religion among them, by the gentle
method of familiarity, and frequent intercourfe. We need not
take much pains to prove the certainty of this argument, fmce the
tye of marriage is the band of nations, which, continually renewing
connexion among people regulated by the fame laws and cuftoms,
makes all, more or lefs, in fome manner, kindred to each other,
and perpetuates and fpreads this relation through every feparate
ftate ; which, were men, on the contrary, only to match with their
own neareft of kin, would be fplit and divided into as many feparate
communities as families, and fo, moft probably, the mutual
love and charity, fubiifting, in fome degree, in the breaft of every
individual of the fame country for each other, would be almoft entirely
loft, or confined to much narrower limits than at prefent.
What confufion and miíêry might be introduced into the world by
fuch an alteration as this, may be gueiTed at from the horrible wars
and devaftations that happen every day between different nations,
which vrauld be healed before breaking out into acb of violence,
«vas there fuch a relationihip traceable among them.
THIS method of civilizing barbarous nations, and blending them
into the common maß, hath been fallen upon, either from reaibn
or natural infti.nct, by almoft every great polity, efpecially the more
refined ones, at all periods; and perhaps the Britifo nation is alone
to be excepted from this general rule, whofe colonies have fojourned
fo long among the, Indians without mixing with them. This may
feem thev/more extraordinary, as we commonly obferve foreign
inhabitants of other parts of America to propagate from the natives,
whofe countries they have conquered and planted.
Г ÀND

THTE A U T H O R's P R E F A С Я. vu
clrcutnftance. Whoever will perufe tfee annexed map with attenфап,
will find tfoat Florida is not deûitote of fine harbours js that
the penirtÉola is interíèâed with arms of thé fea, that farm, as it
were, fo many canals, dividing the land into a great number of
iflands, between which a way communicates through the peninfula,
from the Gulf vf Florida io the ilraits of'Bahama», capable of being
fiavigited. by large veflels«. This .paflage will greatly facilitate our
navigation to the aforefaid gulf, .either for the iafety of trade» or toашюу
an свету in thofe parts, either French or Spaniard, at the
fame time that it may be kept flaut againft all foreign intrufion»
through the fame channel» by a proper force conveniently ftationed
ш it,. How definable fijch a fliortening of time and way muft be^
tbe, readser may be convinced, by confidering what a ftrong current
fets to the northward, through the ftraits above-tnentioned, which
renders the circuit about this cape very tediou?, as well as dangerous,
in many circumftances j and that, by making a fuitable ufe of
this convenience, we may, in war-time, turn all thefe difadvantag«*
upon our enemy.
are fenfible that the pofleffion of the Havana wouäd be aiwaysr
able to obftruft the return of the nchSfaniß fleets home ta Europe,
with treaiure from Peru and Mexico, which, without doubt, was
one concurring reafon for the late conqueft of Cuba : But, as it has
been again given up by the late treaty, it remains to be considered;
whether the coaft of Florida may not-be made, in a great meafure,,
asdiftrefsfal to them, on fuch, occafions, as that of Ctiia? With
regard to the meer direction of the land, it fliould feem not to be;
leis iohed. to-this purpofe, bccaufe thefe Spanijh mips are obliged to
fetch a compafs as clofe under it as they can, in order to get' a- wind
large enough to carry them- füfficiently eaftward to- fall down upon
Cuba> where there is a general jiuiefeion made of. their feveral fleets
bound to Europe, after which they fail together through the ftraits
of Bahama, On the eaftern fide of Fliride\ which, with the range
of the Rabama-Iflandsi form* thefe ftraJtsy. we,, as jet, know of
no harbours of any vajue,. nor at all fuited- to receive ihip» of force;
and,, therefore, it feems by no means cakulated for the ufë of intercepting
the Sßaniß treafures j but, on. the. Weilern íhore of this,
7 peninfubj,

vin THE A U T H O R 's PREFACE.
peninfula, lies the fine harbour of Spiritu del Santo, capable of holding,
it is faid, all the navies of Europe, and, to the north-weft of
this, on the continent, the harbour of Penjacola is fituatcd very fafe
and capacious alfo ; both thefe, when properly occupied and fortified,
will prove annoyances fo vexatious to the Spanijh fettlements
about the Mijjifippi, that it will be impoflible for them to tranfport
the treafures and products of their American dominions into Еиго/^
in any tolerable quantity. And, was the whole chain of Britifh
provinces, from Newfoundland to the Cape of Florida^ tolerably
peopled, Britain would, at all times, with the afliftance of its navy,
be able to check and control the power of the French and Spaniards
in the American world, and fpeedily to reftore tranquillity to its own
fubjeds in every part of the globe ï for, if the finews be cut, the
limb of courfe muft fail.
DIRECTIONS for placing the PLATES.
Map of Florida, to front the Title. Page.
Plan of Penfacola, - - - - - - -9
View of Penfacola, - - - - 11
St. Jofeph's Bay, - - - - - - - . 12
Bahia del Efpiritu Santo, -- - - - - jj
Town and Harbour of St. Auguftine, 24
ERRATA.
Page 4. line 29. for Porta, read Punia.
Page 22. line 18. dele In this river Soto landed in 1539.
THE

С О N Т E N S.
Д Ccount of the firft Difcovery,
** and Natural Hiítory, page ï
Boundaries, ï
jFirft difcovered by the Engtífb, г
Climate, foil, and produce, 3
Animals, 4
Natives, 4
Religion and Government, 5
Cuftoms, manners, and councils, 6
Oeconomy, and burials, 7
Priefts, their fondions, 8
A GEOGRAPHICAL'ACCOUNT
Barra de Matanzas, 24
BAHIA, or BAYS.
Ayamonte, t 23
Bar raderas, 23
El Canuelo, 25
Carlos, a/
Efpiritu Santo, 16
Honda, 20
El Palmar, 22
La Roque, 23
St. Andrew, 12
St. Jofeph, ib.
St. Jofeph, 16
Santa Rofa, 12
Tampa, 17
Boca Grande, 18
Boca Ratones, 22
Cabo Efcondicto, 12
Cabo Canaveral, 23
С А У О S.
Anclote, 16
Bifcayno, 2i
Chequimula, 20
2 о
Efpiritu Santo, page 18
Huefo, 2i
Largo ô de Doce Léguas, 20
Marques, * i S
Les Martyres, 20
Matacumbe, 20
Mucaras, 21
Palem, 20
La Perida, 21
Playuelas, 21
Ratones, 2?
Las Tétas, .21
Tivanos, 20
Vacas, ao
"Vivora, v?
I SLA N D.S.
Dogs, \l
St. Anailatia, 24
Santa Rofa, ï ï
Tortugas, 18
Laguna del Efpîritu Santo, ' 18
Portland Race, 'il
Pu N т A, or Po i N.т .s.
AíTes, ty
Florida, iS
Janche, ï8
Meneflès, 14
Rios, or R ï VERS.
Amazura ô Mazuro, 16
Anades, 14
Apalache, 14
Apalachicob, 12
Ays, 22
Lahuitas, J2
Califtobole, 13
Carolinian J5
. 2 Chata

Chatahofpa, page
Chatahouchi,
Flint,
Jega ô Goga,
Jobe,
Matanzas,
Mofquitos,
Ogelagena,
Pedro,
Perdido,
Santa Cruz,
St. Juan,
St. Marco,
St. Martins,
St. Sebaftian,
Seco,
Tocobogas,
Vafifa,
Vines,
Vitches,
O N .T E N S.
13 Ayavala, page i4
12 Cahuitas, i3
13 Capola, 1 4
22 Chataouchi, 13
22 Cullomas, 13
24 CuiTetas 13
23 Echetos, 13
14 Euchi, 13
1 6 Hogolegis, 1:3
8 Jaikegis, гз
22 Jurla Noca, 15
24 Machalla, 15
24 NuvaAlla, 15
16 Ocon, 14
24 El Penon, 23
22 Pueblo del CaflîqueSebaftian, 22
1 6 Pueblo Raton, 1 8
15 St. Matheo, 15
1 3 St. Pedro, 1 5
1 6 Savanas, 13
T, c Utoca, ï 5
EUROPEAN-. SETTLEMENTS. Weft '
Apalachicola,
Ayavala,
13. Yapalage, r ь
15
14
Diego,
Mufa,
Penfacola,
Picolata,
St. Auguftin,
St. John's,
St. Jofeph,
St. Juan,
St. Mark de Apalache,
St. Matheo,
2
5 EXPEDITIONS and DESCENTS.
24
9, John Ponce de Leon, 25
15 Luke Vafquez of Aylon, 27
.24, Pamphilo Narvaez, 28
ib. Ferdinand de Soto, 33
,12 Rene Landoniere, 81
25 Dominique de Gourgues, 83
14. Sir Francis Drake, 85
25 Captain Davis, 88
^
INDIAN SETTLEMENTS.
Alochua,
Afpalaya,
Attafees,
Atimucas,
Colonel Moor's £fe r co'ndj
*$ Captain Henry Jennings, 89
I4r M. de Chateaugue's, 90
J 3 General Oglethorp, 92
l $ THE

A N.ACCOUNT OF THE
FIRST D I S C O V E RY,
A N D
NATURAL HISTORY
O F
FLORIDA.
f» • ^H E country caUçd by the; S^a^iards,FLORIDA, and which
.1 they have ceáed, by the late treaty, to Great Britain, ex-
• tends by their accounts» according to the moil accurate
-•* obfervations, from about 25 deg. 6 min. to 39 deg. 38
min. North latitude, and its moft Eaftern coaft lies in about 81 deg.
30 min. Weft longitude from London : its whole length being
nearly looo Engliih miles, but the breadth very variable. They
extend it on the North to the Apalachian mountains, where it is
very narrow, and make the River Altamaha the boundary between
it and Georgia, by which they take in the whole country of the
Loiver Creek Indians. On the North-weft, they feparate it from
Lcuißana by the Rio Perdido. To the Eaft it hath Georgia, the
Atlantic Ocean, and the channel of Bahama, or Gulf of Florida :
To the South, the Gulf of Mexico. Though the Spaniards gave
В the

2 NATURAL HISTORY
the name of Florida to a much greater extent of country than that
which we confine Tt "1о^"саШп^Ш"_ 1Ке"_йаПГ Tying "North of the
gulf of Mexico by that appellation ; yet the Ëngïijh were the firft
difcoverers of this continent ; for Henry VII. King of England,
having determined to find out the North-weft paiiage to Cathay
and India, took into his fervice Sebaflian- Cabote, á very able mariner,
and fitted out two caravals for him in 1496 j the account of
which, we fliall give in Cabotes own, words.
" BUT after certain days, I found that the land run towards the
" North, which was to me a great difpleafure. Neverthelefs,

OF FLO R. ID A. 3
of the North-weft wind, which, more or lefs, with its chilling
breath, .prevails over the whole continent of Northern Anierica t
and is obfervcd to bring with it, and fpread, the inclemency of
froft and fnow many degrees more to the Southward in thofe regions,
than the North-eaft wind doth in ours; which, though the
coldeft we feel, yet is of ihorter duration, as the wefterly winds
generally prevail here. Severe cold is commonly known in the
Winter months on the American continent, fo low as 34 or 35
degrees of North latitude, which is rather more Southern than the
Straits of Gibraltar'in Europe, and vail ihoals of ice are feen floating,
and the fea frequently frozen to a fmall diilance from the
ihorei itr the latitude of 44.° or 45° North, which are the fame parallels
under which the Southern parts of France: He. This differ»
ence in- temperature may, perhaps, in a great meafure, be account-»
ed' for by confidering the amazing extent of uncultivated land, covered
with forefts, and intermixed with vaft lakes and marihes of
ftagnated freih water, over which the North-weft wind blowing,
meets withло accidental caufe to mollify its rigour; whereas the
fmaller continent of Europe is broken, and interfperfed witfat many
large feas and gulfs of fait water, which having a communication
with the warmer parts of the main ocean, do, by thé motion and
fermentation of their faline particles, greatly mellow and foften the
circumambient air impregnated therewith. But, to return : notwithftanding
the climate of Florida is, as we have faid, verywarm,
it is not for that reafon lefs pure and wholefome; the beft
teftimony of which that can be given is the fize, firmnefs, ftrength
of conftitution, and longevity of the Floridan Indians: in all thefe
particulars they far exceed the Mexicans.
THE foil of Florida is remarkably rich and fruitful, frequently
producing two or three crops of Indian corn in the year, and might,
with proper cultivation, be made to bear every fort, of grain, &c~.
It abounds with all kinds of timber, particularly pines, cedar,
palms, laurel, cyprefs, and chefnut trees; but, above all, fafîefras is
found in the greateft plenty -, excellent limes, and plums alio grow
here in great abundance, with many other fruits of a delicious flavour
j vines likewife of various forts are the natural produit of die
В 2 country,

4- NATURAL HISTORY
country, and the land is thought to be.as proper for the cultivation
of the grape, as thofe of Europe are found in general to be.
Coíton alio grows wild here in great abundance; hemp and flax
are likewife very common. The many rivers with which Florida is
watered render it fertile. The fea-coaft is very flat, fandy, and full
of ihoals : On this level ihore there are prodigious numbers of oyfters
adhering to the mangrove-trees, with which the Southern coaft
is covered.
AN ï MAL food is plenty here, and very good in its kind,, particularly
beef, mutton, and veal. The country alfo feeds great numbers
of fwine, the fleih of which is very good, there being ло want
of acorns, chefnuts, and fuch nouriihment as is proper for thefc
•creatures. Their cattle have a kind of long black hair upon them»
ib fine that, with a little mixture, it is thought by fome capable
of being manufactured into hats, cloathing, &c. Horfes are alf»
bred here very good both for the faddle and draught, and focheaft
that one of them may be purchafed for any trifle thai is brought
from Europe.
THE wild animals found in this country are the panther, bear»,,
catamountain, ftag, goat, hare, rabbet, beaver, otter, fox, racoon^
and fquirrel. The rivers abound with fnakes, and alligators. Birds
are here in great plenty, fuch as partridges, jays,, pigeons, turtledoves,
thrufhes, crows, hawks, herons, cranes, geefe, ducks, and
an infinite number of others, fome of which have their plumage
mod elegantly variegated.
AMONG its more precious productions cochineal may be reckoned,
of which there'is both the wild and the cultivated*, bat the latter is
by far the more valuable. The Indigo plant alfo groweth plentifully
in many of the Southern parts of this province. Ambergris,
too is frequently to be met with on the coaft, from Porta de Janchs^
themòft Southern cape of Florida, as, far as to Mexico^
THE native Indians of Florida are of an olive complexion,
their bodies are robuft, and finely proportioned ; both fexes go naked^

O F F L O R I D A. $
ked, excepting that they faften a piece of deer-ikin about their
middle. They ftain their ikin with the juice of plants. Their
hair is black and long, and they have a method of twitting and
, twirling it about.their heads, fo as to make it look very graceful
and becoming. The weapons which they make ufe of are bows
and arrows, and thofe they manage with great dexterity; the
firings of their bows are made of the finews of flags, and they arm
the ends of their arrows with the teeth of fiihes, or with ilones
iharpened. The women are very handfome and well-maped, and
withal fo aftive, that they will fwim acrofs broad rivers with thfeir
, children on their backs, or climb, with furprifing fwiftnefs, to
the tops of the higheil trees»
IN point of religion, they are bigotted- idolaters, worihiping the
fun and moon, and bearing an extreme averfion to all Chriftians ;
which indeed is not to be wondered at, fince the horrid cruelties
exercifed by the Spaniards upon the natives of the adjacent iiland
oîCuba^ and other places, even to extirpation, could not fail to excite
the utmoft abhorrence and dread of them in thofe Savages, infiead
of recommending to them the purity of Chriftianity.
THE Spaniards, according to their ufual cuiiom, charge-thefe
people with many vice?, in order to ca-ft as fair a colour as they can
over their inhumane behaviour to the Indians, both of this and
ether regions, whom they firft butchered, and then reprefented as
favage barbarians, in order to palliate the crime, and in fome degree
apologize for fuch proceedings, as they knew muft appear ihocking
in the eyes of the more civilized nations of Europe. In the prefent
caie, it muft nevertheleis be allowed, that, from the accounts
of all who have had any dealings with them, they are noted for a
bold, fubtile, and deceitful people.
THE government of the Flori dans is in the hands of many'pettykings,
or chiefs, who are called Gaßqttes:, They are generally
at variance, and carrying on war againil each other. But war
is not waged among them ia an open manner.; on the contrary,,
they generally make ufe of furprize, or ílratagem, exerciíing great
cruelt«

6 NATURAL HISTORY
cruelty upon fuch as they take prifoners, flaying the males, and
fcalping them. They neverthelefs fpare the weaker fex and the
children, whom they carry off with them, and carefully educate.
When they have obtained a viûory, they, at their return home»
call together all their friends, and feaft three days and nights,
fpending the time in fînging and dancing. In their warlike expeditions,
they carry with them corn, honey, and maize, fometimes-fiih
dried in the fun. But when thefe fail, they will feed upon even
the fouleft things,
THE chief marches at their head as they, are ranged for battle,
carrying a club in one hand, and a bow and arrows in the other,
his quiver hanging at his back ; the reft follow tumultuoufly with
the fame arms. They make their attacks with horrible bellowings
and clamours, not unlike the war-hoop of the Indians of the Six
Nations.
THEY attempt nothing raíhly, previouíly holding a public confòltation
j they aiTamble day by day at the hutt of their chief, who
is honoured with a higher feat than the reft. Thefe they enter
in order, according to feniority, and, with their hands thrown above
their heads, they each fing their Ha, he, ya, while the reft jointly
accord with Ha, ha-, after which they all take their feats. If the
matter of debate be of great moment, then their priefts, conjurers,
or phyficians, (for they have a fet among them that ferve in this
threefold capacity) and all that are eminent on account of their
age, are called in, and their opinions are particularly aiked. Then
the caffique carries round a kind of liquor, like our tea, made by
the infufion of the leaves of a certain tree in water, which is
much valued, not only by them but by the Spaniards alfo, for its
diuretic quality. The chief drinketh firft, after which they pour
out for the reft according to rank.
THEY have a" fort of council, confifting of twelve or fourteen
chofen members, fuch as have remarkably diftinguiihed themfelves
by their bravery in war, whom they call Beloved, and who have
л confiderable

OFFLORIDA. 7
eonfiderable influence, upon that account, over their refpedlive
Clans.
THEIR õrconomy, with regard to the management and diflributron
of their corn, which is accounted the common flock of the
public, deferves notice. The crop, which is calculated to ferve
only for half of the year, is collected into granaries appointed for
the purpofe, and afterwards regularly delivered out to every family
in proportion to its number ; not that the foil is incapable of affording
much beyond what they have occaiion for, but they chufe to
fow no more than will ferve them for that term, retiring for the
remainder of the year into the deep receflës of the foreils, where
they build hutts of palm leaves, and live upon roots, fifh, and
wild fowl. They are alfo very fond of the flefh of alligators, the
young of which are delicious, but have a flrong muiky fmell:
Their meat is dreffed in the fmoak, upon a broiler made of flicks,,
and their common drink is water»
THE common and private people among them are fatisfied
v?ith one wife, but the chiefs and petty kings are indulged with
more, though the children only of one of them fucceed to the
father's dignity, which they feem to make hereditary. The burial
of a deceafed king is- celebrated among them with great folemnity :.
They place upon his tomb the bowl out of which he was accuftomed
to drink, and flick innumerable arrows in the earth around him*
bewailing his death for three days with failing and loud lamentation
: the generality of them alfo cut off their hair, as a fmgular
teftimony of their forrow. Then their chieftains fet fire to, and
confume to aihes all the arms and houfhold furniture, together with,
tbe hut that belonged to the deceafed ; after which fome old women
are deputed, who every day, during the fpâce of half the
year, in the morning, noon, and evening, bewail him with dreadful
howling, a cuilom that hath been praclifed formerly among,
fome of the more civilized nations, particularly the Jews and Ro~
mans, who. frequently hired women to mourn and weep at the funerals
of their friends and relations. The Floridam agree alfo with
the Jews in the cuilom of their commerce with women, &c.

8 NATURAL HISTORY
THEY have their priefts redding among them, whom they call
Javiinas -, and much regard is paid to them, for they ait, as was
before obierved, in three capacities, as priefts, conjurers, and phyficians.
They are cloathed in long robes, made of the ikins of
beafts, carry always a grave deportment, fpeak little, live abftemiouily,
and take every fuitable precaution to preferve the influence
they have gained over the minds of their countrymen. As priefts,
they pray, and facrifice to the fun and moon, which feem to be
the deities they worihip. As magicians, they pretend to foretell
the fuccefs of all expeditions, &c. And, as pnyficians, they bleed,
bathe, vomit, and fweat the fick, till they either kill or cure them ;
in either cafe expecting a reward.
A geographical Account of tbe Rivers, Bays, and Iflands, on the
Coaß of Florida.
*\ TIT'E {hall begin from the North-weftern boundary to take notice
^ » of whatever we can find remarkable in this country, fo travel
down Southward to the Cape of Florida, and up again by the Eaftern
ihore, till we come to that part of the coaft which confines
upon Georgia ; after this we ihall proceed to give a detail of the
íèveral expeditions, made by European nations at various times, in
queft of difcoveries through this traft of land.
THE Weftern limits of Florida are defcribed by D'Stnvil/e, in
a South line from the dpalachian mountains, to the head of Rio
Perdido.
Rio PERDIDO (fo named becanfe a Spanißj fhip was caft away in
it, and all the men loft) is the moft Weilern boundary on the coaft of
Florida, towards Louißana. This river running acourfeof 70 miles
nearly South-weft, and fometimes almoft due South, form; a lagune
at the mouth, and enters the gulf of Mexico about four leagues
S. W. and by W. from Penfacola.
PENSACOLA

OF ,F L Q RI D .A. 9
:J?ENsAcoi,:A is fituated in y> degrees 25 minutes North latitude.
Où the We ft -fide of the entrance, within the harbour, formerly
flood the town, confifting of about forty palmetto houfes, defended
by a fmall ilockaded fort of about 12 or 14 guns, but of very little
ufe, the inhabitants confifting wholly of malefactors tranfported
hither from Mexico.
THIS place was fir ft difcovered ,by Pamphik de Narvaes, who
landed there in his unfuccefsful expedition to Florida, forne time
after Diego de Maldonado, one c-f Ferdinand dç Soto's captains, touched
here, and .named it Port d' Anchufi. •• In 1558, Don 'friß an .de
Lun,a called it the bay of Santa Maria , in 1693, Don Andre de Pet
added to this name that of de Galva, which was the name of the
viceroy of Mexico at that time. > The Spaniards never call it otherwife
than the bay Santa Maria de Galva; for the name. of Penfa~
cola (which was that of the Indian tribe inhabiting round this bay,
Jjut who Were deífooyed) wáí^íVetíTby (he Spaniards to thé whole
province^ which they make very extenfive,
Ip 1696, Don \Andre 4' dwiefa took роЛеП'юп of it, and,built a
fquare fort with baftiop^ .which, he [named Forf.$fi_CberIes, witb a
church and fome houfes.
THE (Road of • Peiyfacola is one of the beft in all the Gulf of
Mexico, in which veflels can lie in fafety againil every kind of wind.
The bottom, which is fandy, mixed in many places with oaíê, is
ßxcdle n t. for- anchorage : the fea is never agitated here, becaufe the
land-,furi-0u,nds it on every fide ; it is capable of containing a great
number 0f mips, as may be judged from its extent, and by. the
foundings which the figures in the plan exhibit in feet, a method
more exact than if meafured by fathoms.
THE tides are. irregular here as well as upon all the reft of this
coaft.: AH that ha;th been remarked is, that in the fpace of twentyfour
hours, the tide ebbs out of the harbour from eighteen to
nineteen hours, and is from five to fix hours flowing back again $
and the greateft difference that hath been found between high and
С low

IQ A GEOGRAPHICAL ACCOUNT
low water is about three feet, on certain days lefs ; at other times
without increafe or diminution, although the currents are changing
daily, but with no regularity. The winds in all probability being
in fome meafure the caufe of this variety.
THE depth of water over the bar, at the entrance of the road,
in the middle of the channel, is never lefs than twenty-one feet. A
(hip that is going in, before ihe comes upon this bar mult bring
the fort of Penfacola to bear between N. and .1 N. N. E. and hold
on this courfe until fhe finds the fort on the ifle of Santa Rofa bear
E. and 4- E. N. E. from her. She muft then haul up a little towards
the main land on the Weft, keeping at much the fame
diftance between that and the ifla,nd, in order to avoid the point,
from which a little bank ftretchies out pretty far towards the 'Weft
North Weft.
IF the reef that is to the Weft.£f..the'bar breaks, whidvfc aU
ways the cafe in a gale of wind/the breakers may fefvs tnuciid Of'i
bnoy to vefíels ; but you muft range, on entering upon the bar, at the
diftance of a good 'muïket fliot' from them, and 'afterwards fteer
according to the direariorvs 'w

v: ' /- u * JÚrlekMl/, \2/)wewn/6ù I) ом. SERRE s.
,
'Саттаги^гЖЙ&еыг.о.ЛМ/М. 6.-

Ô F T'LXXK ГО А.
THIS' röad hatrx'pne inconvenience, which is, .that many rivers'
emptying' tnemfelves ф!о itèrent currents are cauied''thereby ; ana
both canoes a^d, Ш

U A GEOGRAPHICAL ACCOUNT
of Santa Ro/à, and is feparated from the mainland by a channel,
half a league over, which is only navigable for fmall boats.
.,
THE Bay of Santa Rofa is twelve leagues Oft of "Penfacda. .' An
ifland at the mouth forms two entrances. "We have no particular
defcription of this harbour, though it appearstw the Spaniih draughts
to be an extenfive one.
THE Bay of St. Jofeph is fituate in íafífííde 29 'dèg. '46 "mm!
about thirty leagues almoft S. E. from Penfacola, This bay "is
formed by a long narrow ridge which extends from, the mainland
in fhape of а С for the fpace of twenty miles, the fòtithern
point of which is called by the Spaniards Cabo - Efcontiido, ' and
by the French Cap Cache. This "bay is about thirteeri miles long, 1
and eight wide, and there is very good anchorage i'n four', 'five,' or
fix fathom water.
THERE are two rivulets which empty themfelves into this bay.
one of fait water and the other of freíh j this laft is a branch 'of
the Apalachicda river. In the year 17 17. the Trench created, fort
Crevecœur, about a mile 'to the northward of ttíè' freih 'wîrifer'
but they abandoned it the next year, on the reprefëhtatib'hs
by the governor of Penfacola, that this bay belonged to híS t
lick Majefty. This fort is faid.by fome to be lined with' Aone,
by others, only made of earth, well defended by palîitadoes ; but,
however, all agree in its being tolerably flrong, well fupplied with
cannon, and a fufficient garrifon. The houfes are Very neat and
commodious, and there is a handfome church ; but the ftreets fo
fandy as to render it very inconvenient paffing and repaffing.
THE Bay of St. Andrews lies feven miles to the N. W. of the
Bay of St. Jofepbt of which we have no particular defcription.
APALACHICOLA or Cahuifas river rifes in Ù\ç-4palachian mountains,
and receives on the weit fide, about eighty' miles from its
fource, the Chataouchi ,•?—№& fifty miles lower down the Ruchi
creek, on the forks of which is a village of the fame name ; —
ninety

CABO EscoTroroox
слсжк
e BJaize "V^
PIAN
oftheBATof
STJOSEPH,
ia tbe
GULF of MEXICO.
Paqe 13.

O F F L O R I D A, 13
ninety miles from which this river receives the Chatabofpa., between
which and the Chataouchi, on the weft fide of the river Apalacbicola,
are fituated the Chataouchi, Cahuitas, Euchi, Weßes, Cullomas,
Attafes, Jaßegis, Cuffeías, and Ohmulgo ; and more to the South,
on the eaft fide of the river, are the Hogokgis, Savanas, and Echetos.
All thefe tribes united are the Indians called the Lower Creeks ;
and, though the Spaniards ufed to reckon thefe people under their
dominion, they have long been the allies and under the protection
of Great Britain. This river is joined by a great ftream, called
by the Engtifò Flint River, which runs from the confines of Georgia,
and after a courfe of 150 miles, enters this river about forty
miles fouth of the Chalahofpa, and 120 miles from the Tea, at the
forks of which rivers is fituated the fort of Apalachïcoîa. Within
five leagues of the fea this river divides into two branches, the
weftern of which is named Cali/lobole river, and the fmall frefh
water river which runs into the bay of St. Jojeph is a branch of this
river.
THE river Apalacbicola enters the gulf of Mexico in 29 deg.
43 min. north latitude, and five leagues N. E. from Cabo Efeondido.
There is fome difficulty in finding this opening, by reafon of
the many iflands and lakes before and about it j and though it is a
noble river, whofe mouth formeth a fpacious harbour, from whence
a trade is carried on by fmall veffels to the Havana, yet it hath
not more than the depth of two and a half or three fathoms of
water at moft over the bar ; but when that is once pafTed, it groweth
very deep and large. The tide is faid to flow higher up this river
than into any other on the coaft, fome fay not lefs than fifty miles ;
though this is not fo much to be wondered at, when we confider,
that the country all round it is one perfect level, and that it feels
the force of a double current, one from the weft and another from
the fouth in the gulf of Mexico. On both fides of this river, near
the fea coaft, live feveral tribes, called by the name of Apalacbe
Indians. On the weft fide of the mouth of this river the Spaniards
eredted a fort in 1719. On the eaft fide the J. of Dogs extends
along the coaft for fifteen miles. About 22 miles from the mouth
of this river the R. de Vines enters the gulf of Mexico, and feven
miles.

14 A G E O G R A P H í C A L ACCOUNT
milesfärther th'e R. de las Anãdti falls into the gulf. Ten,miles from
hence is Punia de Mencfes, the weftern point of the Apalache river.
ЛГАЬАСЙЕ or Ògelagenà river enters the bay of ApaîacÏJe about
forty miles to the eàííward of Apalachicola river, and rifes above r ?o
mile's from the fea, in the confines of Georgia, it is not known
to receive any river of note in all its courfe, till near the bay, onS
confiderable river unites with it. This is a very fine river, snd
its entrance forms a large bay, which has fome mallows and rocks,
ftretching out from the land ; but in "the middle there is five fathom
water. ' The courfe into the mouth of this river is N. and
within is a good harbour. This place lies N. -L Wefterly from the
< Tortugas, and in the paffcge is found all the way navigable foundings.
A trade is carried on between this place and the Havana by
'fmall craft. On the firft of thefe rivers are the Тара/age, Capda,
Afpàlaga and Si 'Juan, and on the other Ocon atid Aycfuala. On
the weft of the river is lîtuated the town of St. Mark de Apa'lache,
from whence the bay alfo derives its name. This,, by fome geographers,
is very improperly called Santa Maria â" Àpalachia ; it rs an
.old'fettlemeiit, and ftands exactly in the fame place that Garciíáffõ
de la Vega fixes the Port a" Auté. It was formerly very conirclerable,
but the Engliß from Carolina having taken, and, iri a
great meafure, deftröyed it in the year 1704, it never fince has
recovered its priftine ftate, tho' the Spaniards often endeavoured to
ге-eftabliíh it. The fort is built on a little eminence, furrounded by
marihes, fituated on the forks of ihe two rivers; and at about
two leagues diftance from the fort, there is on this river a village
of Apalachian Indians^ called Santo Juan, as alio fome others in the
'neighbourhood. The governour of Santo Marco is under the command
of the governour of St. Augußine^ receiving his inftruelions
in any extraordinary affair either civil or military. The country
is beautiful, being well fupplied with wood and water; and we are
alfo informed the country becomes more fertile the higher you
advance into it.
THERE is a road over land from the mouth of this river to
St. Augußin, which is as follows.
OCON

OF FLORID A. 15
OCON is fifteen miles from St. Marks, and ten mijes, beyond is
Ayavalla fort ; twenty-four miles further is Machalla, and eleven
miles from that is St. Matheo ; both thefe are fituated on branches
of the Rio Vafifa, which is about eighty miles in length, and enters
the gulf of Mexico fifteen miles S. E. from Sf. Marks. Twentyfive
miles frort) St. Matheo is San Pedro, on the fouth fide of the
river San Pedro, which is 100 miles long, and enters the gulf of
Mexico feventy miles from St. Marks ; eleven miles from San Pedry
is Uioca, and in twelve miles more we come to NuvQa/la, fit.uated,
on the eaft fide of the Carolinian river, the courie of which has
not yet been afcertained, but. there is very good reafon to fuppofe
that it runs a faut!} .cojrfe into the Rio Amafura. .Eight miles
from Nuvoal/a'ls Alochua, and in eight miles more we come to
Jurla NOCÍ!.. All theft; places were formerly the ancient lettlements
of the Atimucas Indians, who were driven from them by the Eng-
/iß> from Carolina in 1706, and have fixed their fettlement pn an.
j'fland to the Eait of the Rio de St. Juan, about fixty-fiye miles
S. VV. of St. Augußlne, and call their chief feulement Puebîo de Ati*
mucas. Twenty-fix miles from Jurla Noca we come to a Spanifo
fettlement од the banks of the Rio de St. Juan. Though the river
-is here only two miles broad, yet it is eight miles over that .and
twq iflands to Fort Picojafa, which is the laft fta^e, and is thirty'
miles diilant frgrri Fort St. Augiifline. This road jls. .183,miles, froro.
AÏ/. Marks.
iveßern coaft of the peninfnla of Florida
T?EGINS in about 30 deg. N. and terminates 'at the Cape. Tt Is
•*-* more than 300 miles in length, and from 140 to 180. in breadth.
Being chiefly a low aryd'flat land, it abounds with a great nu'm-

i6 A GEOGRAPHICAL ACCOUNT
EIGHT miles from the entrance of Apalachia river the R. Vitcbcs
enters the gulf, twelve miles to the fo-uth of which is the Rio Va-
/j/a, and nine leagues from thence is the Rio Pedro, almoft S. E.
from Ара/ache river.
EIGHT leagues to the fouth of Rio Pedro lies the Cayos de St.
Martin ; and between Rio Pedro and the Rio Amafura are the two
fmall rivers of St. Martin and Tocoeogas. Between thefe rivers reiide
the tribe'of Tocobogas.
FROM the Farellon de Pogoi extends a ledge of rocks four leagues
South Weft; this ledge makes the north fide of the entrance into
The 'Rio Amafura.
Rio Amafura ô Mafuro. The entrance of this river, which is
in larimde 28 deg. 25 min. is ten miles wide, and it is not lefs
than three miles over for above thirty miles up the river. There
are in this river, which in general is very wide, feveral pafTages
between the iilands to the Atlantic ocean and gulf of Florida.
One leads out through the Rio de Mufquifo, in latitude 28 deg.
jjo min. another through the Rio St. Lucia, called by fome Rio de
Cruz, in latitude 27 deg. 33 min.; but the principal one is that
which is fuppofed "to communicate in a diredr. channel with the
Rio de St. Juan f that enters the Atlantic ocean in 30 deg. 20 miri.
about 30 miles north of St. Augußine. If thefe rivers ihould
prove navigable for fmall veflels, it will be of great utility to the
Britifh trade, by making the navigation to Penfacola for fome
months ihorter than the courfe which other wife muft be taken
round by the weft end of. Cuba.
Cayo del Anclote ferves as the fouthern land-mark for the entrance
into" the Rio Amafura, This ifland extends twenty-three
miles from North to Soutii along the coaft, at the end of which
is the Bahia.de San Jojèf, a place but very little known.
Bahia del Efpiriiu Santo. This is a very large amf noble bay •
extending above twenty leagues in length, and fix in breadth where
broadeft,

f LAN ОРВЛН1А
ESPIRITU
on the Weft fide of
.FLORIDA.
MaimeLeaguesao to a Degree. f ,^
"
L AGIT NA
E SPIRITU
S AN T O

OF FLORIDA. 17
broadeft, having from five to feven fathom water, except at the
eaftern outlet that goes into the Laguna del Efpiritu Santo, where
it is not more than two fathom: there are two large iflands at the
entrance, .which form two channels into it. The northern channel,
which is about fixteen leagues fouth of Rio Amafura, has from
ten to twelve fathom water, and the fouthern channel has three,
five and feven fathom water. There is about feven leagues from
the north channel a large bay about fix miles over, and which extends
twenty miles to the N. W. ; this is called Tampa Bahia, and
is conjectured to have communication with Bahia de St. "Jofef.
There is another opening on the north ihore, about twenty miles
from 'Tampa Bahia, which has a communication with the other
rivers. About nine leagues from the fouthern channel is a paflage
almoft S. W. into Bahia de Carlos. This bay, which lies from
weft to eaft in about 27 deg". 30 min. north latitude, is capable of
receiving the largeft fleet that ever was collected in this part of the
world, and may, in cafe of any future rupture, be of great importance
to the crown of Great Britain ; for the galleons in their
paûage from Vera Cruz to the Havana are obliged, by reafon of
the N. E. trade winds, to ftretch away to the northward, and as
foon as they have made La Sunda, they keep as near the coaft of
Florida as poffible, and generally fall in with fome men of war
that cruize to the northward of the Toriugas on purpofe to meet
and convoy them to the Havana.
Bahia de Carlos is about four leagues S. W. of the fouthern
entrance into the Bahia del Efpiritu Santo. This bay extends
about fourteen leagues almoft S. E. from its entrance, and is about
five leagues over in the broadeft part : it is very ihallow, having
at moil but three fathoms water. There are feveral openings about
the bay between the iflands, the chief of which communicates with
the Laguna del Efpiritu Santo.
THERE are five large iflands to the fouth of Bahia de Carlos^
which is inhabited by the Mufpa Indians. Twenty-three leagues
fouth of the entrance into the Bahia de Carlos lies the Punia de
Afm, in latitude 25 deg. 50 min. being the moft S. W. point of
D all

ï8 A GEOGRAPHICAL ACCOUNT
all Florida. Twenty-four leagues from this point almoft S. E.
lies the Pitnta de ganche, which is the moft fouthern point of
Flvrida> in latitude 25 deg. 25 œin. On this point there is a lake
of freih water, and very good anchorage round the Cayos, near the
point.
"Laguna del Eff'wiiu Saato is- fituated between the iilands, extending
frotn north to fouth about 27 leagues, and is near eight
leagues wide j it bas feveral communications with the bays on the
weft fide of the peninfula, as well as with the Gulf of Florida*
The principal and beft known entrance is about three leagues almoft
weft from the Punta de Florida^ which lies in 26 deg«
20 min. N. latkude. This entrance is two leagues nearly N. W»
and at the end of it, in; the lake, are two ihoals and fix ifîanda^
called the Cayos del Efpiritu Santo : this large kke is as yet but
little known,
La Sonda is a very large bank, thai extends on the weft fide of
the peninfula into the gulf of Mexico^ beginaing in. latitude 24 deg.
23 tain, at the diftanee of thirty leagues from the peninfula, ftretch-.
ing to,the northward along the coaft, and having, in fome places 100
fathom water, decreasing very regularly as it approaches the ihore.
On the fouth part of this hank are about nine or tea iflands on a.
bank, which is dry at low water, called the lortugat: they are in~
latitude 24 deg. 50 min. North, furrounded on the S. E. end by
rocks. Round, thele iflands there: is very good anchorage from
three to twenty, fathom water.
THE Cayo Marques confift of one large and about ten fmall
iflands, furrounded on the N. W. fide by a,great number of rocks
that extend, to the N. W. above ten leagues. On. the eaft fide
is a channel about four miles over of five fathom water : this is
called Boca Grande or the Great Mouth.
ON. the La> Sonda, north of die Tortugas., there is a very good
fiûjer.y, where is plenty of meros and pardos, which are a» large*
or, ratherr larger, and mojne delicious, than the Newfoundland GQ& ;.
and

OF FLOR.I D Â. 19
and it alfo abounds with great plenty of feals, the fat of which
the Spaniards pay the bottom of their (hips with at the Havana,
The Indians of Ratones and -the fouth parts of Florida cure great
quantities of this fiih, which, with the hats and mats they make
of grafs and barks of trees in great perfection, they exchange in
trafEck with the Spaniards, who come here from the Havana with
European goods for the ufe of the natives.
THE vail current of water which fets in with a confiant and ílrong
ftream to the weft upon all the fouthern parts of the main land in
the Mexican gulf, as far as the ftrand of La Vera Cruz, returns
back towards the Eaft, between the ifland of Cuba, and the fouthern
coaft of North America ; and finding no vent till it cometh to Cape
Florida, it is there forced about again from South to North, and fo
runs through this channel between Florida and the Bahama iflands
into the Atlantic ocean.
THE caufe of this» continual diverfidn towards the North ftiay
be the oppofition that this efflux meets with in its tendency eaftward
back from the trade winds, which always blow between, and*
a little way without both the tropics, and the weftward direction
of the Atlantic ocean in thofe parts ; not to mention' the ftrong
barricade of the Bahama iflands, which are ranged, as it were on
pwrpofe, to dlreek and alter the courfe of this outfetting current.
The navigation upon the extreme parts of Florida is remarkably
dangerous, not only becaufc it is within the courfe of the tradewinds,
but becaufe the whole ihore upon which the current for
the moft part fets is particularly tow, flat, broken ground -, and full
nine leagues into the fea the water is in many places quite ihallow,
excepting fome winding deep channels in feveral parts of it,
whieh are the caufes of frequent íhipwrecks j for whenever a íhip
falls- into- one of thefe channels, ihe very rarely, if ever, gets clear
of it ; becaufe, being deceived by the deep foundings, and having unwarily
entered fo far within the banks, that there is no returning by
the fame way, the veflel mail inevitably be loft. From the confideration
of theie dangers, mariners are obliged to make an allowance
of about five points in the compafs for the current, keeping as
D 2 near

ao A GEOGRAPHICAL ACCOUNT
near as poflible to the Bahama fide ; and from fome errour iri this
allowance it is that (hips are infeniibly driven too clofe upon the
coaft of Florida.
THE Cayos de lös Martyres are a large chain of iflands and
Crocks, extending in a circular form about 60 leagues from the Боса
Grande, in 24 deg. 40 min. North latitude, at the diftance of thirteen
leagues from Punia Jancbe to Punta Florida.
A PERFECT knowledge of thefe iflands and rocks would be of
great confequence in navigating the gulf of Florida with fafety. The
beft account we have been able to procure of them is as follows.
Cayos de Chequimula are about ten in number, lying in the latitude
of 24 deg. 40 min. and extend above eight leagues eaft from
Boca Grande.
Cayo de Huefo is 12 miles in length from Weft to Eaft, and
eight miles to the fouth thereof runs a ledge of rocks : there is a
channel between them having five fathom water. To the eaftward
of this ifland lies the Cayo Pinera and the Bahia Honda, clofe
to which there is five fathom water.
THE Cayos de Facas are a clufter of fmall iflands and banks*
which, with the Vivora and Matacumbe, extend quite to the Cayo
Largo, the principal of all the Martyres.
Cayo Largo, ò de Doce Léguas. This is the largeft of all the Martyres,
beginning in the latitude 25 deg. and extending from the
fouth point about 13 leagues almoft N. E. On the weft fide of it lie
feveral fmall Cayos, and along the eaft coaft there ranges a bank
which is dry at low water, on which ftand Cayo de Tivanos, furrounded
with rocks ; alfo the Cayo Palem and Cayo Efcrtvaxo. To
the eaft of this bank there is another, which is aifo dry at low water,
and between them there is a channel near two miles wide, having
from three to four fathom water all the way through. Each of
thefe banks range in the direction of the coaft of faid Cayo, and
are

O F- FLORIDA. 21
are about ten leagues long ; and without them, to the eaftward,
runs a ledge of rocks called the Martyres, at about three leagues
diilance from the Cayo Largo.
Las Tetas, fo named from two hills on it, lies in the latitude of
05 deg. 45 min. The channel between this and Cayo Largo is three
leagues over. Almoft a league north of this lies Playuelos in latitude
25 deg. 55 min. being three leagues long ; and to the north hereof
are feveral fmall Cayos, the largeft of which is four miles long,
called Mucaras, lying in latitude 26 deg. ; to the northward whereof
are three fmall Cayos in four fathom water. The next is Cayo
de la Perida, fituate in latitude 26 deg. 10 min. being feven miles in
length. On both fides of this ifland there are banks running out
a league from fhore, and on the eaft. fide is four fathom water.
Cayo de Bifcayno, otherwife called by fome Portland Race, is
fituate in latitude 26 deg. 15 min. ranging in a N. E. and S.W. diredioru
It is feven miles long, and has four fathom water clofe
in ihore. To the North hereof lies the fmall iiland of
Cayo Ratones, about four miles in length, on which there is an
Indian town, called Pueblo Raton, which- is the only fettlement
of Indians that we have any account of on the Martyres.
IN the year 1733, a ^ eet °^ fourteen galleons, on their return:
through the Gulf of Florida for Old Spain, ran foul of the Martyres
rocks, occafioned by the ignorance of the Admiral Don Roderigo
de Torres. For one of the captains difobeying the admiral's
fignals, thereby avoided the danger, and faved his ihip ; but the
other thirteen- were entirely loft, with great part of their treafure :
and, for many years after, thefe wrecks were much frequented
by the Spanißy and Indian divers, who were often very fuccefsful
m recovering great quantities of dollars.

22 A GEOGRAPHICAL ACCOUNT
The Eaß Coaß of the Peninfula of Florida*
T)OcA DE ДАТОЫЕЗ lies in 26 deg, 40 min. North latitude, and
•*-* ç leagues to the Northward of Pueblo de Raton, There are
numbers of iilands in this channel. Five leagues to the Northward
hereof lies Rio Seco, in latitude 27 deg. at the mouth whereof
is ten fathom water; and three leagues to the Northward lies
Rio J ego о Goguy which leads into a laguna full of fmall iflands,
and has feveral communications with the great J^aguna dcj I$jpi~
r\tn Santa. About feven miles tp the Northward of this opening,
there is, a remarkable high land, called Ropç Tendida, About
five leagues from the mouth of this river is
Rio Joee, in latitude 27 deg. 24 min. this alfo has a communication
with t^e abovementioned lalçe. About tçn miles to the
Northward hereof opens the
Rio Sania Lucia^ called in fome maps Rio Santa Cruz, lying in
latitude 27 deg. 33 min. This river has a communication with
the Bahia del Efpiritu Santo, and with the Rio Amazura^ which
empties itfelf into the Gulf of Mexico. In lliio river Soio landed-ia •
year 1539.-
Rio de Ays, three leagues North of Rio Santa. Cruz, and in latitude
27 deg. 45 min. has five fathom waiter at its entrance, which
leads into a fine harbour, within which, at about шде leagues to
the Weft ward, is fituated РиеШ del CaJJ^ue Seiaßian.
THE Tortolas яге a ledge of rocks, beginning in latitude 27 deg.
56 min. in length about fix leagues, whichj running parallel tp
the coaft, reaches to the entrance of a bay called
El Palmar, fituate in latitude 28 deg. 13 min. This bay is ten
miles in length, lying almoft North and South, and in breadth
about

O F F L O R I D A. 23
about two miles, having at its entrance ten fathom water. From
hence the coaft ftretches to the N. E. forming, at abeut feven
leagues diftance from the Portelas, the head-land, or cape,
called
Cabo del Canaveral, in latitude 28 deg. 27 min. which is the
Eaftermoíí point of all Florida, and is furrounded with rocks, lying
at about two miles off from the ihore ; clofe to thefe rocks is
ten fathom water. To-the Eaftward of this cape there are three
banks, which extend themfelves fix leagues into the Atlantic ocean,
and have channels between them. To the Northward of it alfo
lies El Êuey, which is a dangerous bank of rocks, having from ten
to twenty fathom water ctofe round it j and to the Northward hereof
lies another fmall bank. The coaft now ftretches to the Northweft,
and on it is a little bay, called
La Rogue, lying at about nine leagues diftance from Cabo del
Canaveral ; amd, about four leagues to the Northward of this,
opens
Rio de Mofquiíos. The mouth of this river lies in latitude 28
deg. 48 min. There is a direct communication through this river
by the Rio Amazura into the Gulf of Mexico.
THE Mofquitos arc a tribe of Indians, inhabiting both fides of this
river. The coaft now runs nearly North and South, and on it are
found
Barraderas, a fmall bay, lying in latitude »8 degrees 56 minutes,
as alfo Ayamonte, another fmall bay, in latitude 29 degrees
4 minutes.
El Penon is an Indian fettle'ment on an iflarid thirteen leagues
to the North of Rio de Mofquitos, fituate at the entrance of the
Rio Mafanzas, through which there is a communication to St.
Augußin.
Barra

24 A GEOGRAPHICAL ACCOUNT
Barra de Matanzas has eight feet water on it, but afterwards,
within the river, from ten to 15 fathom. On the North fide of
the entrance of this river is high land, called Torre deRomo.
Santa Anaßaßa iíland is nine leagues long, reaching from the
Barra de Mafanzas to the entrance of the harbour of St. Augußin,
which it helps to form.
Si. Augußin lies in 29 deg. 50 min. North latitude : the city
runs along the more, at the foot of a pleafant hill, adorned with
trees ; its form is oblong, divided by four regular ftreets crofting
each other at right angles. Down by the fea-fide, about three
fourths of a mile South of the town, ftandeth the church, and a
monaftery of St. Augußin. The beft built part of the town is on the
North fide, leading to the caftle, which is called Sf. Johns Fort.
It is a fquare building of foft ftone, fortified with whole baftions,
having a rampart twenty feet high, with a parapet nine feet thick,
and it is cazemated. The town is alfo fortified with baftions, and
inclofed with a ditch : The whole well furniihed with cannon.
The harbour is formed by the North-end of Santa Anaßaßa ifland,
and a long point of land, divided from the continent by the river
St. Mark, which falls into the fea a little above the caftle. At the
entrance of this harbour are the North and South breakers, forming
two channels, whofe bars have from eight to nine eatkem- water
over them at low water. On the North and South, without the
walls of the city, are two Indian towns.
THE little fort is fituated at the entrance of a river into the Rio
Matanzas, about four miles South of St. Augußin, and at the end
of a marfh. Fort Mufa is four miles North of St. Augußin.
Rio St. Sebaßian. Chis river runs out of a lake, and enters the
Rio Matanzas a little to the South of St. Augußin.
Rio St. Marco has communication with Rio St. Juan. It enters
the fea at the harbour of St. Augußin. This river, with that of
St. Sebaftian, forms an ifland, on which St. Augußin is fituate. El

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O F F L O R I D A. 25-
El Canueh is a fmall bay, about three leagues North of St.
Augußin.
Vigia is a little fettlement about two miles from El Canuelo.
FORT Diego is fituated on the North bank of the Rio St. Marco,
about twenty miles from St. Augußin, in the road from that place
to St. Juan.
St. Juan, by fome called St. Matheo, is the moil northern Spaniß
fettlement on the Eaft coaft of Florida. It is fituate on the Southfide
of the Rio St. Juan, about nine miles from Fort George. Rio de
St. Juan is a large river, near feven miles broad at the mouth ; by;
this river there is a communication, all through the peninfula, with
the Rio Amazura, Bahia del Efpiritu Santo, and Laguna del Efpiritu
Santo ; and very probably, by fmall craft, might be navigable
quite through into the Gulf of Mexico.
An Account of the feveral Expeditions made toFloriday by
the Englijh) French^ and Spaniards^ from the ßrß
Difcovery, of this Country to the prefent Times.
Expedition of fohn Ponce de Leon.
N the 3d of March, in the year 1512, Jchn Ponce de Leon,
a gentleman of Spain, failed with three (hips from the port of
St. German, in the ifland of Puerto Rico. He fleered his courfe to
the North-weft, and, on the eighth day after, made the ifland
Viego, in 21 deg. 30 min. North latitude, and anchored on the
next day under one of the Caicos iflands ; thence failing by the little
ifle of Maguana, on the 27th he arrived at Guanani, (the firíl land
discovered by Columbus) and, continuing the fame courfe, he again
made land on the 3d of A]ril, in the latitude of 30 deg. 8 min.
E North,

26 THE EXPEDITIONS
North, which, taking to be an ifland, he named rt, as 'before mentioned,
Florida. He went afhore with fome of his people, both;
to inform himfelf concerning the inhabitants, and to take poiTeffion
of the country with the ceremonies ufed upon fuch occafions. Thisbeing
done, he again fet fail, on the 8th day of the month, toward:
the South, and, coafting along the ihore, ftill caft anchor, as he
perceived any of the Savages, or their hutts, appear i the next
day, having advanced a little way into the fea, he found fo ftronff
a current againil him, that though the wind was favourable, and the
veflTds carried all their fails to it, they were not only unable to proceed,
but with difficulty held their anchors. Here the Spaniards,
being invited by the natives, ventured on ihore; the Savages, when
they were landed, began with hauling up the boat, and carrying
off the oars, off. To this the Spaniards made no oppoiuion at firft,
being loth to irritate them -, but when the latter became fo wantonly
furious as almoft to kill one of the foldiers, both fides fell to blows,,
till night parted them. In this encounter, two Spaniards were
wounded. Going to water at a neighbouring river, they were fortunate
enough to make a prifoner of one of the Savages ; him they
afterwards made ufe of both for a guide and interpreter. Upon
the bank of this river they placed a crofs with an infcription, from
which occurrence it is ftill called the Rio de la Cruz. Having paffed
by the Cape of Florida on the 8th of May, they continued'their
courfe to the South all, down the coaft, till, in latitude 25

T O F L O R I D A. 27
Expedition of Luke Vafquez of Ay Ion.
TN the year 1520, Luke Vafqitez of Aylon, a licentiate, being in.
•*• want of hands to work in the mines, entered into a refolution,
with fome aflociates, to try if they could fteal off a number of
Savages frorri the neighbouring iflands, to be employed in this
bufinefs. For this purpofe, they equipped two {hips, and failed out
of the harbour of Plata, fituated on the North-fide of Hifpaniola,
and fteered, either by chance or defign, which it was is uncertain,
a North-weftern courfe, until they came to the moft diftant of
the Lucayos iflands ; and thence, to what was then part of Florida,
in 32° North latitude, now called St. Helena. At the fight of their
fhips making towards the ihore with expanded fails, the amazed
natives ran in crowds to view them, conceiving that they muft be
fome monftrous tribes driven upon the coaft ; but, as foon as
they faw men with beards and covered with clothing, land out
of thefe floating manfions, they fled in a panic. The Spaniards,
having flopped two of them, carried them off into their ihips ;
where, after having entertained them with meat and drink, they
fent them back again cloathed in the Spaniß' habit. The king of
the country, admiring the drefs, fent fifty of his people to the
ihips, with a prefent of various fruits and provifions j and, not
contented with doing this, he made a party of his fubjefls attend
the Spaniards in the many excurfions into the neighbouring provinces,
with which, at their requeft, he gratified their inclinations j
where they were prefented with gold, plates of filver, pearls, ßfc.
and received in the moft hofpitable manner. The Spaniards, having
made their own obfervations, as they pafled, upon the cuftoms and
manners of the inhabitants, the foil, and climate, invited a large
number of the natives (after they had watered their ihips, and were
prepared for departure) to an entertainment on board their veflels ;
where, having plied their guefts well with liquor, they took that
wicked opportunity to weigh anchor, and fail away with thefe
unhappy deluded people towards Hifpaniola. Many of the poor
E 2 wretches

28 THE EXPEDIT IONS
wretches pined to death with vexation, and from an obftinate refuel
of food; the greater part of what remained periihed in one of the
veflels that foundered at fea ; and fome of them, in vain appealing
to the violated rights of hofpitality, were hurried into a cruel and
hopelefs ilavery. Vafquez, inftead of the puniihment due to fo
inhuman and horrid a proceeding, expeued, and obtained of the
king, the reward appointed for fuch as difcovered new lands, together
with the ufual immunities they were entitled to. Which,
when he had received, in the year 1524, he fent more mips to Florida r.
and was fo elated with the accounts he had from them, of the fertility
of the foil, and the great plenty of gold, filver, and pearls,
to be found there, that he haftened thither hirnfelf, the next year,
with three ihips : but, having loft one of them, when near the
Cape of ft. Helen; and 200 of his people, whom he had landed,
being entirely deftroyed by the natives, more through their own
negligence, and fupine fecurity, than the bravery of the inhabitants
; difappointed of his wifhes, and broken hearted, he returned,
back again to Hijpaniola.
Expedition of Pampbilo Narvez.
o NARVA, not difcouraged by the bad fuccefs of
(L •*• Vafques,. in the year 1526, procured a patent from Charles
A-> the Fifth, Emperor and King of Spain, constituting him governor
of all the lands that ihould be difcovered from the river of
Palms to the extreme boundaries of Florida. In the month ofMarcß
"f&zS, he fet fail, with 400 foot and twenty horfe, on- board of
his veflels, out of the harbour of Xagua, on the South-fide of
the iiland of Cuba. After fome difficulties, he doubled the Cape
of St. Antony, the Weitern point of Cuba, and ftood along the
North-fide of it, as far Eaftward as the harbour of Havana ;
where, meeting with a breeze from the South, he obtained a
profperous paflage over to Florida, and arrived there on the t2th
of Jlpril. He caft anchor in a bay, from whence he could fee
the cottages of the Savages upon the continent. The day following
2 he

TO.FLORID A. 29
Eie landed part of his forces, but found that the natives had deferted
their houfes ; in which, happening to find fome inftrument of gold,
filled with hopes, he immediately difembarked the reft of his troops,
and took pofleffion of the country for the King of Spain, with
the ufual ceremonies. The Savages, foon after, drew near ; but
what they meant remained a fecret, for want of an interpreter,
farther than that they feemed, by their menacing air, to order the
Spaniards to leave their country. The governor, proceeding a little
way forward, found another bay of great extent, reaching furwithin
the continent : up which, having advanced a few leagues,
he fell in with fome Savages, who offered him maize. Whilft he
was employed in gaining intelligence from thefe people, he found
four wooden cafes, wherein carcaiïês, covered with the fkins of
wild animals, and painted after the manner of the Savages, werehidden/.
Upon them there were laid pieces of linen and woollen
cloth, together with fome fprigs of gold, which, the natives infifted>
they had from Apalache, a region far diftant from them, and very
rich in that metaL ;
THE governor, ftili raifed into higher expectations by this information,
ordered his forces to march by land, and the (hips to follow,
keeping along íhofe, Cabeça de Vaca, the treafurer, in vain
oppofing him. On the firft of May, having diftributed to every
foldier two pounds of bifquet, and half a pound of pork, he fet
forward with a fight body of 300 men, forty of which were horfe ?
and performed a journey of fifteen days, through a defolate country,
void of inhabitants, and deftitute of food, till they came to a river,
which they croffed partly by fwimming, and partly upon rafts madeout
of what timber they could find. The Savages flood on the
oppofite bank, and conducted the Spaniards to their huts, where
they refrefhed them with maize. After refting here for a ihort
fpace, Narva difpatched a few of his people to explore the feacoaft,
who found, as far as they difcovered, that it was. full of
ihoals, and without ports; having travelled fifteen days journey
farther, without feeing even the footfteps of an inhabitant, at laft,
en the fev£nteenth of June, he met one of the petty kings, cloathed
with a flag's hide, elegantly painted, preceded by a multitude of
Savages,

•jo THE EX P E D I T IO N S
Savages, fome of them blowing hqrns, &c. to whom he explained,
by figns, that his rout was lo.Apalachf. The 'Indian gave .them
to underftand that he was an ertemy to the Apalachians ; and, after
the mutual exchange of a few prefents, and paffing another
river, he entertained them in his towns with maize and venifon.
Henee, thfough moft harraffing and almoft itnpaffible ways, on, the
25th of the fame month, Nafvaznà his party arrived at Apalache-,
and, falling upon the natives, who neither expected nor were at all
prepared to receive fuch a vifit, the town was taken at the firft attack.
Great quantities of maize, fkins of hearts, garments woven
of thread, (for the mqft civilized of the Floridam make a decent
fort of cqarie cloth, out of, the inward bark of forrje trees which
abound in that country, a& well a$ ropes,. G?f.) together with other
commodities belonging to the inhabitants, fell into their, hands.
The town eonfifted of forty low cottages, covered with ftraw, excellently
guarded againft accidents of winds, which, at times, are
very frequent in thefe places, and defended likewife on every fide
by ridges of lofty mountains, and a deep oozy ground.
ALL the land they had hitherto paiTed over was flat and fandy,
abounding with walnut, laurel, cedar, fir, pine, and low palm
trees, moiilened with many lakes, or elfe encumbered with the
trunks of old trees, Numberlefs wild beafts appeared wandering
about the woods : the country fome what cold, but abounding with
beautiful paflures. In thecourfe of twenty-five days, during which
they tarried here, they were alarmed twice by fudden incurfions of
the natives, who retreated again into the marines. This induced
them to divide themfelves into three feveral parties, in order to
fcour and examine, the adjacent country ; but they found nothing
more than impervious deferts, and fome miferable natives, deftitute
of every thing. The cafllque, or chief, whom they kept in chains,
declared that his town and diftrict was by far the largeft in this
country, and that the regions beyond were much inferior, both as
to,foil and number of inhabitants. Notwithftanding this aflertion
of the cafllque, they came, after a journey of nine days towards
the South, to another of their towns, called Auie, whofe inhabitants

TO FLORIDA. 3r
tants were in confederacy with Apalache, and .abounded in corn and
other neceflaries, as being nearer to the fea.
THE Spaniards being apprized by experience, both of the poverty
of thefe regions, and of the treatment they were to expedi from
the Savages ;. who, lurking about their camp, found means to flay
their horfes, under cover of the night ; wearied out with difappointment,
refolved to direft their maech to. tfhe fea-coaft; towards
which they travelled for eight days, wkh the utmoft hazard and
fatigue, being often attacked by the natives from behind the buihes.
When they came to Ante, a bloody engagment enfued, wherein
the Spaniards loíl fome people. Neverthelefs they took the place,,
and found there a vaft quantity of maize, peafe, gourds, and various
fruits. Cabeça de Faca, being feat by Narvez to furvey the feaihore,
returned three tiays after with an account that the face of
the land was rude and difmal, the bays ftretching far within the
country, and the fea remote. Afflioting news for the faldkrs already
too much diiheartened. The number of their horfes was
by this time fo much reduced, that they had no longer Cafficieut
to carry the fick ; therefore, leaving Aute, they moved towards the
fea, which was the only refource they had left. Boats were now
necefíary ; and therefore, though in want of all materials, they
contrived, by fome means or other, to build five by the twentieth
of September. They twifted .ropes out ,

32 THE EXPEDITIONS
terribly diilrefled for want of water, faw bat few Savages, and fupported
their miferable beings by fiihing. At length, having weathered
a promontory that lay in their way, not without great peril,
and after lofing fome of their company by drinking too largely of
fait water, they again made for the continent ; where, at firft, they
were very kindly received by the natives, and refreshed with drink
and fiili ; but, being* attacked 1 by them in the night, they narrowly
efcaped from totaf deftruilion. The Indian chief eloping, and the
governor wounded,; they fled; in confufion and great precipitation,
to their boats. After three days fail from hence, preifed again by
the want offreih water, they put to ihore. The inhabitants drew
near, and, after a mutual'exchange of hoftages, they granted the
Spaniards leave to water. Neverthelefs, foon after, they both
fiercely redemanded their own people, and detained the Spaniards
captive.. This nation was of a greater ftature than what they had
hitherto feen, with long loofe hair: their kings were richly cloathed
with martens ikins. The ftation here being but bad for veflels,
thinking to avoid extreme danger, they bore a little out to fea ;
but their boats were foon feparated by ftrefs of weather, and each
flrove to reach what lay next before them. One of them, in which
the treafurer Cabeça de Vaca was embarked, (to whom we owe this
narration) ran aground, and he, with his companions, landed
upon an ifland, as it afterwards was found to be. The inhabitants,
about an hundred in number, at firft attacked them in a hoftile
manner ; but, being won by prefents, they brought them plenty
offiih, &c. The Spaniards, having now wrecked their boat upon
this ifland, their arms, cloaths, and every thing elfe, to complete
their misfortunes, being fwallowed up by the fea, were
(Implied with provifions by the natives in their cottages, until
they themfelves began to be in want. The ibarpnefs of hunger
conquered humanity, and the famifhing Spaniards fed upon each
others flefh, until, out of eighty people, only fifteen remained.
Four of thde, Cabeça de Vaca being one, after long wanderings and
various accidents, too long to infert here, arrived at laft in the
province of Mexico, where the other boats periihed ; or what
fate attended the governor is not known. Such was the third
Spanijh expedition into Fiorida.
Expedition

T O F L O R I D A,
Expedition of Ferdinand de Sofo.
Д FT E R thefe unfortunate events, Florida was neglefted till
JL\. the year 1539» when the memorable expedition oï Ferdinand
de Sofo took place. This gentleman had ferved with great reputation
under Francis Pizarro, in the conqueft of Peru, which had
recommended him fo much to the Emperor Charles V. that he
conferred on him the government of Cuba, with the rank of
General of Florida, and the title of Marquis of the lands which
he fhould conquer therein. Having received his commiffion from
the court of Spain, he failed to the Havannah, where he made
a ibort flay, in order to put the affairs of the ifland under proper
regulations, during his abfence ; and then, imbarking his forces, fet
fail on the twelfth of May, in the year 1539, with nine veflels, having
on board 350 horfe, and 900 foot, together with a great number of
mariners, and all things neceflary for luch an expedition. As the
feafon was very fine, and the wind quite fair, they made the coaft
of Florida, to the North ward of the Gulf of Mexico, on the 2 5th of
the faid month, and came to an anchor in the bay of Spiritu San&o,
The whole army was foon difembarked, and, by the help of the
tides, the ihips were, eight days after, brought up fo clofe to the
land, as to moor juft under the Indian habitations. The army, аз
they landed, intrenched themfelves upon the fea-beach, near the
town. After a flight excurfion, to take a view of the adjacent country,
the general, Soto, approached an Indian town, which he found
quite deferted by the natives, who, as foon as they perceived the ihips
upon their coaft, had every where given the alarm by fires. 'At break
of day, Colonel Lewis de Mofcoß drew up the army in three lines,
with a fquadron of horfe to each body. In this order they marched,
making a circuit round the bay, till they came to a village of
the Savages, confifting of about feven or eight houfes, near the
fhore, built of wood, and covered with palm-leaves. On one fide
was a little lodge, which ferved for a temple to their idol, placed
F over

34 T H È -E X P E D I f I O N S
over the entrance, in the íhape of a bird, made of wood, and
gilded over. Some pearls were alfo found here, but of little
value, having been bored by fire, in order to firing them for
chains and bracelets, to adorn their necks and arrhs ; ornaments in
high efteem among thefe people. This town ferved the troops
for quarters, and the general ordered the ground, about it to be
cleared, for a pretty good fpace, both for the fakf of having room.
to exercife his cavalry, and that the Indians, might not approach
without being discovered* if they chofe to attack him in the night.
Double guards were placed at all the avenues ,afld dangjyfous places,
which were relieved every hour, and the cavalry*, rfe.id.y für action
if neceflary, rode about and vifited them. Here they 'were unfortunate
enough to lofe two Indians they had taken prifoners, to ferve
for guides and interpreters, who efcaped in the night by the care-,
leflnefs of thofe that were fet to watch , them. This lofs was the
harder to repair, becaufe the number -of marihes and woodlands
prevented the horfe from purfuing them. . ........
the Spaniards remained' here, Soio detached feveral
. diicover "the country, One of them, in marching by a
morais» about half a leaguov from the camp, fell in with fome inaiam,
and took four of them j whereupon the reft turned ihort upon
thé. Spaniards, and, though far inferior in number, drove them
back, to their camp. Thefe people are fo dexterous, fo fierce, and
fo agile, that it 'is imppffible to gain any advantage over them on ^
foot. '..They fly from thofe who attack them, but, the moment the;
enemy retires, they'fpring upon him. The diftance of a bow-ihot
is the fartheft they ever give way; and, when they make their*
attacks, they are always in confiant motion, running from fide to
fide, to prevent the enemy from taking aim. They diicharge theif
arrows, with incredible celerity* and fo exairJy, , as very feldom to
mifs. ^Their bows are ftrong, and their arrows made of reeds,.
heavy, and fo keen, that they will pierce a buckler. The extremities
of fome they arm with a fim-bone as (harp as an awl, of
others with a fione as hard as a diamond. One of the parties
above mentioned difcovered, on a plain two leagues from the camp,.
teu or twelve Inaians, among whom was an European, naked and
all

TO" i. F. L O R IDA. 35
all fun-burnt, 1
having his arms painted with divers colours, in the
manner of the Indians, from whom he could not, in the leaft, be
diftinguiihed. The Savages difperfed, as foon as the horfe attacked
them, and threw themfelves into a wood, excepting two, who,
being Wounded, were taken : At the fame time, one of the horfemen
run with his launce at the European, who cried out, Gentlemen^
I am a Chriftian, ao not kill me> nor thefe poor people y who have
given me life. Hereupon the Indians were called out of the wood,
with .affurances of having nothing to fear : They were at length
prevailed upon to leave it, and all mounting behind the horfe.men,
this (detachment returned again to the camp, where they were received
with the univerfal joy and carefies of the general and the
;
whole army.
HERE \ rnuil beg leave to digrefs a little, in ofider to. inform. the
reader, what adventure brought the Chriftian above mentioned into
the .hands, of fas
THIS man, whofe name was John Ortiz, was a native of Seville,
and born of a noble family. H

•tf T H E E X P E Dl T I O N S
one of the wolves, and recover the carcafe. This action endeared
him to Ucita, who began to treat him more kindly. Three year*,
paffed thus, when an Indian chief, called Mocofo, attacked Ucitay
bornt his village, and forced him to fly to another place he had by
the fea-ihore. Thcfe wild people have a cuftom of faérifieïng tht
lives of ftrangers that fall into their hands to evii fpirits, whom they
fuppofe to be pleafed with fuch vidtims. This fate Ucita deftined
Ortiz to -, but the fame girl, who had íàved him from the fire,
counfelled him to fly to Mocofo, who, (he faid, would treat him.
well, and wanted to fee him. As he was unacquainted with the
way, me put him into the road, and returned un perceived herfelf.
Ortiz travelled till he came to a rivulet on the frontier of the dominions
of Mocofo, where he found two Indians fiihing. As thefe
people were at war with thofe he came from, he was apprehenfive
they would treat him as an enemy, and the more fu, becauie
he was unable to explain his defign, and what brought him thither
to them, neither underftanding the language of the other ; to prevent
this, he ran to the place where their arms lay, and inftantly
íbized them. The Indians, alarmed, flew immediately to the
town, whence their cries prefently brought numbers of Indians*
who furrounded Ortiz, and were upon t-he point of killing him,,
in vain crymg out that He was fee Cbriflian of Ucîta -, when, providentially,
an Indian joined them who happened to onderAand
bis language, and appeafed his companions by explaining the wordy
of Ortiz to them. Upon this four of the Savages were fent off
with the news to Mocojb, who received Ortiz very cordially, and
promifed» if any Chriftians- íhould arrive in that country, he would
give him leave to retire with tbem. . Among thefe Indians, Ortiz
refided for the courfe of twelve years, and had long defpaired bf
ever feeing- another European, when Mocofo informed him that the
Cbriftians had made a defceht at the town of Ucita. Ortiz, at
firft, ihowed a difficulty of believing him ; but the Caffique ferioufly.miifted
upon the truth of this intelligence^ and permitted him to
go to join them ; adding, that, if he did not, he тиЛ blame himfelf
alone, when the Chriftians were gone, fince the promiib
made to him had been performed. 'Ortiz thanked the Indian in
the gratefulkil tei,tns, who, at his depattufe, fent lèverai of his
2 people

TOPLORIDA. 37
people to efcort him ; and thefe were they, whom the above,
mentioned party, from Soio's army, met.
AT his arrival in the camp, the General preferred him witk
cJoaths, arms, and a good horfe ; aiking him, at the fame time,
whether he had no knowledge of any part of this country that
abounded with gold or filver mines. Ortiz anfwered, that he had
penetrated only a little way farther than the habitation of Mocofa^.
but that, at thirty leagues diftance from his town, dwelt Paracoxi,.
the moil puiflant prince of thefe regions, to whom all the other
chiefs were tributary, and that he could give him fatisfadlory light
concerning what was enquired after ; moreover, that his countrywas
very fertile, and abounded with all the provifions of life» This,
intelligence was highly pleaiing to Sofo, who looked upon it as certain,
that, in traverfing fo great an extent of land, he muft> of
courfe, find fome part of it very rich.
A FEW days after, Mocofo paid the Spaniards a vifít, when, ia
â handfome fpeech, he welcomed the general, and offered him his
fervices. Sete received him with foitable returns of civility, and
made him ibme fmall prefenfs ; after which he taok hk bare»
and went back to hie habitation bighJy fatiefied. .:/ .
• SOTO immediately dispatched Balthazar de Gafkgös, at the heatî
of about thirty men, into the province of Parafoxf, to gain information
of what Florida farther afforded. At the-ir arrival here„
they found the caffique had retired out of the town, but fent thirty
Indians, to enquire wha* tfeey fought in his country, and wherein,
he could be of fervice to them ? Gallegos .thanked him for his
civility, and teiUfied his inclination to confirm a fmcere and lairing
friendíhip with him ; for the fake of doing which, he defired him
to return to his habitation. The Indian anfwered by mefîenge'rs,,
that he was indifpofed, which prevented him from comihgp &ailegos
demanded, if they knew any province that produced gold or
fiiver ? They anfwered,, he would find one to the Weft, called
Cale, which was at war with à neighbouring diftrióc, where the
Spring bloomed throughout the year,, »nd gold was fo pknty, that-i
the.

3ß THE E X P E' D I T I O N S
the. people marched againft thofe o? .Cale with helmets made of
this metal on their heads. But the Spaniflj officer fufpecting they
only made preteoces, for the fake of gaining time, tiil they could
bbtake themfelves to fome place of fecurity ; and fearing, if he fuf-
(ered. the Inaian meffengers to depart, they would not return again,
put them in irons, and fent to acquaint Soto of his proceedings ;
upon which the general, leaving a proper number of men to guard
the port, marched with all the reft, joined GaUegos, and, without
delay, fet onward to Cale. He found, in his way, fome fmall villages,
and took an Indian for his guide, who conducted them to
the banks of a very 'rapid rive.r. Having palled this with fome
difficulty, Soto, who had headed the advanced guard, fent to haften
.the main body j becaufe the journey was long, and he was
apprehenfive that provifion might fail them. At length, he arrhed
at .Cale, but faund the town deferted. Here he halted for
the reft of the army, now extremely fatigued with hunger and bad
ways ; for the ground was poor, marfhy in many'places, or covered
with thick woods. All' their provifions were confumed, fo that
thdy were obliged to feed upon beet leaves, thiftles, and maize,
which they devoured ftalk and all ; fo outrageous was hunger grown,
J^ot-the Jiorfemcn^^ had fent back-: to them, brought the comforting
news, that there was plenty of maize at Cale ; all that was;
ripe of it the general ordered to be cut down, and a ftore
was laid up, fufficient for three months. One of the Indians.
who \vxre táJkçh ioformed Soiõ, that,'feven leagues beyond this
tpwn, there wasjaL'proyince very längs and fertile in maize, which
was : called Palbch^ Whereupon, he. fet off immediately from Cale,
with a body of borfe and foot, г leaving Colonel Lewis de Mofcojb
to Command the reft, with ëxprefs orders iiot to decamp, uníeis
h^e Ibould receive a command 'to do fo: under .his hand.
, г JDorr iFenJmand du-Soto le.ft,íío/ê,pn the eleventh day of j
ïJ^O, and Jay firÄ át £íír^,;next at Potano, üben at Uiiw.amar. and,
on the fourth day> M ha -place- called, by the Spaniards, Ma^apiiz.
Hence he came to a; place called Cholupaba ; and, after two daysjourney
through a défarf country^ he arrived at Caliqiten. Here it was intitoSo(o,'Ss
he- was inquiring concerning the province oîPalache,that

TO FLORIDA. 39
that N'armez had not penetrated into the country beyond where they
now were, being unable to find either path or habitations : That
it was more eligible to abandon Florida, and return, than run the
riik of periming by the Savages, or hunger, in thofe defolate
regions. But the general paid no regard to fuch remonftrances :
On the reverie, he ordered all to hold themfelves ready to march,
and fent orders for Mojcofo to join him with the utmoft expedition.
This was immediateiy done, though the troops fuffered much, in
paffing through a country entirely laid wafte by the general, in his
paÛàge^through it.
'SoTO' marched from Caliquen, with the whole army, on the
2oth of September, taking the caflique away with him. In five
days he arrived i&Napetaca, during which the Indians feveral times
applied to him, praying that their chief might be fet at liberty.
To whom he anfwered, that he did not intend to detain him byforce
longer, than till he mould arrive in the dominions of Uzachil,
a chief who was related to the'caflique of Caliquen. Meanwhile,
John Ortiz learned from an Indian, that-they had refolved
to aflemble and attack the army, in order to fet their chief at liberty
by force. The general, being apprized of this, ordered all the in- ;
fantry and cavalry to arm, and to remain ib prepared in their quarters,
not to give the Indians any fufpicion, who, to the number" of
400, in arms, were polled in a wood a little way from the camp.;
Thus ihttioned, they fent two nie n to demand their caiîîque of the
governor ; who, taking him by the hand, and talking to him, the
better to fatisfy the Indium, advanced near the place where they
had pofted themfelves ; but, obferving them to be preparing for
battle, he commanded an alarm to be founded; at which alt
the Spaniards ruilied out with fuch fury, that the Indians, furprized
and thrown into confufion, thought only of flight. Forty of/
them were killed on the fpot by the fpcar, and the reft threw
themfelves into two neighbouring lakes, where the Spaniards fired
upon them, as they were fwimming, though to little effecV
Soto, not having people enough for both, fürrounded only one of
the lakes, out of which the Indians endeavoured to efcape by fwimraing
foftly to the banks in the night, covering their heads with
water-

T H E Ъ % F E D I T I Q N S
water-lilies ; but the horfe, perceiving the water to be put itj motion,
puihed up to the belly in the lake, and drove them back
again. A great pact of the night having thus paiTed, without any.
repofe on either fide, Ortiz called out to'them to fubmit to tfee
governor, fince there was no ppffibility of efcaping : Which they,
at laft, agreed to do, compelled by the fevere cold they felt in the
water. They all furrendered except about twelve, who refolutely
determined rather to die in the lake -, but the Indians of Paracoxi
threw themfelves in, dragged them out ,by the hair, and they were
immediately chained together. All the reft were divided amongft
the Spaniards, to ferve as flaves. The mifery of this flavery was
fo intolerable to thofe Savages, that they refolved to free themfelves
from it; and, for that end, one of them, who acled as interpretçr,
undertook to ftrangle the general, whilft he. was talking with
him, by throwing both hands at once fuddenly upon his neck;
but, in the inftant of attempting it, Soto ftruck the Indean. upon
the face fo furioufly, as, in a moment, to cover it over with
bjood. All the Indians were roufbd at this fignal, and a terrible
batfle enfued ; each Savage ufing, for a weapon, the club
w,ith which they bruifed the maize, or the, fword or launces of their
noafters, that happened to lie near them, and managed them
with as much dexterity as the Spaniards themfelves could do -, till,
at laft, after having given wonderful proof of valour and intrepidity,
they were overpowered by numbers, and the whole body,
cpnfifting of about two hundred, taken ; feveral of whom were
faftened to ftakes, and (hot to death by the arrows of the Paracoxi
Indians,
FROM Napetaca they marched, on the twenty-third of September,
and fqon arrived at Uzacbil, which, had been abandoned by its inhabitants,
upon the rumour of the flaughter made at the forenjentioned
.place- Great quantities of maize, pulfe, and cucumbers,
were found in the town. The firft was as fine as millet,
and the laft better than thofe of Spain, The parties, alfo, that
were detached to fcour the country, picked up about joo Indians,
who were divided among the foldiery, to be ufed for carryihg of
baggage, peeling of maize, and other fer vile, offices, in which the
chain

TOFLORIDA. 41
chain they were fattened with, by the neck, did not much hinder
them. As for the women and children, they were fuffered to go
unchained, whenever they had come fixty, or a hundred miles,
from their refpecYiye homes. Thefe were very ferviceable, and
learned Spaniih in a little time.
THE general now quitted Uzachil, to go to Palache, and, on the
fécond day, arrived at ЛхШе, where the inhabitants did not wait
to receive him, but retired to a neighbouring wood. He left this
place the next day, being the firft of Oftober; and, having thrown a
bridge over a river that lay acrofs his road, was preparing to pafs
it with his troops, when the Indians prefented themfclves on the
other fide, to difpüte the paiTage ; upon which, Sato commanded
the crofs-bow men to advance, who forced them to retire. The
whole army then pafled over, and arrived, that evening, at Vitacbuco,
a town, in the province of Palache, which the Indians had fet fire
to, and the flames were not yet extinguifhed, when they entered
it. This province is well peopled, and fruitful in maize : houfcsand
villages appeared on every fide, till they came to Anhayca de
Palache, the refidence of the caffique, who commanded the whole
province. The Spaniß* forces were quartered round the town, at
a fmall diftance from which were other villages, whence they drew
great quantities of maize, cucumbers, beans, and dried plumbs,
better than thofe of Spain. The trees which bear thefe plumbs
grow fpontaneoufly all over the country.
SOTO, who knew that the fea was not more than ten leagues
diftant, fent out a party of horfe and foot, who, paffing by Ocheta,
fix leagues from their quarters, came to the fea-fide : They conjectured,
from the bones of horfes and other vertiges, that Narvez
had, there, conftruded thofe barks in which he was fhip-wrecked.
As foon as the governor was informed of this, he fent Dan~
hitfco, at the head of thirty horfemen, with orders for the party
left at Bahia del Efpiritu Santo, to fet out direélly for Palache.
Danhufco marched with all the fecrecy poiTible, that he might not
alarm the Indians, who were now returned to their towns, which
the Spaniards had paflfed through ; and thus, in no more than fix
G days,

42 THEËXPEDITÎONS
days, he arrived at the port. Here he embarked with all the foot,
and rowed along the coaft, till he came to Palache, which was not
till the twenty-fifth of December. The horfe returned with the
party that were fent for by the general.
SOTO, having determined to difcover the country on the Wertem
coaft, ordered Maldonado, with a fmall body of infantry, to march
by the ihore, and to make himfelf acquainted with the harbours,
if any, thereon. While thefe things were doing, many fmall fkirmiihes
happened between the Spaniards and Indians, with various
futícefs, until the time that Maldonado returned, who brought with
him a native of a province called Ocbufe, fixty leagues from Pala-
£&e. He had "found there a harbour of good depth, and well fheltéred,
which was very pleafing to the governor, as he had hopes of
difcovering, on this coaft, fome country rich in gold. The better
to accomplifh this end, he difpatched Maldonado for warlike implements,
to the Havana, with orders to meet him at the port of
•Ochuft'j whither he intended to go by land ; having determined to
undertake nothing of confequence, before he ihould have vifited
that place.
JUST after Maldonado was gone, it happened that a young Indian
was brought before the governor, who had been taken at frlapeiaca
: He aflured him, that it was not from the country abovementioned,
but from his own, called Tupaha, far diftant, on the
Eaftern coaft, that he muft feek for gold ; defcribing the manner
likewife fo minutely in which gold was extraded from the ore,/
melted, and refined, that all thofe in the army, who had been
converfant with the working of mines, declared to* Sato, that it was
impoffible for him to fpeak fo juftly concerning this bufinefs, unlefs
he had feen it done himfelf: And thus this relation of this Indian
paßed for indubitable truth. Therefore, with minds filled with
the ideal riches of Tupaba, the Spaniards left Palache on the third
of March.
THE general ordered every man to take provifion with hirn for
fixt'y leagues of defert, which they were obliged to carry themfelves„
as

T O F L O R I D A. 43
í s the Indian prifoners had, for the moft part, periihed through
the winter's fatigue. After four days march, they came to a river,
over which the army pafled, hy the affiftance of a large canoe,
that enabled them to fatten a great rope acrofs, and, by thefe means,
to ftem the rapidity of the ftream, holding that as they went.
This bufinefs coft them the labour of a day and a half; at lair,
on the eleventh of Marco, they arrived at Capachiqui. The Indians
were evçry where in arms, falling at times upon the Spaniards
that {haggled, or were detached tc> get wood, &c. and, when purfued
by Sato's horfe, they threw themfelves into the marihes where
they were. unavailable. The general left this place, and arrived at
*TuaHi on the twen.ty-firft day of tb$ month. The hpufes;here ар т
peared very -Different from any hitherto feen by the Spaniards in
Florida : They were covered with reeds ranged like tyles, very
neatly. The mils wer« made of pples, interfering e,ach other fo
artfully, as to fee m built of ilone and mortar. They light large
fires in their houfes during the night, which make them fo warm,
though the climate is rather cold, that they want no covering.
The granaries wherein they lay up their corn arc raifed upon four
pofts, with a floor made of reeds. Thefe people, in their drefs
and building, are more civilized than the reft of the Floridans,
The déer-ikins, which they make ufe of for çloathjng, are dyed cf
an Excellent fcarlct, and they weave a fine kind of linen put of the
moft tender infide bark of a certain tree.
THEY marched from Toalli on the twenty-third of March, and
approached the town of Achefe, the inhabitants of which retired on
their approach ; but, their cafiique being fent for by them, appearr
ed, and addreffed himfelf to the general in a handfome ipeech,
defiling to know what he looked for in their country, and
wherein he could be of fervice. Soto thanked him for his civility,
told him, that he was the fon of the fun, and that he had left the
place of his abode, to feek the greateft lord, and the richeft province,
which was in that country. The caffique gave him guides,
and an interpreter, to lead the army to a diftriór. called Ocuta »•
This civil behaviour fo pleafed the general, that he let all the
nrifoners he had taken in his dominions at liberty, Juft before bis
G 2 ' departure,

44 T HE EXPEDITIONS
departure, Soto fet up a wooden crofs in the town, and only told
the Indians, that this fign was eredled in memory of 'Jefm Chriß,
who had fufTered to fave us : That he was both God and man, and
had created the heaven and earth ; and that, therefore, they muft
look up to that token with profound refpedl : Which they promifed
to do.
ON the twenty-fourth of April, the troops arrived at Altaraca,
and, on the tenth, at Ocuté. The caffique of this place fent 2000
Indians to the governor, with feveral prefents, and, among the
reft, many dogs, the fleih of which, for want of other meat, was
as much efteemed in the army as mutton. The Indians are not
reduced to fuch ftraits ; for, with their bows and arrows, and by
the help of many engines and inventions, of which the Spaniards
had no knowledge, they kill and take plenty of all forts of game.
But, even if they had, neither time nor circumftance permitted the
foldiers to purfue it.
THE governor left Ocuté on the twelfth of April, after the caffique
had given him 400 Indians for fervice. The army marched then
to Cofaqui, and thence to Patofa. The chief of which laft diftrift,
hearing of Soto's approach, came to fee him, and defired his
friendship in a fet fpeech, which was anfwered in the moft obliging
manner.
THE face of the country, from Ocuté to Patofa, for the fpace of
fifty miles, is very beautiful ; the foil rich, and finely watered with
many rivers, and the people of a fweet and amiable temper; but,
from the Bahia del Efpiritu Santo to the former place, it is low,
fandy, marihy, or covered with high buihes; whence the fierce
and warlike inhabitants rufh out, or where they retire to, and are
fecured againft all aflaults of horfe or foot.
SOTO being upon the point of leaving Patofa, the Indians of
that country infifted, contrary to the afíertion of the young Tupahan
a"bove-mentioned, that they had no knowledge of any region
to the Eaftward j but that, to the Nor.h-weft, there was a very
fertile,

TOFLORIDA. 45
fer tile, and well-peopled province, named Coca. Neverthelefs, the
caffique left it at Sctfo's difcretion, to take his peopie, whom he
gave him for guides, either way he íhould chufe. After having
interchanged marks of reciprocal affection with this good caffique,
the general began his march, which continued four days, through
a road that grew ftill narrower, and at laft difappeared, the Yupahan
Indian leading the way. The fatigue of this journey was much
increafed, by having fome large and rapid rivers to crofs. Thefe
difficulties fo heightened the general's vexation, that he threatened
to caft the young Indian to the dogs, for his treachery in thus deceiving
him ; the army having been on the march for nine days, and
provifions growing very ihort, both for men and horfes. The Indian
confefled he knew not where he was ; and this -confeffion would
have coil him his life, but that he was the only one of the Floridans
who could make himfelf underftood by John Ortiz. The
general himfelf, attended by a few foldiers, made an excurfion
in fearch of a road, but returned at night, quite difconcerted, not
having been able to difcover the leaft track of a way, or trace of
a human habitation.
THE next day, a council was held, to determine, whether they
íhould return or proceed. They were deterred from returning,
when they confidered that the country behind them was quite
exhaufted of proviiion, their own almoft confumed, and both men
and horfes fo enfeebled, that it was doubtful whether they would
be able to reach any place of refreihment. Moreover, the Indians
moft probably, taking advantage of their diforder, might fall upon
them. The general, therefore, refolved to fend out federal parties,
in different directions, to feek for fome inhabited fpot ; but
they returned, almoft tired to death, without any furcefs. The
next day, Soto appointed four commanders for this work, whofe
courage and fagacity he was well aiïured of. Their names were
Gallegos, who marched up along the fide of a neighbouring river towards
itsfource-i Danhu/'co, who followed the courfe of the fame river,
downward ; Roma, and Labhilo, who advanced different ways into
the country. In the mean time, the foldiers were allowed only half a
pound of fleih each day, and owed even this to Stto's having brought
feveral

46 THE -E X P E D I T I O N S
feveral fwine: with him into Florida, which produced a great number
of pigs, AS to the Indiana of Patofa, they were difmtííed
when provifions began to fail ihort, though- thefe poor people
ihowed an extreme delire of ferving the Chriftians, and much
regret at .leaving-them in this diflrefs.
. DANHUSCQ returned foon auer, with an account that he had
difcovered a town, about twelve ieaguea off} news thai revived
the dying fpirits of the whole army, which decamped OB the twenty-fixth
of April, in queft of this place, where the general, with
die beft mounted, arrived the next day, leaving the reft to followas
fail as they could. They found irt this town, called by the
Itidiam Лутау, д granary full of maize, and took four of the inhabitants
; one of whom, being compelled by threats of inftant
death in cafe of denial, confeiTed that another town lay at no very
great jdiflance, called Catifacbiqui. Thither the general haftened,
and ieized three Indians on the road, who told him-that a lady held
the fovereigntyof this country. Upon which the general fcnt to
offer her his friendibip, and me, in return, fent her fifter to bid
him welcome ; and, foon after, appeared herfelf in a canoe, which
had an awning in the poop, fupported by a launce, under which
the femak icaffique.fat upon two cuihions, accompanied with ai
number of /яЛ/ля! women, her attendants, and many other canoes.;
Thus equipped, ihe came to the bank where Soie waited to receive
her, and addrefled him in a handfome fpeech. After which
£he made him many prefents; among the reft, a pearl necklace,
the beads,of which were of a great fize ; and; during his ftay in
her town, fent him every day a quantity of fowls.
THIS country is very pleafant, fertile, and watered with many
rivers, and no more than two days journey from the fea, as the
natives declared. There is not much thicket, but plenty of nut
and mulberry trees. The people are tawrjey, well made, and more
poliihed than any they had hitherto feen in Florida; They- all wore
cloaths and drawers in their manner. The young.Indian fo often
mentioned told the governor that they had now begun to enter into
the rich country he fpoke of 5 and, as he underftood the language,
Soio

TO' FLORID A. 47
Soto fuffered himfelf to be ib perfuaded, and, at his requeft, permitted
him to be baptized, by the name of Pedro, loofing him from
the chain which he had dragged all the way hither. All the
troops were of opinion that this was the proper fituation for them
to fettle, it being fo advantageous a port for all the ihips from
New Spain, Peru, St. Martha, and the main, to carry on their
traffick in, as it lay in their road to Ola Spain ; that the land was
good, and commerce might be there eftablifhed with great profit.
But the general, who had nothing lefs in his head than the ireafure
of Atabilipa, and hoped to find a like mafs of gold, could not be
prevailed upon, by the preffing intreaties of .all his people, to fix
here. He replied, that the country was not capable of fupplying
them with provifion, at prefent, for one month ; and, were it
otherwife, he was indifpenfably obliged to march to Ocbijfe, where
he had appointed Maldonado to wait for him : That, at worft, they
might any time return to this country, which they would then
find fown for another crop by the Indians. In fine, he had been
informed, that there was, at the diftance of twelve days journey
from Catifcichiqui, a province called Chiaha, whkher he refolved to
march :" And, being (although he was willing to attend to every
other opinion firft) a man utterly inflexible and peremptory, when
he had once fixed his own, no One, notwitbftanding he was guilty
of great error of judgment in quitting this diftricl, would venture
to oppofe him.,
ON the third of May, the Spaniards left Catifachiqui, at which
time a coldnefs ако1е on the part of the female caffique, who had
even a defign to make ofF with her Indians, without leaving the
army any for guides, or to carry the baggage, owing to the miibehaviour
of fome of the Spaniards to her people. For the fake of
preventing this evil, the governor put the caffique under an arreft,
and treated her in a manner unworthy of the kindnéfs íhe had
teftified before, to him and his forces, obliging her to travel on
foot with her attendants. Neverthelefs, to ingratiate herfelf into
his favour, (lie ordered her Indians to carry the bagg'age, and her
commands were every where obeyed with wonderful alacrity. For
feven days, they marched through a. wretched country to Chslague,
ï the

48 THE EXPEDITIONS
the chief of which diftricl fent two deer-ikins to Soto, by way of
prefent, at his arrival. This province afforded fo little, that the
army left it in a few days, though both men and horfes were extremely
fatigued.
THE diftance between Ocuté and Catifachiqui is reckoned to be
about 130 miles, eighty of which are defert; and from the latter
to Xuallui about 250 miles of mountainous country. During our
march thither, the female caffique eloped, and concealed herfelf
fo well in a wood near the road, that the Spaniards could never
find her. This was a matter of great vexation to the general,
becaufe he had a defign to carry her to £>uaxule, where the territories
of the cafliques, that did her homage, end. She had alfo taken
with her a caiket made of reeds, containing pearls of great value.
They learned, afterwards, that me was at JCualla, with an Indian
man that ran off with her, and who cohabited with her as a hufband
; and that both had refolved not to return to the Spaniards
again, but to go back to Catifachiqui.
IN five days time, the army arrived at Quaxulla -, which province,
like the reft of this country, is but ill provided with maize : The
general was, therefore, obliged to fend an Indian to the caflîque of
Chiaba, defiring him to colledt a quantity of maize in his country
for the ufe of the army, which defigned to refreih there for a
few days. Two days after, in the way to Cunafagua, Sofa found
twenty Indians, each laden with a panier of mulberries, which they
prefented to him. Through the whole extent between this diftricl;
and Catifacbiqui, great quantities of mulberry, nut, and plumb
trees, grow, and bear, without culture, as fine fruit as thofe which
are reared with care in our gardens.
AFTER five days march from this place, through a defert, fifteen
Indians met the governor, near Chiaha, with a large quantity of
maize from the caffique j who acquainted him that there was much
more at his fervice, together with himfelf, his people, and country.
The general, in return, aflured him of his gratitude and affedion.
The Spaniards found here lard, which the natives faid was bearsfat,

TOFLORIDA. 49
fat, and likewife fome honey, the firft they had fcen in Florida ;
having, before, never obferved any bees there.
THE town wasfituated upon the bank of a river, which, dividing
itfelf into two branches, formed a little ifland, fomewhat more than
a mile long, and two bow-ihots acrofs. The land, on each fide,
was fown with rice. The army incamped round the town, under
trees, at a diftance from each other,and without order. This irregularity
was fuffered by the general, in consideration of the fatigue which
both the men and horfes had undergone, for fome time paft, without
.having had leifure to refrefh themfelves. And, indeed, it was well for
the Spaniards that thefe Indians were a pacific people, they being,
.at prefent, in a very bad condition for defending themfelves : But,
as every thing fpoke peace, the foldiers let their horfes graze, during
ihe night, in the meadows near the camp, where, the pafturqge
being admirably good, foon made them grow very plump.
THE general allowed the army thirty days, to repofe themfelves
here ; at the end of which, he was rafhly prevailed upon to defire,
of the caffique, thirty Indians, to carry the baggage. The caffique
replied, that he would propofe the thing to the principal Indians ;
but, before he could return an anfwer, the inhabitants, and all their
families, fled. The general would have purfued them, had not
the caffique prefented himfelf before him, and, in a pathetick manner,
accufed his people for their difobedience ; offering his own
fervice, to affift him -as a guide, in feeking them, and bringing
them back to their duty. The general, upon this, fet out, at the
head of fixty men, horfe and foot, and was conduced to an ifland,
formed by the river to which thofe people had retired, to avoid the
attack of the cavalry. An Indian was fent to tell them, they might
return, without danger, to their habitations, fince nothing was
demanded of them, but fome few of their number to carry the
baggage. The Indiam agreed to this condition,, and returned
home.
WHILE thefe things were tranfaeting, the caffique of Acoße саще
.•to offer his fervice to Sofo, who enquired of him, whether he knew
II of

50 T REEXPEDITION S :•*
ef any rich or fertile country? He anfwered, that, more to tire
North, there lay the province of Chifca, where copper was found,
and another metal purer and livelier, which, though more
beautiful than the former, was yet not much ufed, becaufe it was
fofter. Charmed with this relation, Soto determined to make for
Chifca: But, being informed that mountains interpofed, craggy,
and impenetrable to cavalry, he thought of avoiding the direft
road, and to pafs fome way about, if poffible, through a peopled
country, where both men and horfes might find better fubfiftence r
and he more perfeft intelligence. To accompliih this the eafier, he
difpatched two Spaniards to Chifca, with an interpreter, and fome
'Indians acquainted with the country, who were to meet him. at an
appointed place.
*SoTo now took leave of the caffique

T O F L O R I D A. 5t
THREE days after, they returned, with news that the way,
wherein the Indians conducted them, as the beft, was fo miferably
nigged, and the country fo barren, that no army could poffibly
march through it ; and, therefore, feeing it would be to no purpofe
to proceed, they had refolved to turn back again. Upon
this intelligence, the army quitted Acoße, and marched to 7/7//, and
the cafiique having furnifhed them with guides, was fet at liberty.
They arrived at the laft mentioned place on the ninth of July,
the caffique of which received them kindly, and allowed them
fome Indians to carry the baggage. For fix day?, they marched
over the lands of the caffique of Cofa, at which place they arrived
on the fixteenth of July. This chief, fitting upon a litter, carried
on the moulders of his moft confiderable fubjedts, came out of
the town to meet the general. His robe was made of martins fkins :
He wore upon his head a kind of diadem, made of feathers ; and,
as he advanced, feveral Indians fang round him, playing, af the
fame time, upon inftruments. He addreffed himfelf very civilly to
the general, who thanked him; and they entered the town together
with great joy. The caffique complimented the general and army
with the ufe of the houles of the town, and the granaries, in
which were plenty of maize, beans, &c. The country was
fo well peopled, that the towns feenjed to be planted amidft the
corn-fields. The many rivulets, that water the land, contribute
greatly to its beauty, making fine pafturage ; and their banks are
cloathed with vines, that climb up to the tops of the trees, among
which plenty are found that bear the Spanijh plumbs, as well as
thofe peculiar to the country.
HITHERTO Soto had been accuftomed to fet a guard upon the
Indian princes, and ftill to carry one with him, until he entered
the territories of another; making ufe of the natives, that cbofe to
.follow their chiefs, for the fervice of the army, and difmiffing them
all when he came to a different province : But the Indians of Ccfa
.were not fo tradtable. Unable to bear the thought of feeing their
chief in confinement, they all fled to the woods; and it was not
without fome conflicts, and much feverity, that Soto humbled them
H 2 fo

52 THE EXPEDITIONS
fo far as, at the interceffion of their own caffique, to fubmit to the
doing of the Spanifo drudgery.
SOTO left Cofa on the twentieth of Anguß, and marched, firft to
Tallimuchafe, and thence to Ifava, where he was obliged to wait
a few days, for the decreafe of water in a river, which had overflowed
its banks. He then continued his march to Ulliballi, where,
from the hoilile appearance of the natives, he imagined they had
bad defigns. This was fufficient to keep him upon his guard during
the time he ftaid in their town, which was iîtuated on a rivulet,
and pallifadoed about. On the other fide of the ftream, dwelt
the caffique, who, being fent for by Soto, came, without refiftance,
and granted him feveral male and female Indians for fervice.
THE Spaniards marched hence to Тоа/г, proceeding at the rate of
about five or fix leagues a-day, when in a peopled country, but with
all expedition poffible, when traverfing a defert. From Toa/t, in five
days, they came to T-til/ife, a large town, with a well-cultivated country
about it. In this place Soto difmifled the caffique of Cofa, and
took what Indians he wanted at Tallife. After repofing here twenty
days, he fct out, with the army, for Tafcaluca, where he encamped
in a wood, near the refidence of the caffique, and ient Lewis de
Mo/co/ò to give him notice of his arrival ; who found the caffique
in a balcony before his houfe, upon cufhions, placed on a carpet,
and furrounded by Indians, at a little diftance from him : The moft
confiderable of whom flood neare,ft to him, and one of them held
an umbrella, made of deer-ikin, over his head, to defend him from
the fun, about the fize of a target, and fo beautifully coloured,
that, at a diftance, it looked like taffety. This caffique had rendered
himfelf very terrible to his neighbours, and his dominions extended
very wide, and over well-peopled countries. He was of a
great ftature, ftrongly built, апЛ finely proportioned. As foon as
Mofcofe had made his addrefs to him, all the horfemen, who attended,
made feveral paííadoes to and fro, puming fometimes almoft
to where the*caffique was fitting. He obferved them with a
fixed gravity. Meanwhile, the general arrived ; and, feeing the
caffique made no motion to meet him, went up, and took him by
the

TO FLORIDA. 53
tbe hand, and both then fat down together upon the bench, on the.
balcony, where the cafíique addrefled Soîo in a fet fpeech, and offered
his fervices. The general thanked him, and gave him to underftand,
that he mould be under a neceffity to take him with him.
AFTER two days march from this place, the army came to
Piaché, a town fituated upon a large river, over which they paiTed
by the help of rafts, made of reeds. Soon after, a Spaniard, purfuing
an Indian woman, who had eloped into a wood, was killed,.
or taken by the Indians: Upon which, the general threatened the
caffique with perpetual lofs of liberty, if the Spaniard was not produced.
He, alarmed at this, fent to Maville, a large Indian town
in their road, under pretence of ordering them to prepare neceffaries
for the army ; but, in reality, the purport of this meflage was,.
to order the caffique ofthat place, who was his vaflal, to aflemble
all the Indian^ in order to fall, unexpectedly upon the Spaniard.
Soto, with the advanced guard, arrived at Maville on the eighteenth
of Oof ober r where he met a ibldier, that he had fent to obferve the
motions of the Indians, who informed him, that fome bad defign
feemed to be on foot, becaufe he had feen a great number of the
natives enter the town in arms, and that they laboured very hard
to ftrengthen the pallifade made about it. Solo, however, could not
be perfuaded to incamp, but refolved to enter the town ; where he
was received, by the caffique, with the found of inftruments.' Eight
of his guards, and a few horfemen, attended-him on foot. As foon •
as he had feated himfelf on a balcony, the caffique QfTaJcaluca endeavoured
to perfuade him to proceed no farther ; but, perceiving
he was not likely to fucceed therein, -nor to withdraw himfelf from
confinement, he retired to a houfe where many of the natives were
afíembled, and would not return, though the general fent for him
feveral times ; but, at length, fiercely anfwered, that he would not
quit the place where he was, nor proceed any farther : That he
advifed SQÍO to go, while he might, in peace, and not prefume to*
think of carrying him forcibly, out of his dominions.
THE general perceived, by the haughty behaviour of the Indian
chief, that he had forces at hand, and, therefore, refolved to fee
what.

54 THE EXPEDITIONS
what civility would do, and whether he could footh'him into com>
.pliance : But the Indian turned from him, with a proud and con-
'temptuous air, nor would, afterwards, either fee, or fpeak to him,
nor hearken to any propofition from him. In this ftrait, Soto called
to an Indian of fome confequence, that happened to pafs by,
and defired him to acquaint the caffique, that he was quite at liberty
to depart, provided he would grant him a guide, and fome
'Indians for fervice : But, this man refufing to take the mefîage,
a Spanißj officer, ftanding by, feized him by the cloak, upon which
& ftruggle enfued, when the enraged Spaniard laid him dead upon
the fpot. This action roufed the Indians ; and out they all ruihed
from their houfes, fending great flights of arrows at the general
and his people.
SOTO was fenfible how vain it would be to refift, and, therefore,
determined to fly for it; in doing which, himfelf and the reft were
wounded, and five out of the number flain. The Indians drove
furiouily on, beating down with their arrows all that flood in their
way, and took their countrymen that carried the baggage, and
conveyed it into the town ; releafmg the Indian prifoners, they armed
them with bows, to fight againft the Spaniards, all whofe.equipages,
together with many valuable pearls, and all the arms which
the foldiers had left with the baggage, fell into their hands.
SOTO, in the moment he faw himfelf out of danger, wheeled
round, and charged, at the head of fotne cavalry; and, having
flain three of them at puih of pike, drove the reft behind the
pallifade. It happened that a monk, a fecular ecclefiaftick, and
a fervant of Soto, were left in the town, and they barricaded the
door of the houfe they were in, to make the beft defence in their
power. The Indians, feeing the door fo well defended, were
mounting to the roof, in order to uncover it, and to deftroy the
Spaniards within with arrows, when the whole army arrived before
Manille. Here they held a confultation, to determine whether
they mould ftonn the town, or only befiege it, as the attack
would prove very dangerous : But, the former method being refolved
upon, Soto ordered all the beft arm?d to difmount, and, having

TO FLORIDA. 5£>
vFng formed them into four battalions, marched diredly to the
gates of the town. The Indians, refolving to die rather than turn
their backs, with much intreaty, prevailed upon the caflique to retire,
and take with him all that was found moft valuable among thebaggage
of the Spaniards. The governor being apprized that Indians
were feen flying out of the town, furrounded it on all fides,
in order to fet it every where on-fire, and oblige the inhabitants to
fight in the open field. The fignal was then given to engage, and
a horrible carnage enfued at the entrance of the gates; for,
the Indians behaved fo bravely, that they repulfed the Spaniards -
feveral times. However, the monk and clerk, above-mentioned,
were refcued, though at the expence of the lives of two brave
foldiers, who ran firft to their affiftance. The fight lafted fo
long, that the Spaniards, being quite faint with toil and thirft,
retired to drink at a pool, clofe to the pallifades, where they
fwallowed almoft as much blood as water. They then returned, •
and made fo furious a charge upon the Indians, as put them in fuch '
diforder, that the general, with his horfe, broke into the town,
and the foldiers fet fire to the houfes^ The miferable inhabitants, -
every where befet, both within and without, urged by defpair, fought
hand and hand with the Spaniards, but with great disadvantage ;
the latter mowing them down fo furioufly with their broad fwords,
that multitudes threw themfelves into the flames, and were confumed
to ailles. 2,500 Indians pcriihed, on this occafion, by fire
and fword. Of the Spaniards were loft eighteen, together with
all the baggage, cloaths, pearls, and valuable ornaments of the
army, all which Were entirely deftroyed in the fire, being forgotten
in their ardour to accompliih this enterprize, .though the fuccefs of
it could hardly recompenfe fuch lofs.
UPON this account, -Sofa, though he had learned that Maldonado
was at Ochufe, feven days journey diftantr forbid Ortiz to publiih
the news in the army;, having determined, fince he had loft the
moft valuable of his acquifitions, to give no intelligence concerning
himfelf, until he fhould have led his people into, fome rich country,
that would pay them for their difappoint :nts.
4.- ON

56 THE EXPEDITIONS
ON the eighteenth ofNovember, therefore, after flaying a month
in this fertile country for the fake of the wounded, the governor
'broke up his camp, and marched, through a defért region, into the
province ofPafolluja ; in paffing through which, they were flopped
by a river, lined with Indians on the oppofite ihore : However,
by the help of a boat, wftich they made in four days time,
Soto fent over thirty men, armed, who, notwithstanding the threats
of the Indians, landed ; which fo terrified the Savages, that they
inftantly retired to the cover of the reedy marfhes. The whole
anny then crofled it, and found towns, on the other fide, ftored
with maize, beans, &c. From hence, marching five days through
a defert, another river occurred, where the Indians, ~ once more,
flood ready to difpute the paflage : But Soto, chufing to avoid an
engagement, fent an Indian to demand peace of their caflique. Inilead
of granting which, they flew his meflenger, and retired, fetting
up loud cries. The paflage being thus free, the army came
to Chiceca on the eighteenth of December, where the governor was
obliged to winter, the cold growing too fevere for the army to
proceed.
THIS was a fine fertile country. One of the Indians they took
here perfuaded the general, to fend for the caffique in a friendly
manner j who came, accordingly, and offered his fervices and fubjecls
to Soto, bringing with him two other Indian chiefs, who prelented
the general with a great number of mantles and ikins. He
of Chicaca came frequently to vifit Soto, who lent him a horfe for
that purpofe.
THIS Indian complained much to him of one of his vaiTals, and
begged affiflance to puniih his revolt ; which was accordingly
granted, to the number of thirty horfe,. and eighty foot. Thele
Ix-ing joined by two hundred Indians, Soto accompanied the caffique
to Saquccbiima, the refidence of the rebel chief. They found the
town deferted, which the Indians of СЦсяса immediately fet fire
to. At their return from this expedition, the general feailed the
caffique, and his principal attendants, with a.regale of fwine's fleih ;
•which the Indians, who "had never tailed any pork before, thought
fo

TOFLORIDA. 57
fo favoury, that they ufed frequently, afterwards, to Ml, and ileal
the pigs, by night, from the houfes where they were kept, at a
fmall diilance without the camp ; till, at laft, the general was obliged
to put two of them to death that were taken, in order to deter
the reft. On the other hand, fome violence having been offered
to the Indians, by a few Spanißi horfe, near the fpot where the
caffique refided, Soto, as foon as he heard it, ordered the foldiers
to be feized, and condemned two of them to death : Which fentence
would moft certainly have been executed, (the general being
inflexible, and the Indians arriving, at the fame time, with remonirrances
againft them to Soto, upon this account, from the
caffique) had not the addrefs of Ortiz, at the inftigation and
folicitation of fome noble Spaniards, dexteroufly changed the
purport of the Indians meffage, by making it, according to
his interpretation to Soto, in the conclufion, defire their pardon
as a favour. On the other fide, Ortiz affured the Indians,
that the offenders were in cuflody, and that-the-general would punifh
them in a moil exemplary manner. By theíè means, they
efcaped.
THE governor having determined to leave Chicaca in March,
demanded Indians, for iervice, of the caffique, which the latter
promifed to propofe to his people : But Soto perceiving, after he
had repeated his demands, that he only fought to elude him, and
was meditating fomething fatal, ordered Mafcofo to keep a good
guard all that night ; which was yet, unhappily, negleded. The
general's fufpicion was but too well-grounded. The Indians fell
upon the Spaniards, in the night, from feveral quarters, with their
horrible war-hoop, and rufhed into the camp, even with their
own centinels, fo that the town was half on fire by the time the
noife of the enemy was heard, owing to 'the cowardly behaviour
of the advanced guard, who fuffered the Indians to enter it
without refinance, where they waited for the Spaniards, as they
leaped out of the houies, unarmed, blinded with the fmoke, and
pierced them with their arrows. The diforder and confuüon was
fuch, that a general panic feized the whole army, and prevented them
from making head againft the enemy. But it pleafed providence not
\ to

58 THE EXPEDITIONS
to fuffer the Indians to perceive this advantage; on the-reverfe, they
imagined the horfes, which had broken loofe from their halters, and
were running through the ftreets, to be fquadrons forming to charge
them. Things being in this fituation, Sofo was the only man who
could get on horfeback ; and pufhing, with one attendant, towards
the enemy, flew, with his launce, the firft he met with ; but as,
in this diforder, his horfe had -not been well faddled, the force of
his own blow threw him to the ground. The danger of the governor
drew many, immediately, to his afliftance, even of ihofe
who were flying ; and, the night continuing, deceived the knagination
of the Indians, who ftill miilook the trampling they heard
for troops ready to attack them. This flackened their fury,
and they retired from the town, which was now entirely confumed,
and in it all that remained to the Spaniards, from the burning of
Maville.
TWELVE Spaniards perifhed on this occäfion, and fome ethers
were much hurt by the flames: Fifty horfes, and four hundred
pigs, were burnt. Great part of the army had loft their clothing,
as well as their arms, in the fire; and fuffered exceedingly from the
feverity of the weather, till a certain foldier invented a covering for
himfelf, made of dry grafs woven together; which, though, at .firit,
it ferved for matter of laughter, proved fo ufeful, that they all were,
at laft, glad to wear the fame fort of doathing. In this condition,
had the Indians repeated their attack immediately, they muft have
entirely deftroyed them. The general thought proper to move his
camp to where the cafïîque refided, and found, in that place, very
fine aih-trees, of which the army made launces, as good as thofe
ofBifcay ; and, by the force of induftry and contrivance, the cavalry,
in eight days 'time, was again made ready for aótion.
ON the fifteenth of March 1551, before day-break, the Indians
returned to the attack. : Providentially, the Spaniards were now
in a condition to receive them. As the alarm was given in proper
time, the .governor and the cavalry were on their horfes in an inftant,
and charged the Indians fo furioufly, that they fled with precipitation,
leaving forty of their number dead upon the plain. Some
ï prifoners

. -TO. FLORIDA. 59
priíbners were taken, whom they kept for guides, and marched,
on the twenty-fifth of April, for Alimamu, where they found but
little maize. The general, therefore, detached Danhiifco, with a
party of horfe and foot, to feek provifions, having a defert foon to
pafs of feven days journey. This partizan found a ftrong pallifade,
where the Indians waited for the Spaniards: Hefawthem walking
there- with their arms, and their bodies painted with various colours,
diipofed in banda and fillets about them : Some had plumes, others
horns, upon their heads ; their vifage blackened, and their eyes tinged
with red, to render them more hideous. In the moment the .Spaniards
were obferved by them, they fent up the war-hoop, and
rufhed out to meet them. Danhufco ranged his foot with their
crofs-bows and mield's, before the horfemen, and thus flood ready
to receive the Indians, who advanced to íkirmiíh in fmall parties.
The general, who prefently came up, refolved to drive the enemy
from this port. The cavalry were ordered to difmount, and attack
the pallifade in four divifioos. Their flîock wa« bravely fuftained
by the Indians; but, at length, being very roughly charged, they retired
acrofs the ftream, and defended the paiTage, by pouring over vaft
flights of arrows upon the Spaniards ; who, not being, able to find a
ford, were forced to retreat, feveral of them being wounded upon the
occaikm, and fome killed. The general was blamed in this affair,
for not having better confidered the ground, and fought where
to ford the river, before he had attacked the enemy.
How much foever the troops, particularly the wounded, might
want repofe, fcarcity of provifion obliged the governor to decamp,
and march to Quizgm'z, their way to which lay, for feven days,
through deferts, marfhes, and woods. The Indians of this place,
having ; no notice of ibeh a vifit, were all furprized in their houfes;
and, among others, the mother of the caffique was takcn, of
which Sofo fent advice to her fon, promifing to deliver her up, and
the reft likewife, if he wouW come to him. The Indian anfwered,
that he would not, unlefs they mould be delivered up firft. This
Sofo, to humour him, confented to, in confideratiori that the army
was quite fpent with hunger and fatigue, and difmiflfed the chief's
mother in the moil obliging manner. On the next day, inftead
I 2 of

6o T HE EXPEDITIONS
of the cafllque, feveral Indians appeared in arms, which made the
Spaniards have immediate recourie to theirs. Upon this the former
retreated to fome diftance, and, after an hour's deliberation,
fix of the principal ones came to the camp, and told the general
their errand was to view the people he had brought : That
they had heard from their anceftors of a white people, who were
to conquer their country, and, therefore, their chief had fent them
to prefent his fervices, and fome mantles and ikins, to the general.
After which they returned, and {he Spaniards heard no more of
them.
THE general now advanced to the Rio k Grand, where there was,
plenty of maize, a good ftation for a camp, and no want of wood
for building boats to pafs over. Soon after they had pitched here,
fome Indians landed, and told the general, that they came to give
him notice, that their mafter, a great caffique, lord of a large extent
of country on the oppofite ihore, intended to vifit him ::
Which he,did, in effect, attended by 200 canoes filled with Indians,.
armed and painted, after their manner,, and adorned with feathers
of all colours. That which carried the caflîque had a pavilion at
the poop, under which he fat. All thefe boats ranged themfelves
near the bank of the river, whence the cafiique addrefled Soto in a
very polite manner, and fent him fome canoes, laden with fifh,
and a fort of .cakes made of parte of plumbs. To this civility Soto.
replied with many thanks ; befeeching him, at the fame time, to
' land : With which ftqueft,. though often mort preflîngly repeated,
neither he, nor his people, could be prevailed upon to comply*.
But,, from all, their motions, it very plainly appeared* that they
lay upon the watch to furprize the Spaniards, had they.found them at
all.offtheir guard: An omifiion they had paid too dearly for already
to be guilty of again. Meanwhile, the boats they had been building,
to tranfport the army over the river, were finiihed ; and the
general embarked,, on board of them, twelve horfemen of approved
valaur, to try the paflage ; who, fetting off about a quarter of a
league above the camp, becaufe the ftream was very ftrong, rowed
till they came within bow-ihot of the oppofite ihore, where., en

T O F L O R l D A. 6r
fhore-tò land upon ; and, as they faw no enemies, thus made themfelves
mailers of the paffage. The boat was then fent back, and
the general, with the whole army, croiTed over before fun-fet.
The river here was about a mile and a half over,, very deep, and
very rapid.
THE army having crofled this water, the largeft of Florida»,
found themfelves in the province of !%uixo. Soto then detached a
party to bring the boats up to a town, upon the banks of the river,,
abandoned by the' natives on their arrival, where the army incamped
; but, as the courfe was not direft, and they were obliged,
to make many turns, the Indians^ who well knew the navigation,,
attacked them with flights of arrows -, and, being both fearful
of committing themfelves to the main ftream, and in danger of
deftrudion, if they kept near the ihore, their diftrels was very
great, till the crofsbow-men arrived, who were fent by the general
to affiil them..
THE army, next day, marched to the province of Pacha -, which,
according to the report of the Indians, bordered upon that of Chijca^.
where that metal was to be found, which the governor took to be
gold. In their way, they came to a fmall river; but, as it had
overflowed the banks, the troops were obliged to march through
the water, till fun-felting, as high as the waift : At length, they
arrived, to their great joy, upon firm ground ; and, the day after,
they came to the province of Cafqui. This country is higher, and
drier, than any they had hitherto found. It abounds with nut,, 1
mulberry, and plumb-trees, which were as flouriihing as any in
GUV heft; cultivated gardens: For the land produces but few briars
and thorns. Two days march the army proceeded into this province,
before they came to the ordinary refidence of the caffique,.
to whom the general made overtures of peace and friendihip j
which were anfwered, by the chief, in terms highly fatisfadiory.
The Indians here did not abandon the towns through which the
army pafled, but received them every where with joy,, offering
fiih,. and fruits,. C-fc..
WHILE.

6z THE E X P. E D' Г T I Oi N S
WHILE the general was encamped here, the eaffîque prefented
two blind men to him, defiring him, as he was the fon of the fun,
and fo puiflant a lord, ta саге them. To this Safo replied, that
the Marter whom he ferved, who dwelt in the heavens which he
had formed, who had created men and all things elfe, could alone
grant them that favour ; to whom, therefore, he recommended them
to aik for whatever they had- need of, in the name' of fche Ghriftians
God.
BY this friendly Indian, Soto was informed- that his way to PaсаЪа
lay over a lake, which formed a kind of gulph in the Rio
Grande, or great river ; adding, that he would fend Indians before
him, to build a bridge ovet it for the pafîàge of the-аипу ; which
he actually did, and the bridge was finifted when the governor
arrived at the banks of this lake, the current through which was
both deep and rapid. The bridge was built of girders, laid upon
trees planted upright in the water, with (lakes upon the top, for
thofe that were paffing to hold by. The caffique joined them here,
with his Indians armed, and proceeded with Sofá to- iftë confines
of the province of Pacaha, the caffique of which being at enmity
with that of Cafqui, the general fent him promifes of protection,
providing he would grant him his friendihip. The Pacahan received
this meflage with difdain, and retired with his people into the
woods. ' Soto followed them, with all the cavalry, and took fome
in a town not far diftant. He delivered thefe prifoners' into the
hands of the Indians of Cafqui, who were much mortified at being
prevented,from maflacring them.
v THE general entered.into the town of Pacaha-on the nineteenth
of June, and lodged in the caffique's houfe, whictvwas large, pallifadoed
about, and fortified with turrets, pierced with holes for
ihooting through. - The country adjacent was covered with maize,
and feveral well-fortified towns appeared at different diitances. The
caffique of Cafqui undertook to deliver him of Pacaha into thé general's
hands ; to àccompliíh'which, he ordered the canoes up the
river, and came himfelf, by land, to the army, -attended bymany
of his fubjecb. After fome fearch, the Indians in the canoes difcovered

TO FLORIDA. 63
covered'the Pacà&an and his people, in à little ifland ; upon which>
five 'or fix Spaniards entered into a canoe, -to take a view of them»
'•who being feeh by: the Pacahans, they imagined all in the fé. vera l
canoes tote Spaniards alfo ; which fo terrified them, that, although
5,000 or 6,000 in nurriber, they threw themfelves into the water
with ftrch 'precipitation, that many of them were drowned. The
Indians, as well as Spaniards, took great booty on this occafion ;
but the former, fearing left the Spaniards mould make free with
theirs, loaded their canoes, and returned to the caffique of Со/qui,
without taking leave of vthe general. Incenfed at this ufage, Soto determined
to join the caflique of P аса ha ; and, for this end, immediately
made-overtures te him of friendihip and protection, defiring,
at the fanie time, to fee him. Which requeft, after fome hefitation,
he complied with, came, attended by many of his fubjedts,
;
and d-cvoted himfêlf and people to the general's fervice : In return for
which, all the Pacaban prifoners of note, who had been taken, were
fet at liberty. On the day following, a meflenger arrived at the
•camp from the caffique of Cqftui, imploring pardon, in the moft
fctbrnfffive manner, for the raih ftep his people had taken, which
Soto granted, only upon'Condition that the Cajquwn chief ihould
come immediately to him. When this was donej the 'governor was<
defirotrs to term-inate differences between the two caffiques, and, for
that end, made them both eat together at his table, which had the
delired çfFcíl.
DURING thefe tranfaaionp, thirty horfemen had been fent off towards
Guinea, -to find, that way, a road toCbifca j but they returned
after feven days march .through a defert, without'- havjng had any
fuccefs, and almoft dead with fatigue and hunger. Soto, perceiving
the country to.the north to be fo poor and barren, was directed by
the Indians to a-great province, lying fouthward of them,, called
Quigate, and abounding with all kind of provifions.
AFTER a'Tepofe.of forty days, throughout which the two cafiiques
vied with each other in kindnefs to the gerieral, the army
began its march back again through Gafqui, to g>uigate, where it
arrived on the fourth of Augufl. This w.as 'the Largeft town the
Spaniards:-

TH E' EXPEDITIONS
Spaniards had Teen in alt Florida ; but Soto, having reafon to fufpedt
the Indians, who had quitted it, burnt that part of it
which was not occupied by his people, fearing it might otherwifc
prove a cover for the enemy. The caffique had fled to the woods,
whence he was taken, but not without great difficulty, and informed
the general, that, to the North-eaft, the province of Coligoa
was fituated, at the foot of the -mountains. Sotot and all the
army, took it for granted that they ihould find, beyond thefe
mountains, the wealthy country they expected, and refolved, therefore,
to march to Coligoa. So, leaving the chief of the laft province
in his town, they took an Indian for their conductor, who
led them through woods for feven days : The woril circumftance
-in which was the marihinefs'of the foil, where they were fometimes
obliged to ileep in the water. Thefe marihes were fo full of
fiih that the foldiers could take as many as they pleafed with
their hands.
THE people of Coligoa had no advice of the army's approach,
and fo great was their furprize, that they threw themfelves into a
itream which ran by their habitation; but the Spaniards, befetting
them on every fide, took a great number of them, both men
and women. From Quigate to the town of Coligoa the diftance is
about forty leagues, and the latter is fituated at the foot of a
mountain. The land around it is rich, and produces fo much
maize, that the inhabitants ufually throw the old away, to make
ftowage-room for the corn of the new year. Cucumbers grow
here larger and better than thofe of Spain, which, being ftewed,
have the flavour of chefnuts.
THE caffique of this place granted the army a guide, and they
marched thence, in five days, to Paltfema, where they found the caffique's
houfe lined with deer-ikins, fo well coloured that they might
have been taken for fine tapeftry. The country here being very
rude, and the dwellings far divided, the army made only a ihort
ftay in this place, and marched to Tafalicoya, the caffique of which
Soto took to ihow him the way to Cay as ; where, when he arrived,
finding the country thinly peopled, and the habitations fcattered,

T O F L O R I DA. Д5
tered, contrary to what had been aflerted, thinking hirnfelf impofed
upon, Soto grew fo angry with the caffique, as to threaten him
very feverely ; , but all the Indians cpnftantly affirmed, that they
were now ia the proyii\ce of*. Cayas, and that it was a fruitful and
good country. Thé army proceeded to the chief town, called
Тд/щ-в, and encamped upori the.. bank? of a river. ;They found a
number of mantles, made of ikins, left for them, though the inhabitantiw.ere
go,ne, wfrich is я ftanding token, in this country, that
there is" no" enmity fubfifting-
THE army remained a whole month in the province of Cayas,
during which time the horfes grew To fat,,. that tfrey had never been
in fo good a condition, throughout the whole expedition, as now,
owing to the fuperior quality of, fhe rnaize and ftraw, ajid ftill
more to the water of a neighbo.oímg"j[áj;e,. which, was of fuch
excellent goodnefs, that thefe animals were never fatisfied with
drinking it. Hitherto the army had been deftitute of (alt, but here
they found plenty of it, which theíè ïnfcans barter with their neigh-
•bours. for mantles and ikins. They make it into loaves along the
river, where large quantities are left by the waters, after overflowing.
They put it, fand and all, into, pans wide at top and-narrow
at.bottpm ; -upon thefe pans they caft water, wî?îch falls into a veffel
laced underneath j this they then boil, and when the wafer is
íalt appears at the bottom of the, pot.
IT was fome time before any of the natives would venture near
enough to give the Spaniards any opportunity of converfmg with
them; but, is foon as that offered, $oto enquired concerning their
ÇaíEque, and was anfwered by the Indians, that their chief defired
to, remain at peace with him, but did not dare to truft himfelf in
his prefence, ' Soto gave them; repeated aflurances that he.,.mig|ir.
with thé utmoft fafety, and feht a, guide and interpreter to conduct
him;- who not returning in three days, the general went thither
himfelf, and feized the chief and feveral of his people. The ufual
queftipns were aiked, whether they knew >ny good country, or
any great' chief befides ? To which, they repljed, that, about a day
and ,a balf Yjourney towards the foutb,, lay the province of 3»//л,
К • ' " ; tò

66 T H E E X P E t) I T I O N S
to which the caffique promifed to grant the Spaniards a guide ;
but, as the. people of that region fpoke a different language, and
had been constantly at enmity with thefe of'Cay as, which had prevented
all communication, an interpreter was not'to be procured.
THE general, upon this, fet out himfelf, with a party of horfe
and foot, to fee if it was practicable for the army to march through
Tul/a, but he hardly left the camp, before the natives aroie, and
attacked him upon the way in fmall parties, wounding feveral of
the Spaniards, and leaving fome of their own people dead upon, the
fpot. Soto, fearing the confequences of proceeding, retired back to
the camp, where he arrived on the morrow, and marched thence,
with the whole army, for Tuila-, but could not find, among all the
captives, any one that underftood the language of that place. After
fome days, march into the country, the natives fet upon the army
with bows arid poles, in the form of pikes, but were very roughly
handled by the Spaniards, whofe general cut off the fight hands
and nofes of fix Indians, and fent them away to inform the caffique
of Tutta, that, unlefs he ihould fubmit himfelf arid people to the
Spanifò forces, their general was refolved to treat them all in the
fame manner. This brought on the wiihed-for confequences, and
Toon after fome of the natives arrived, who teftified, by their bebaviour,
the utmoil marks of affection and obedience ; but, what
rejoiced the governor moft, was, that a pcrfon, capable of afting
as interpreter, was found among thofe who brought in the prefents
of cow-hides, &c. without which affiftance it would have been
very difficult to proceed farther into Florida. The general, therefore,
very carefully, guarded this valuable Indian, fending the others
back with full aiTurances of pardon to the caffique, defiring alfo an
interview with him; to which the latter complied, and, followed
by twenty-four Indians, entered the camp all in tears, to demonftrate
their forrow for what had paífed j which is a cuftom
always ufed in this country on occafions of ihowing their grief for
a fault. They brought with them many cow-ikins, which were of
great fervice in fo cold a region, becaufe, they are covered with a
wool as fine as that of fheep. The caffique of Tulla addrefled
himfelf to Sot6, both to apologize for his conduit, and offer his
own

TO FLORID A. 67;
tf
and people's fervices to him. It is not improper here, to obferve,
that all theie princes, and their envoys, exprefled themfelves,
in their feveral languages, with as much elegance and precifion, as
the rooil celebrated orator among Europeans could do.
SOTO, informing himfelf concerning the qualities of the countries
adjacent to Tulla, found that, fouth-eaftward, there was a
province named Autiamque, about eighty leagues diftanf from
Till/a, full of large towns, and very fruitful in maize j and, as
the approaching feafon would prevent him from marching during
three months at leail, and provifions would be with more difficulty
amafled, where the towns were fo thinly difperfed í the Indians
likewife defcribing a great lake at Autiamque, which, from
the manner of their difcourfing about it, he gueiTed to be an arm
of the fea, by means of which he not only hoped to fend intelligence
of himfelf to Cuba, but alfo to draw from thence a recruit
of frefb men, to fupply the places of what he had loft, which
already amounted to 250 of his troops -r he, therefore, determined
to make Autiamqué his winter-quarters, and to feek fome feaport
in the fpring.
HE, therefpre, difmiíÍèd the caffiques of Cay aí and Tuîla, and
began his march towards Autiamque^ which lay over very rough
mountains. In paffing them, he was informed of another province,
called Guahaié, abounding with maize, and very populous.
Neverthelefs, as Autlamquê was nearer, Soio continued his rout, till
Jie came to the town of Anouxit and, from thence to Catamaya.
The next day the army arrived at Autiamque, in which town they
found a great quantity of maize, fruit, &c. The general pitched
his camp at a diûance from the houfes, the better to avoid fire,
and fortified it with a wooden palifade. Some Indians waited upon
the general with prefents from the caffique, who never appeared,
but only defired to know how long the army intended to remain
in his country ; to which Soto made no anfwer, knowing he ihould
halt there a confiderable time.
К 2

68 T H E Ë X P Ê D I T I Ó N S
THE caffiqutí of Atitiamqttê, anxious ló citar hisxfominions' oftbefe
gueíb, employed fome fpíes to Ítrrk about the cam'p at night, one
of whom was killed by a centirtel, clófe to the pâllifade. The
general, roufed at this, determined to keep Jus-people alert, and
frequently .made £alfe alarms, in order, to put them upon their
guard, always puniming thofe'whotverírrtOtfòDfíd-»poh fuch occafions
at their ftations. Proviiiens they had in gr^t-plenty, - andy
among other food, abundance of rabbits, which the Indian* taught
them to catch. They took them in the green'corn, efpecially in
frofty weather, of after a fäll of fnoAV. Some of thefe animals were
: :
as large as the biggeft harts, 'thicker, and broader backed.
THE army left AutiamÇué on the fixth of March 1542, and the
general refolved to go to Nilco, becaufe it was fará to be fituated
upon the banks of a large river, his defign being to march along
that to the fea-íhore, and there wait for fuccours. For now he
had no more than 300 men able to bear arms, and about forty
horfes, feveral of which were lame. His difappointment and affliction
were greatly inhanced by the death of "John Ortiz, who died
at Autiamque, leaving none to fucceed him as interpreter, except
the young Indian of Catifacbiqui, before mentioned, who now
imderftood à little Späntß, but ftill fo imperfeítíy, that much time
was loíl m laborious explanation ; and, frequently,- vexatious and
miíèráble miftakes arofe from mifinterprétation.
THE way, after they had quitted Autiamque, w»s- exceffively
broken, màríhy and? dangerous, fo that, in many places, the army
pafled by fvtfrmmirtg. At length, ft; arrived atVtttelptna, a town
deferted by its inhabitants,- and deftrfirtfe of provifit»Hs. A lake lay
before it, in paffihg which the general loft one of his officers, the
waters being both very deep, and running impetuouily into a neighbouring
river ; henée/ after three days ; triafch, they arrived at TiœntOy
the firft town hi th'è province of Niko. "The getter'al-detached a
party to prevent the Ihdiani frorn carrying off the provifions from
their dwellings. Before the army came to the habitation of the
caffique, they pafled through four large towns, and, on the fifteenth
of Marcb, without any moleilation, Soto, with all his forces, marched

TO FLORID А.
etr into the. town of Nt'/соv Of all the parts of Florida,tbey had
yet feen, Palacbe and Cofa excepted,, this country, appeared to be
the moft fertile and beft peopled. Soon after their arrival, an Indian,
attended by fome more of the natives» came to vifit the general,
and made, him lèverai prefents in the name of the caffique,
which Sot» recompenfed with fome trfflesr that Jie knew thefe
people were fond of. ^Hitherto the Spamardihzà made little acquaintance
with the natives, but their granaries, where they laid
up the corn, were conftantly robbed in the night, by a gang of
them, who carried their booty acrou the river : To prevent this
evil, Soto fet a guard near a lake, from which the Indians ufed to
come, and was informed by two of them, who were taken by .thefe
means, that the Indian we mentioned above as vifiting Soto, was a
fpy, fent to examine his ftrength, and to know whether he intended
to proceed farther, or fettle in this country. The^ general
hereupon ordered a detachment to pafs the river, but, the moment
the Indians perceived it, they fled with fuch precipitation,, that very
few of them could be overtaken*
THE river that runs by Ni/со is the fame» that waters Cayas and
Autiamqiie j it empties itfelf into a larger ilream, that flows near
P acaba and Aquixo. Their junction is made near.Guaceeya,. the
caffique of which diftridt was now at war with him of Nilco 3 and
came up the river to offer his fervices to Soto, by whom he was received
with much honour and diftindtion. He made the general
many prefents of mantles and fkins, and addrefled him in very fubrniffive
and handfome terms. Soto feafted him and his attendants,
after which he enquired concerning the circumftances of the country,
in proceeding down the river. The caffique replied, he knew
of no other town than his own, but that> on the other fide of the
water, there was a province governed by a chief, called Quigaltan.
Soon after Soto refolved to. vifit Guachoya, to know how near it lay
to the fea, and whether there was any convenient place to refide in
whilft he conftrufted two brigantines, in order to fend for fuccours
from Cuba.
WHEN,

7o THE EXPEDITIONS
WHEN the Indtam ofGuachoya faw the Spaniards on the march,
as they were navigating the river in their canoes, they fpread
io ftrong a rumour through the country, that Sofa was coming
to attack them, as made the caffique, during the night, fly with
all his fubjects, and whatever they couid carry with them over to
the oppofite bank of the great river. The army arrived at Guachoya
on the feventeenth of April. The great river is called, at this place,
Vamalifett ; at Ni/со, Tafatu ; at Co/a, Mico 5 and, at its falling into
the fea, Ri.
As ibon as the Spaniards arrived at Guacboya, an Indian came, attended
by fevcral others, laden with prefents for the general from
their caffique, who, preíêntly after, arrived himfelf, and made a
very handfome harangue to Sofo, excufing, in the beft manner he
could, his precipitate retreat, and offering to ferve him with all his
power. The general thanked him in the moft grateful terms, and
deíired to know whether he could give him information in any particulars
relating to the fea-coaft. The Indian anfwered, that the
moil.potent lord in all thofe quarters refided about three days journey
down on the oppOfite fhore, whofe dominion was called Quigalton.
Upon this intelligence, Sot o difpatched Danhufco, with
•eight horfemen, to proceed down the river, and inform himfelf
whether the fea was near. After marching eight days, the party
returned, having been able to make but little progrefs, becaufe
the river, in its courfe, took great windings, and the country was
fo encumbered with woods and marfhes, as to be almoft impenetrable.
This diiheartening news affected the general fo deeply, as
to throw him into a fever ; which did not, however, prevent him
from fending to the caffique of ^iitgaltan, to require his fubmiffion,
and the pleafure of feeing him, which, he acquainted this chief,
was a homage hitherto paid him by all the caffiques, whofe dominions
he had yet paiTed through. To this meflage Qutgaltan
replied, that -it was not his cuftom to vifit any, but that all his neighbours
viííted, ferved, and paid him tribute, either willingly or by
force : That, if Sofo had any thing to offer, he was welcome to come
to him as a friend ; but, if he íhould chufe to act as an enemy, he
8 waited

TO F'LORIDA. 71
waited for him in his town, whence he would never ffir an inch,
either for him or any one elfe.
ALTHOUGH S of о was fuffering under the violent attack of a fever,
when the Indian brought this anfwer, he ftill felt more from a fcnfe
of his prefent inability tochaftife this haughty caflique, who not only
defpifed his fummons, but, as was reported, intended to attack the
Spaniards : Apprehending this circumftance to be no vague intelligence,
the general redoubled his guards, and kept a good watch. The
horfe patrolled nightly round the camp, and the crofsbow-men guarded
the river in canoes, to prevent any furprize on that fide. Solo, to
render himfelf ftill more dreadful to the Indians, detached a party
to Nilco, whether, as he was told by the natives of Guachoya, the
inhabitants were returned -, the caffique of the latter alfo lent feveral
canoes upon the fame expedition, laden with armed Indians.
This party, which confifted both of horfe and foot, advanced to
the town with fuch rapidity, as to furprize the inhabitants, in number
about 5000 fouls, before they could efcape, who, preifing in
crowds out of their houfes, there was hardly one horfeman that
did not fee himfelf furrounded by many Indians. As the Spaniß
commander had ordered his people to give no quarter to the men,
a horrible carnage enfued, wherein more than a hundred of the Indians
fell, befides numbers which were wounded, by the Spaniards,
fome of whom carried their cruelty fo far, as to murder the innocent
women and children. The Indians of Guachaya halted
peaceably at a diftance from the town, while this inhuman fcene
was tranfacYmg, 'to fee the event ; but, as foon as they perceived
the Indians were broken, and the Spaniards chacing them, they
ran to pillage the houfes ; and, having loaded their canoes with
the booty, returned, before the Spaniards, to Guac&oya, where they
related all that had happened, with dread and aftoniihment, to their
caifique.
MEANWHILE, the general perceiving his diflolution near, affembled
the officers and the bulk of the foldiery, to whom he made
a very moving addrcfs, acknowledging the great goodnefs of providence

72 THE EXPEDITIONS
vidence, in granting him a full pofleffion of his faculties to the
laft, thanking all the commanders and foldiers for their faithful
fervices, fidelity, and the affedtion that they had, upon every occafion,
teftified for his perfon, and recommending to them the choice
of fome leader, to command them in his ftead, as the laft requeft
he ihould ever make, and which would, in fome meafure, alleviate
the uneafinefs he felt at being obliged to leave them in a barbarous
and unknown country. When he had fpoken thus, all that
were prefent broke into moft pathetic demonflrations of forrow,
and earneftly requeued himfelf to chufe a fucceíTor for them.
This he readily complied with, and named Leiais Mafcofo d'Alvarado,
who being univerfally approved of, they all fwore fidelity to
him immediately.
ON the morrow, the twenty-firft of May, the brave., the virtuous,
and magnanimous Captain Don Ferdinand de Soto, governor of Cuba,
and general of Florida, yielded up his foul to God. His death the
Spaniards endeavoured to conceal from the Indians, who entertained
io high an opinion of his abilities, that they looked upon him io
be immortal j and, left a conviólion to the contrary might encourage
them to revolt, the body was buried by night, juft within one
of the town-.gates ; but the Indians, who had conceived fome fufpicions
of his death, were obferved to eye the earth, that had been
newly removed there, with much curiofity ; for which reafon, the
Spaniards removed the body, on the night following, and, wrapping
it up with a great deal of fand, carried it into the middle of
the river, and burried it there.
DURING thefe events, the caffique of Guachoya frequently enquired
concerning Soto, whom he called his Lord and Brother j
and Mafcofo having aflured him that he was only gone a journey
to heaven, which he often had done, and that, intending to make
fome ftay, he had appointed himfelf to adt in his room, the Caffique
no longer doubted of his death,,but fent two hand fome young
Indians, who he defired might be flain, to accompany him during
his journey, according to the cuftom of this country. Mafcofo defired
the caffique to fend for the young men again, for the gover-
5 DOT

TO FLORID A. 73
nor was not dead, but gone to heaven, and had chofen from among
his own people fome to attend him, and befought the caffique ta
forego fo cruel а cuílom. He then delivered up the Indians, charging
them to return, which one of thenVrefufed to do, declaring
he would never leave Mofcofo, who had faved his life, but live and
die with him.
AFTER thefe tranfactions, Mofcofo called a council, to confult
which way the army ihould now direct its courfe, whether over
land, weftward, towards the Spanißi fettlements, or whether they
ihould endeavour to reach the fea, and from thence fail over to
Cuba. This latter determination being rejected, from an apprehenfion
of their inability to conftrudt a veflel capabb of enduring
the violence of fuch a voyage, and for want of a pilot,
charts, and companies, &c. the common refolution was fixed to
march away by land ; and therefore the general, having received
a guide from the caffique, to lead them to Chagitate, quitted Gnacboya
on the fifth of June, and arrived at the former pla.ce, on thq
twentieth, after marching fix days through a defert.
THE caflîque of this province had vifited Soto while at Auttamqué,
and madethim feveral prefents ; neverthelefs, the Spaniards
miffed one of their people, who had fallen fick, juft at entering
into his town ; upon which Mofcofo acquainted the caffique, that he
expected to receive the Spaniard from his hands again ; and, unlefs
he ihould, declared he would never leave him, or his people, till
he had deftroyed both, and carried fire throughout his country.
The caffique immediately appeared, bringing the fick man with
him, and made the general many prefents, affuring him, at the
fame time, of his fidelity and integrity, and that his delign had been
to cure the fick man and bring him again as foon as he ihould have
been recovered. Mofcofo received his apology with great good-nature,
alledging that he had fufpected him of having behaved in the fame
manner that feveral other caffiques had done before him, but that the
teftimony he had given of his affection and fidelity, obliged him to
love him as his brother,
I» THE

3*4 T H'È V E~X PE D IT-IONS
Т-ЦБ caffiqufi accbmpaniedtMö/c^/3.tö the tpwn, diflant about ai'
dYy's journey', in {heir way to "Which they paiïed by'a falt-manufac- 4
tory, where the Spaniards provided fhémíeltfes with fome of thatufeful
commodity. They remained here fix days, during which thcgeneral
informed himfelf* concerning the country weftward, and
learned that, at three days march from Cbagueté, he ihould find the
province of Aguacay*
HERE the army arrived on the fourth of July, and found the
town abandoned ; neverthelefs, the cafiîque fent feveral of his.
people to Mofcoßt with 'prefents of mantles, fk'ms, &ci ,'Iii this
place, the Indians alfo make £hlt, in the fame' manner 1 äs'they do.
at Cayas.
THE Spaniards left Aguacay on "the fame day, and, four days
after, were in the province of Maye, and encamped, on the twentieth*
in a very pleafant wood between that рГасе and Naguata,
Soon after their arrival here, fome Indian fpies were obferved hovering
about the camp, fwo of the m "were taken, and 1
the refft
ílain. ,By this- accident, the Spaniards.got intelligence that the caffique
of Naguata, in league with other chiefs, intended to attack
the Spaniards that day j and, indeed, while thefe Indians were under
examination, 'the enemy appealed in two bodies, 'and", perceiv^
ing themfelves to be.difcovered, charged''the' Spaniards moft fur:~
oufly ; but the latter, fuftaming tfte ihöck vigorobfly, they fled with,
precipitation, and were purfued'by the cavalry. While thefe things.
were in agitation, a great cry was heard ata fmall dift'afrce from the.
camp, towards which Mofcofo detached twelve horfemen to know,
tlie caufe, who found there fix Spaniards furrounded 'by a great
number of Indians, to which fuperiority, without affiûance, t!ie
former muft have fallen a facrificc, though they fought like lions :
However, this reinforcement turned the fcale fo rhuch3 that, the
greater part of the Indians were ilain, and one of them taken,
whom Mofcofe, after cutting off his right arm, and nofe, fent,
in that condition, to the caffique cf Naguafa, to give him notice,
that, on the morrow, he wouid enter his country, and lay it waile
with fire and fword; and that, if the caffique mould be defirous of
preventing

TOP L Ö R IDA. -7-5
preventing it, he muft meet him at his entrance. The агшу marched
'•iïiext-day towards the townihip of Nagyafa, tbe'houfes of which were
feparated from each other. The residence of the caffique was on
the oppofite fide of a river, where the Indians flood ready to oppoie
the Spaniards in paffirig over ; which, however, the latter : ac-
'complííhed, m fpite of all-obftacles, and.entered into a countfy
well futhiihed with provifiötis; and all the neceflaries- of life. .Mofcofo
had not been here longj before: the caffique of Naguata fent
á party of Indians to obferve the behaviour of the, general and his
people, and -to/acquaint the former,' that he intended to vifit him,
which he aid prefently afterwards, attended by a large body of the
"natives, all in tears, 'according to the -faihion of £ulla, which
-js riot far diftant : He made a'profound reverence to the general,
and demanded pardon for his offence, .throwing all the blame upoh
the bad councils of one of his brothers, who fell in the battle::
'He enlarged much in the praife ofMofcofo and the Spaniards, whom
he profeifed to regard as a people fomething more than human^
and concluded with offers of fervice and obedience. When he had
finimed, the general received him into his favour, and promifed
toconfider him as his friend, provided his behaviour, íhould corrç-
Tpond with his words.
THE army fóòn after decamped, but was obliged to turn back,
-upon- account of the fwelling of the river,, which appeared the more
extraordinary becaufe no rain had fallen -, but, as it frequently happened,
and always at the increafe of the moon, it íhould feem to
'be'owing-to the tide, though the Indians had no knowledge of
any fea; neverfhelefo, they found means topais it eight days after,
and, ih three days, arrived at a vill'ge belonging to the cafiioue of
MijToborii', a barren and ill-peopled province'; thence they .WEüdered
through a wild diftricl:s called Lacane, and, foon after, arrived
'at the province of Mondacuo, the cafiîque of which presented' the
'general with a quantity of fifh. He was received very kindly; and,
as foon as the army had provided themfelves with fubfiilence, thev
Teceived a guide, and marched towards Soacatino. Jn journeVinp-
'thither, they pa (led through the province of Aays-, the fierce inhaof
whiclî- harraßid the Spaniards continu .illy,, during-their
L 2 nir.rch

T H E E X PE B ï T I-O N S
march to'Gua/co, л^Ьеге they arrived, after having ÍUfíêred mcredibtp'
hardships and fatigues ; and, finding maize fufficient for their afe
here, they loaded their horfes, and marched to Nagißofa.
IN fine, having travelled long to no purpofe, through miferabledeferts,
frequently bewildered, and quite at a lofs which way to
proceed, perpetually engaged in perils and alarms, and uncertain?
ftill whether famine would not be their deftrucYion at laft, the
general called a council, wherein it was determined to return ta
Nilco, and there build veffels to carry the troops down the river,
and fo to fame of the Spant/h fettlements by fea. This refolution
was far from giving content to all j many there were among
the Spaniards, that would rather have taken the higheil probability
of perifhing in Florida, through want» than have returned
thence poor and difappointed i nevertkelefs, thefe, not having number
or force to oppofe, were obliged to fubmit to the general de~
termination.
THE troops bad already marched 150 leagues ta the weft of ther
great river, and now they repented of having laid wafte the country
through which they were to return ; but the inconveniency was-
Jefs than the expectation of it, for they found the town of Naguata^
which had been burnt, now rebuilt by the Indians* and the houfeswell
ftored with maize, the country being both fertile, and, welt
peopled. They make here earthen diihes, not much unlike thofe
of Eßremosi and Montemar, The Spaniards left Naguata, and*
came to Chaguete, and at length arrived at Nilco ; but found, fo
little maize rhere, that they were entirely thrown into a dejeátion,
nearly bordering upon defpair, feeing no means of fubfifting during
the time requifite for building the veffels to carry them out of
Florida -j. not owing to fterility of foil, but to the negleâ of the
Indians, who had been too much frightened to employ themfelvesin
tillage, while the troops reiided at Guacboya : For the province
is extremely fertile, which made the Spaniards confident of finding:
fubfiftence here. The foldiers now began to curie the refolution,,.
to puih on their difcoveries no farther weftward, and to look upon
the defign of putting to fea as abfurd and chimerical to the laft degree»

TO, F&ORIDA» 77
grée, tbey being totally «nproyided with every neceflâry
for .Quppmg^/^he unfortunate Narixiez was frequently -recalled tp
theic mkids, who was loft upon this coa.fi. j but the heaviçiï of all
their misfortunes was the want of food* without which k was?
impoffible for the men to labour.
THEY had now no refource lefr, but to recommend
to divine providence in prayer, for his immediate affiftance-, ада
heard them, fending ;the Indians of ivV&

т н E x P E т p o N s
"the 'tfver Twelîed fudcíehly, upon, the incrfiaft of the 1
'carträj às/ièv^èîe^'tt} ferch 'the brtgantrries'away ; ;; fó that they were
ifloaifed •'jh'1tr í the''betÍ of 1 the 'fiver with gr&rt «afe/ "-A tftirig wbfchv
r
l3ut for this event, womd' ' hâve - -been effected' ' riot without great
labour, and the hazard of {training thfcht, -arid opening their feams-,
in hauling them down to the water. And thus, on the fécond day
of j&/ir iri the year 1 ï 54^, -^tíe Spaniards were' aft- embarked, and
•departed "from • Miuvja'.- Mofco/ò -à^pjííírttea ä : еггрЫп íò"e1fcíí : ' ! bni
gähtihey and' mad^'tWem fwear^o"' obey hrai'iif tths fame' rtianner as
they did when- afliore. This being, done, they proceeded to Gifa*
'cboyai t Leayh% this place, they found the ciirtfent very ft rong, and
advanced 'at a great rare by the help of their oars, ! tîtt l they .carrle
to Quigtifiam'. ' Mofcoß' feht, frohi time to t'imej parties iafh o ré,
land'' fënrid' great quantities of rnaîizé-'în the hoúfes; ' which were
afterwards embarked on board of the veflels. While they were
faffing 'through this province, frequent attacks were made upon
them, by the Indiana, in one of which the Spaniards loft about
twenty-fívie i men, with their cbmmahder yohn Gajman, who was
aeetcHed'-vvMi this Шггу;|п :
canoes 'to "aftfék'the-eiitétfty^'by^fiofè
tanbes/^trí.tích "larger,- arid more ríumêrôas fhah -his, he was foon
'furroundtfdj when tlie Indians throwing themfelves in mifftitudes
into. the -water; and laying hold Upon' the Sßünrards'Cznocs, over*
turfred them all iri'a-n inííatit.' 'Thèfe brave 'men^l ^riibed, being
carried 'to flio bbttotn by the' 'wbi^ífof ffietr! #f niour-.'
THIS fuccefs fo encouraged the Indians, that they omitted no
•opportunity ~of annoying' the vëïîelè during thé 'whole time of their
falling 'down the river, fometjmes' making a ihew-as if they intended
tb board Лет,' ! £гпи сопЛапН'у kejit upr à continual difcharge o-f
their arrpw5 - froni the' banks' of the rívèr. : The Spaniard? 1 lòft à
coriSderable number of men upon tbb occafion : They, at tail-,
lined the gunnels and quarter-decks with a breaO>work made of
double matts, fo thick as to prevent the arrows from pen£trating.
WHEN they had arrived at about half a league's diftdnce from
the mouth of the 'river, thé general landed his men, in order to
refreih them, as they 1 had been greatly fatigued by rowing. Here
they

Т О F L-O.R I D A.' 29
tfcey ftaîd two days only, .as the Indiens-fäll continued to alarm
them. : I5ie eighteenth of July they .put to fea, with a. favourable
w,ind, and after a paflage of fifty-two days, arrived at the mouth
of the river Pânico^ on the continent of Mexico, on the tenth of
September л 543,. having undergone various fatigues, dangers,, and
difficulties, as well by lea as by land, and loft vabove : one half o£
their number in this unfortunate expedition.
ExpedifiqnL$fc ^онц'ДхвАЦ!^,

8o T H E E X P E Dl T I Ò N S
of them contented to winter here, raifed haftily a fmall fortificatioa
for them, which extended fixteen poles in length, and thirteen ia
breadth, calling it Carotin ; and, appointing Albert, his lieutenant»
governor of the colony, to whom having given proper inftruâions,
he fet fail, and^arrived at Dieppe in France, on the twentieth of
July in the fame year.
ALBERT applied himfelf to obtain information of the ftate of
the neighbouring provinces, and vifited their various little princes,
endeavouring to ingratiate himfelf with them ; which he effected
to fuch a degree, that .they very readily fupplied him and his people
with provlfion, and often made them prefetits' of- pearls, cryftal,
and filver, in large quantities.
THESE advantages could not, however, prevent the fate
iferf, who fell a fácrificé to the licentious humour of his people,
irritated by the fevere reíhiâions and difciplkre he kid them under,'
which yet were the beft means to preíêrve their fafety among the
natives. But th« colony were foon convinced, after he was taken
off, that they íhould be able to fubfift no longer, efpecially as the
Supplies expeâed by them from France did not arrive: Upon this
they refolved to depart ; and, having laid in what provision they 1
could '- cb llecl, fet fail for France: But, meeting with a, calm for
-twenty days together, this unforefeen accident reduced them to the'
horrid diftrefs, for want of food, of killing one of their companions,
to fuftain life by eating his fleih, when luckily they met with
an Englifl) mip, which fet them aihore upon the coaft of Rngland,
whence they were conducled to the court of Queen Elizabeth -, and»
moft probably, their narrative firft made her turn her thoughts toy

TO FLORIDA. St
Expedition of RENE LANDONIERE, a Frenchman.
T?RANCE, during this period, had been too much encumbered
JD with inteftine broils to think of fending fupplies to Caroline -,
but, thofe being now allayed, Rene Landomere, who had made this
voyage before with Rieauit, was fent thither in April 1564, with
three ihips, and arrived in the river May on the July following,
at the fame place which the Fr*ticbfaa left, and built there a little
town, and fortified it with a rampart of earth, and called it alfo
Caroline. Both he and his people were kindly treated by the inhabitants
of the country j and, by their aiîïftance, he penetrated into
the more interior and remote parts. Still, as he moved, he made
friendfhips and tfceatie* wkb фй. various chiefe, among whom he
had the art of fowing an emulation of gaining his good-will. He
refifted the endeavours of thofe cafliques who were defirous of obtaining
his affiftance againft fuçh as they were at variance with, and
made it his ftudy to reconcile all differences, between the petty princes
adjacent4 that, by their help, he might be enabled to cruih all opponents
in thofe inland parts of Florida, about the Apalachian mountains,
wKere he had good reafon to believe mines of lilver and
copper were to be found»
WHILE thefe confiderations took up his attention, his people
began to be in want of provision i and, by a failure of the Indians
in not bringing fupplies as ufual, were reduced to fuch extremity,
that, to avoid periihing by hunger, they had refolved to return to
France, and were preparing two barks for that purpofe, the ihips
that brought them hither having failed back again fome time before,
when they were fortunately relieved, by the purchafe of a ihip
laden with provifions, from one Hawkins? an •Englißiman) that
happened to arrive upon this coaft.
M DURING

8a THE EXPEDIT IONS
DURING thefe tranfaftions, Landonlere had been accufed of various
mifdemeanours, contrived by fome enemies among thofe who
had been fent back to conduél the ihips to France^ in order to ruin
his reputation- at the French court, which were fo fuccefsful, that
John Ribault was difpatched with a commiffion to divert him of
his government, and fend him to France. Ribault arrived in
Florida on the twenty-eight of Auguft 1565, juft as Landoniere had
prepared every thing for departure. As foon as the news of the
arrival of Ribault was rumoured among the Indians, their feveral
caflkrues came to vifit him, made him prefents, and promifed to
conduct him to the Apalachian mountains, out of which a certain
udiih metal was digged, which they called Sieroa Pira, and believed
to be gold.
WHILE thefe things were in agitation, fix large Spanißj veflbls
entered the mouth of the river, and came to an anchor there. Ribault
who had come higher up the itream, and had only three
fmall ihips with him, feeing himfelf unable to cope with the
Spaniards, flipped his cables, fearing what the purport of their
intentions might be, and put to fea, whither he was clofely purfued
by the Spaniards ; but, outfailing them, the latter put about,
and entered the mouth of another river, about eight leagues from
that of May, where they landed their men, and began to fortify.
Ribault, whofe fm'ps were now returned to the port, called a confutation
of his officers, and refolved to attack the Spaniards before
they mould have built a fortrefs, as it were, under their nofes; and,
for this purpofe, embarked the beft of Landoniere's foldiei s, leaving
him in the fort of Caroline, with eighty fouls, men, women, and
children, moft of them fick
RIBAULT put to fea on the tenth of September, where he was
overtaken, about fifty leagues from the fortrefs, with fo dreadful
a tempeft, that, unable to withftand the fury of the wind, the ihips
were all daíhed to pieces among the rocks ; and though Ribault,
together with his people, efcaped the rage of the fea, they could
rot efcape that of the Spaniards, who inhumanly flew them all,
contrary to the faith of nations, after they had furrendered, mafiacrmg

то FLORIDA, 8 3
criog more tftan 600 in number : And, bent upon entirely rooting
out the name of- France in Florida, having paiïêd woods, lakes,
and rivers, with incredible .-celerity, were at the fort on the nineteentji
oï October before fun-rife, although in the rainy feaion, and
attacked the French fo unexpectedly, that they furprized them in
theirbedv-and, after a little oppofition from the guard, broke over
the rampart into the parade, when a promifcuous flaughfer of old
and young, women and children, fick and well, enfued. Landiniere,
with great difficulty, being not yet recovered from a fit of
ficknefs, efcaped with a few of his people, through the marihes,
-to the ihips that Ribault had left, and, at length, returned into
France. The reft were all Slaughtered.
Expedition g/V DOM. IN ï QUE DE GOURGUES.
ПРН l S terrible deftrucYion of his countrymen, in Florida, though
A pafled over without refentment by the French king, either becaufe
of the diiTentions which, at that time, diftracted the court
.of France, or from his hatred to the Proteftants, of whom the
greater part of this armament had confifted ; roufed, neverthelefs,
the Ttfo\uUQn o£.Dominique de Gourgues, a native of Gafcony, to revenge
it; who equipped, at his own expence, three ihips of a moderate
fize : And, having embarked two hundred foldiers and eighty
feamen on board of them, failed from France on the twenty-fecond
of Auguft 1567 ; and, paffing through the ftreights of Bahama, arrived
at the mouth of the river May..
THE Spaniards, miftaking them for their own people, faluted
them with a difcharge of artillery, which Gourgues, defirous to
confirm them in their error, returned again, and, failing on for
about fifteen leagues, landed his people at the river Tacafacouru,
where he was joyfully received by the natives, having fignified to
them that he was come from the French king, to bring friendihip
and protection to them, and to revenge all the injuries they had
M 2 received

8 4
T H И E X P E D I T I O N S
received from. tbe Spaniards. Upon'dûs, mutual'pledges of? faith
and alliance were exchanged, and the Indian forces combined with
the French m Jtecping thcic tranfaûions a'profound fecret from the
Spaniards.
BESIDE the fort called Car»line> now repaired by the latter, they
had built two more lower down the river, on the oppose banks,
which .they had mounted with the cannon taken-from the French,
and had garrifoned the whole with four hundred chofen men*
THF. forces of the Frencb, in conjunction with the Indians, being
aflembled, Gourgues propofed to attack the Spaniards by fupprize,
before day-break, but the badnefs of the ways made it impoffible
to come in fight of the forts before the fun had rifen, of
which, when Gourgues was apprized, he led his forces about through
the woods by a more commodious, though a longer way} and,
paffing the river, marched up to the Spaniß fort, which was fituated
on the right-hand bank.
AFTEK the firing of a few cannons from the rampart, the Indians
turnukuoufly ruibed upon it, and Gourgues immediately
following, the place was taken ; and, with no lefs rapidity, the
Savages, by fwimming, and he in a boat, with «ighty mufqueteers,
landed on the oppofite ihore, alfo took that fort by ilorm, and piHáged
it. The flying garrifpn was intercepted by the natives, who Jay
waiting in an adjoining wood. One hundred and twenty Spaniards
were flain on this occafion, and thirty referved for puniíhment.
CAROLINE fortrefs yet remaißed to be taken, in which was
the governor himfelf, and a garrifon of three hundred men, who
hoped to fuftain a fiege until fuccours mould be fent to them > but,
Gourgues having learned from the priibners, that the Spaniards
imagined his forces amounted to 2,000 men, thought no time ought
to be given them for finding out their miftake ; therefore, havtrrg
prepared eight fltiffs, and making ufe of a .Spaniß captive officer
for his guide, he came by morning in fight of the fort. Here,
after planting Indians in atnbuih .among the woods interiperfed
on

Т О F L О R I D A. 85
©n every fide,, that no outlet might be left to the flying, he determined
to make his attack upon the lowed part of the rampart,
where the ditch was {halloweft, the commanding officer of which
part detached thence fixty of his people, to inform themfelves. of
the ftate of the French ; but, being intercepted by the Indians,
Gourgues flew every one of them to a man.
THE Spanijh governor, affrighted at this cataftrophe, endeavoured
to retreat into the neighbouring Woods with his people, where:
they were almoft entirely intercepted. Thus, the forts, ammunition,
and baggage, fell into the hands of the French, who hung,
the captives upon the neareft trees, with this observation, that they
were not puniihed becaufe they were Spaniards, but as traitors and
murderers ; retaliating the Spanißi governor's obfervation, when he
"butchered the French on the fame fpot, that he did .not deftroy
them for being Frenchmen, but becauie they were Lutherans.
AFTER thofe tranfaótions, Gourgues perceiving his forces not.
Efficiently numerous to maintain thefe forts, perfuaded the natives
to demolííh them, and returned to France, with, the cannon and.
the reft of the fpoils.
.Sir FRANCIS DRAKE'S Expedition to Florida.
N the year 158$, fome private adventurers in England fitted out
a fleet of twenty fail of ihips and pinnaces, having in the wholer
on board to the number of 2,300 failors and landmen, the command
of which was conferred on Sir Francis Drake, as admiral,
in chief, having under him Martin Forbißxr, as vice-admiral,,
Francis Knoiles as rear-admiral, and lieutenant-general Chrißcpher-
Carlile, as commander of the land-forces. This fleet failed in the
month of September, with orders to cruize againft the Spaniards,,
and make deftents on their colonies in the Weß-lnaisi, In their.
way

86 THE EXPEDITIONS
way thither, he touched at St. Jago, one of the Cape de Verde
iflands; and, having facked and burnt the chief town, called Prate»
proceeded for the ifland of Hifpaniola, where he obliged the inhabitants
of St. Domingo to pay, by way of ranfom, 25,000 ducats,
to preferve their town from being burned.
FROM hence he fleered his courfe for the harbour of Carfhagena j
the attack of which being refolded on, they made themfelves mafters
of it, after a bloody and obftinate defence. Some part of this
town was deftroyed, but, at laft, a ranfom of 110,000 ducats was
paid to preferve the remainder. From this place, he fleered for
Cape Florida, which, when he had doubled, he coafted all along,
not touching any where, till, on the twenty-eight day of May 1586,
being in the latitude of 30° nearly, in the morning early, they
perceived a ftrufture, which feemed to be ereihed as a beacon, or
look-out/ The admiral judging thereby that fome Spaniß fettlement
muft be near at hand, determined to land and endeavour to find it
out, as he and everyone in the fleet were entirely unacquainted in
thefe parts. Accordingly, {landing in for the more, he ordered the
pinnaces to be immediately manned, and he in perfon, at the head
of the land-forces, marching up about a mile along the fide of
a river, perceived, on the other fide thereof, a fort, as alfo a town,
about three miles higher up, built of wood. Had a fufficient
number of feamen been on ihore to make entrenchments, the general
would that night have pafled over the river, and inverted the
fort, till cannon was landed to eredt a battery. However, the
lieutenant-general, in a row-fluff, went to reconnoitre it; and,
though he ufed all precaution to prevent his being difcovered, yet
the Spaniards took the alarm, and, after difcharging fome pieces
precipitately abandoned the place, imagining the Eng/iß) were approaching
to attack them with their whole force. However, he
returned without knowing that the fort had been deferted, till a
French .fifer, who had been detained there as a prifoner, coming
over in a little boat, and playing the Prince of Orange's march, informed
the guard thereof, at the fame time offering his fervice to
conduit them over.
UPON

TOFLORIDA. 87
UPON this intelligence, Sir Francis Drake crofled the river with
his men, and found the account he had received was true, as there
was not one man found in the fort, though two or three ftraçglers,
who had ventured to return, fired a few randum ihot at them on
their paflage. This fort was made entirely of wood, and only
furrounded by a wall, or pale, formed of the bodies, or trunks of
large trees fet upright in the earth ; for it was not at that time encloied
by a ditch, as it had'been but lately begun by the Spaniards.
The platforms were made of the bodies of large pine-trees (of
which there are plenty here), laid horizontally acrofs each other,,
with earth rammed in to fill up the vacancies. This fort was
called St. John, and in it was left fourteen pieces of brafs ordnance,
together with a cheft of fil ver, containing about 2,000 /. Sterling^
defigned for the payment of the garrifon, which conüfted of 15.0 men.
THE next day he marched towards the town, but the road thither
being very bad, and the communication intercepted by fome unfordable
rivers, he was obliged to return, and reimbark his men on
board the pinnaces, and fo proceed up the main river, which, as
well as the town, he afterwards found was called St. Augußine.
On their approaching in order to land, the Spaniards appeared,
and made a mew of oppofing them, but, on the firft volley of
fmall arms they retreated, and fled into the country, leaving the
paiTage to the town free, which he found was entirely deferted.
He was here informed, that, about twelve leagues to the Northward
of St. dugußine, there was another fort called St. Helena, where
there was alfo a garrifon of 150 men, and that both thefe placeswere
under the government of one perfon, who at that time was
one Pedro Melendez MarqueJJe ; and that the end for which they
were conftnicted and garrifoned, was to prevent any other nation
from making any fettlement on that coaft.
SIR FRANCIS having held a council of his officers, determined
to proceed immediately againft St. Helena, which he accordingly
did ; but, it being a dangerous more, full of fhoals, and havingno
pilot who knew the coaft, or could undertake to carry him in,
he dropt his deßgn, and made the beft of his way to Virginia.
Captain

THE EXPEDITIONS
Captain DAVIS'S Expedition to Florida.'
the year 1665, Captain John Davis, one of the Buccanien,
_ or frcc-bootefs, in thofe days very numerous in the Weß-lndies,
having on feveral occaííons exerted hrtnfelf, and behaved with
extraordinary intrepidity and coriduel, was by them, on that account,
chofen commander in chief, or, as they flylcd him, Admiral
of a fleet of feven or eight veflels which they were then fitting
out at Jamaica (of which ifland he was a native), with an intent
to cruize againft the Spaniards. For this purpofe, he fleered to
the northward of the ifland of Cuba, where he fixed his ftation, in
expectation of intercepting their fleet on its return from New-
Spain for Europe ; but, being difappointed in this fcheme he determined
to proceed to Florida, and make a defcent on that
toaft : And, accordingly^ he came before Si. Augujline, where he
landed, and marched diredtly to the town $ which he entirely facked
and plundered, without meeting the leaft oppofition or refiftânce
from the Spaniards, although they had then a garrifon of two
hundred men in the fort, which» at that time, was an ocbgon>
fortified and defended by round towers.
Colonel MOOR'S Expedition into Florida,
"IN the year 1702-, Colonel Moor, at that time governor ofCaro-
JL Una, entering this province at the head of the Engliß, joined
•by the Carolina-Indians) advanced towards the river Hint : He there
•engaged and defeated the Spam'fh-Indians, killing and taking pri*foners
above 600 of them, and ravaged the open country all the
way he went, till he came before St. Augußine, which he inverted,
; and laid clofe fiege to, but without any effect, for the gairifon made
-a brave and .gallant defence, and, at the end of three months>
2 they

TOFLORIDA. 89
they were relieved by fome Spaniß veflels, who brought them freih
fupplies, and a reinforcement. The appearance of this fo intimidated
him, that he raifed the fiege, and retired with the utmoft
precipitation, leaving behind him the veiTel and the ftores which
he had brought with him, and returned to С barks-Town, after a
mod tedious march by land, of about 300 miles.
Colonel MOOR'S fécond Expedition*.
TN the year 1703, Colonel Moor, at the head of the Carolinians,,
A made another inroad into Florida, marching into the province of
Apalachia, whereof Don yuan Mexia was then governor ; whom
he attacked, and 4 , after an obftinate engagement, entirely defeated,
having therein killed, and taken prifoners, above eight hundred of
the Spaniards and the Indians. Among the prifoners was Don
J.uan Mexia hi m fel f.
THE confequence of this action was the reduction of the whole
province, which then fubmitted to the Engliß. Governor Moor
took along with him 1400 of Indians, natives of this country, and,
tranfporting them to Georgia, fixed them there, in a feulement .at
the Savannah town, under the Engliß.
-IN the year 1706, the Engiiß inhabitants of Carolina went againft
the Atimaco-Indiam, and deflroyed all the feulements in their.
country.
Captain HENRY JENNING'J Expedition to the Martyra.,
TN the year 1716, the Weß-India traders fitted out, at Jamaica, <
-I two ihips and four ilpops, with a defign of making reprifals on
N the.

9ó THE EXPEDITIONS
the Spaniards, for the many lofles they had fuffered from thç différent
robberies and plunders commited by their guarde de totes, who,
under fpecioüs pretences, not only detained, but even confifcated
divers of their veflels. The command of this little fleet was committed
to Captain ffeary Jennings, who ihaped his coiuie for the
Martyres, where the Spaniards were at that time.at work, in order
to recover,fome part of the treafure out of the wreck, where the
galleons, or plate-fleet, were cart away, about two years before that
on their return to Europe. As foon as he arrived here, and caft
anchor, he, with all poffible expedition, landed his forces, to the
number of three hundred men, and attacked the guard, who immediately
fled, leaving in his pofleffion the treafure recovered by
the divers, amounting to 3 с0,000 pieces of eight, which was fent
on ihore, and kept under the care of two commiflaries, with a
guard of fixty Ibldiers. This booty he forthwith ordered on board
his veflels, and returned with it to Jamaica.
IN the year 1716, Cherokee Leechee, the chief of the Palachucola
Indians, removed, with his whole tribe, from their former habitation
to the River Flint, where they built themfelves a fort, and
fixed a fettlement.
IN the fame year alfo the Veheefee Creek Indians, joined by the
Cowefas, Savannas, Hogokeges, Oconee, and feveral remnants of
other fmall tribes, removed from their former fettlements, and
fixed themfelves on the river Cbatahouchee. They are in all about
looo men, being the moil warlike Indians in thofe parts.
M. DE CHATEAUGUE'S Expedition into Florida.
TN the year 1719, about the latter end of May, Monfîeur De
I Serigny, the governor of Louijiana, fent Monfieur De Chateaugue,
with 800 Indians, to invert the fort of Penfacola, while he, at the
fame time, failed for the fame place, with a fleet of three ihips,
viz.

T Q FLORI DA. 91
viz. the Philip and Touloufe, each of 24 guns, having on board
in all about 400 men. When this fleet came before the fort, the
Spaniards only fired two or three (hot at them on their approach y
and, after beating the chamade, delivered up the fort, being granted
the liberty to march out with their baggage and arms ; the latter
of which they were afterwards to deliver up, and they were alio
to be fent to the Havannab in French bottoms. Accordingly, in
the beginning of- June, the Touloufe and the Marifchal de Villars,
who were then to fail for France, had orders to land the garrifon
at the Havannah ; but, when they appeared off there, they were
attacked and taken by a Spanijh fleet of fmall craft (déftined to go~
againft Carolina], and, being carried in there, 'were immediately
fitted out and joined, to the faid fleer, whofe deftination was now
altered, and inftruéHons given them to proceed to Penfacola, and
repoflefs themfelves thereof. They arrived there in the beginning of
Auguß, being in all about 1800 men, 6co of whom were regulars.
The French deferred two ihips they had in the harbour, and the íèamen
that were on board them retired into the fort. The garrifon,,
being fummoned, refufmg to deliver up the place, made a ihew
of refiftance 5 yet, without firing one gun, they offered to capitulate.
But the Spaniards infifted on their furrendering themfelve»
prifoners of war at difcretion, which they did accordingly, being
about 280 in number. However, they were not long in the pofieffion-of
the place: For
MONSIEUR De Cha.mpmeßin, about the beginning of September»
appeared off the ifland with a fleet of fix fail of ihips, viz. the
Hercules of 64 guns, the Mars of 60, the Triton of 54, the Union,
a company's ihip of 36, the Philip of 20, and a brigantine. The
Spanijh garrifon having, before their arrival, had advice of there
being at the Ifle Dauphin, conftructed with all expedition a flockaded
fort, on the point of the ifland St. Roja, and put every thing in.
the beft order they could for their defence.
THIS fort the French attacked, and entirely battered down, the
moft part of thofe who defended it being killed. The Spaniß
vefîels, being eleven in number, oppofed the entrance of the French
N 2 fleet,.

92 THE EXPEDITIONS
fleet, and behaved gallantly, not ftriking till their ammunition was
all expended. The action lafted for two hours and an half, when
the garrifon of the great fort, which confifted of 600 men, perceived
that their veflels had ftruck, they fent an officer on board
the commodore, with an offer to capitulate : For they did not
chufe to fall into the hands of the Indians, who had inverted the
place under the command of M. De Bienville, for they greatly
dreaded them. They were refufed any other terms than furrendering
prifoners of war, at difcretion, which they did on the i7th
of S'-ptembef 1719. Thus was this fort attacked and taken three
times, in the fpace of lefs than four months.
THE French demoUihed, and'entirely razed, both the great fort
at Penfacola, as alfo that on St. Rofa. • *
General OGLETHORP'S Expedition*into Florida.
TN the year 1740, General Ogleihorp, governor of Georgia, ha-'
I ving concerted, and determined on the attack of Fort Sf. Augußine,
failed from Charles-Town with the tranfports, under the
convoy of four men of war, and arrived at the mouth of the River
Sf. John, which was the rendezvous appointed. Here he was
joined by the Cherokee-Indians. On the gth of May, he fet out
from thence with his little army, which confifted only of four hundred'foldiers,
two hundred fe»men, and three hundred Indians, and
marched to Fort Diego, twenty miles higher up, which he took,
making the garrifon prifoners of "war. He then advanced to Fort
Mufa, otherwife called Negroe-Forf, which he found was deferted
by the Spaniards, • Here he left in garrifon a fmall party to harrafs
and alarm the enemy ; then he proceeded to the iiland St. Anaßalia,
where he encamped, and laid fiege to Fort St. Auguftine. The
Spaniards, on the fifteenth June, fent out a detachment from the
fort, which, advancing to Negroe-Fort, attacked the party left there,
,and .entirely defeated them, making feveral prifoners. In this .adion
Colonel

T O F L O R I D A. 93
Colonel Palmer^ who commanded the Engliß>t was killed. Batteries
were raifed both againft the town and fort, but they did little
execution, being, on account of the river and moraiïès, conftrucl:ed
at too great a diftance. The fleet alfo was forced by the badnefs
of the weather to put to fea, and the Spaniards, receiving a
fupply from Cuba, which was brought up the river Matanzes, and
landed fafely at the fouth of the town, as that communication was
open to the befieged ; for the befiegers were not ftrong enough to
attempt to inveil the whole place, the Spaniards being in number
about IODO men, and their governor, having timely intelligence of
their intended vifit, had taken all neceflary precautions for their defence
; fo that Mr. Ogletborp, «for thefe confederations, was obliged
to raife the fiege on the fourth of July,
THIS attempt, however, evidently makes appear of what confequence
to our trade"the pofleifion of this country was thought to
be at that time.
F I N I S .

P Ь of the
BAYandISLAND
of
MOBILE,
• ;;<
FortConde
delaMobile
M E X I C O

The Publiflief having beeil favoured with the Copy of ttie following
genuine Letter, written by Captain Robinfon, who refuted for
fome time atVilla Rica, a. fea-port in the Gulf of Mexico, and
having permiffipn to rnake it public, thinks an apology for
inferting it here unneceOary, as it contains fome obfervations made
by the Writer on the country of Florida, which are pertinent to
the fubjedl. To which he has annexed a Plan of the Bay of Mobile.
To G E O R G E L O O K U P, Efq;
S I R,
T"\URSUANT to your requeft, I here. tranfmit you the following
\ obfervations, made by me on the Country QÍ Florida, when I
vifited that coaft in the year 1754.
ON my return to England, I embarked at Villa Rica (fituated on
the river Sampeval on ; the • Mexican coaft) for Penfacola, This
fmall town, or rather ftraggling village, wfth a forti Hes within a
fine bay, of tke. &me name, beating-N. E. by N. 150 miles froni
the mouth of the river Mißßppi, in the gulf of Mexico. The
country all around is wonderfully delightful and fertile, abounding
with various herbs, Oirubs, evergreens, and meadows, well ftocked
with cattle. This place was moft excellently fituated, as a barrierjo
cover the Spantft territories in that quarter, which extended no further
than to the Rio Perdtdo, not far to the wtftward of the famous
bay, called by the French Mobile.
The bay of Mobile forms a moft noble and fpacious harbour,
funning thirty miles north, and fix miles broad, to the feveral
mouths of the Halabama undChickafaw rivers. It affords very good'
anchorage, and is capable of containing the whole Briiijh navy.
THE French^ perceiving the importance of this place, and the
advantages that muft naturally arife therefrom, ereded, on the weft
О fide

í 96 }
fid.e of „this bay, a ftrong fort called after the bay. This place is
now become to us of the utmoft confequencë, fffice all the country
to the eaftward of the Mffißppi is ceded to. us by the late treaty of
peace.
THE advantageous fitiiation of this harbour, in the very heart of
the richeft part of the country, is as it were a back door to New-
Orleans,, and will ever remain an unmoveable check, by inevitably
cutting off all communication between the river Miffißppi ала Еиrope,
and the French weftern iflands. Yet this depends upon "the
feafonable meafures taken by the government, to put this country
and harbour into a better pofture of defence, by ere&ing a fort at
its entrance, and fending colonies over.
FROM Penfacola, I coafted it eaftward for 200 miles, in a brrgantine,
to St. Mark a" Apalachy, fcarce ever lofing fight of land. We
were becalmed fo clofe to the more, as capable to pitch a- bifcuit
upon it, near forty miles eaft of Penfacela r the firmament being,
very ferene, and, at the fame time, not one breath of air. In this
ftate I flood contemplating on the rich and bountiful hand of nature:
looking which way I pleafed, I. was equally attracted with
a view of the moft ravifhing profpecb. The fhore level, rifing
gradually into eminencies, cloathed with the fineft verdure, and
fpontaneous productions, interfperfed promifcuotffly, as mulberry,
cedar, cocoa, vanilla, moho, and cabbage-trees, &c. the laft towering
their round tops above the reft, as ifconfcious of its fovereign
dignity.
I difcovered near to this coaft feveral plats of ground, which appeared
to me to be barakas of wood ( like thofe I had feen on the
Mexican coaft) furrounded with pleafant little gardens and corn.
ABOUT fixty miles further eaft, we were again impeded in our
voyage by the fame caufe, clofe to the pleafant little town of
Santa yofepk, near the point of Efçondido. We made no ftay
here, by reafon the wind was up very foon after. The face of the
country

í í>7 J
is *«$ before deícribed, unlefs a few miles round St.. Jofepjj
it is ÍQmewhat more mountainous.
. SOON after we arrived at Saint Mark de Apalaché, the fécond town
in Florida, on the northern extreme of Apal&ché bay, 14 miles diftant
on the north-eaft fide *of the river Apalaché. In failing along to
tftp abpve place, фе соли, was much the fame as already mentioned.
'lofais Itown is /exceedingly healthful and .pleafant, ftafiding on the
Йоре of а 4 ЬШ, and tolerably regular, built of firone, excepting fome
few b$r.f*kas. Here are two convents, one öiyefuits and the other
of Francifcani ; the exteripr parts of the town are fortified in the
.Spaniß} modcj father ,as a defence, I fuppofe, againft the natives, than
Europeans.
tbç .excellent an^ .centrical pofition of this fine port, it
carries a good .tra/3e pn,, in its own river, E?r. and interior
parts, as far as the Apalacbean mountains. It is looked upon to ca'rry
on more commerce than all the other fettlements in Florida put
CURIOSITY induced me one day to.tafee a journey of eight or pine
es into the country. I found abundance of extreme fine mulberry
trees, larger (and perhaps better fruit) than any I ever faw
in Italy.: the ïëavës'ancl fruit are well known to be the food of that
valuable fpecies filkworms, the climate and all other neceflãries being
adapted for their nouriihment : neverthelefs, it remained unregarded"
by the Spaniards, though -it has produced, ten years ago, fiLks as
good as any in Europe. On my return .to thé town of St. Mark de
Apalaché, I met with exquifite. grapes interfperfed up and dpwn,
exceeding the Mufcàdine in buEk, and fqmething of their flavour.
IN my .humble opinion,, here may be made excellent wine : tho'
its generally. turning four has been hitherto no fmall difcouragement,
yet it might be remedied, by falling upon fome fimple ingredient,
fuch as the/ö/MW Indicuin,- or by alcaline fait, coniac, and fugar,
which will.reftore fuch wines as have not loft their fpirit. Shquld
tr^is ОЦГ fcheme fucceed, I can procure a perfoq who has an юш-
02 •' ' li'ble

[ 98 3
Übte fecret of curing four wines by a fimple îngréaientj
judicious management while in fermentation. 'Before my depurtur e
„from the aforefaid place, I ob r eryed many barrels of rice, larg c
quantities of deer, bear, and buffalo-ikiris, with forrie few furs, ihip~
péd for Europe.
HAVING finimed my bufinefs at St. Mark's, l êòok my departure
for Sf. Augußine, doubling Cape Florida-^ but, before I had
gone eighty miles how great was my fürprife! The ifceite entirely
changed from the móft delightful profpeft an'd fertile foil,
to the moft barren mountains -, not a toWn,' few or no inhabitants,
to be feen on that large tradt of land from the Cafe to Mofqutto> 200
miles long and 150 miles broad.
MOSQUITO ftands on a little bay, not remarkable for any thing
unlefs for the fmall infefts from whence it is nataed,- which perfecute
the inhabitants.
THE laft place I made on this coaft was St. Augußlne, the capital,
in latitude 29 deg. 48 min. longit. 81 deg. 20, min. It is built on
a little bay at the foot of a hill, ihaded with trees, and forms an
oblong fquare, divided into four ftreets (and has two fine ftreets
which cut each other at right angles). The höufes are well-built
and regular. They have only one church, which is called after
the city.
ST. JOHN'S FORT, {landing about a mik north of it, is a ftrong
irregular fortification, well mounted with 'cannon, and capable of
making a long defence. I remarked that the foil here is neither
rich nor pleafaht, unlefs on the banks of the river St. John, diftant
27 miles due Weft, which river comes from the fouth-part of the
periinfula, and, running north, it difembogues itfelf into the Atlantic
Ocean, 45 miles N. of St. Augußine.
THE principal rivers are the Cbickafaw and Halibama, running
South into the bay of Mobile. The Apalacbicola rifes near the back
fettlements of South Carolina, and, dividing near the mouth one
branch

Г 99 ]
branch/ гШ£ into the bay óf St. Jofeph, and the other into the
golf of- Mexico. : The Apalaché, rifing .amengft the Apalackian.
mountains, purfuing a S. W. courfç, difembogues-itíblf, into ,a
bay of the fame name. They are well ftocked with many
kinds of" good fim, and on their banks are many pleafant 'meadows,
covered witii herds of cattle. ^ The two- kit ace navigable a long
way up.
THE bays in the gulf of México are Mobile^ Реп/acolá, St.
pdaehé, Efpiritu- Santo, and Carlos; and'thofè in tixe- Atlantic.
ocean are Mofquito and -Sf. Augußine.
MOST- of Plffrida* unlefs the Cape, is happily fituatcd between
the extremes of heat and cold, but the-heat is rather more trouble^
fome«a£"the two. It is blefled with as wholeforae, pare and fotenfe
air, as any part of the world, not much unlike the fouth of France
unaLifton-, although its fituatíon is naturally warm, the heat is
inacfei-irhiligafsa by the. refreihing breezes from the fea and Apala-tbian-
mountains!.
PHAVE gatheitdi, not' only from my own obfemtion,i but alib
from two authentic Spànifo writers, that all that part of the courttry,
extending from fifty miles eaft of Apalacbe- (in the gulf of .
Mexico) to 450 niîtesTwert, to ^^ ihe -biihks of'the river Mif]îfippi$ is
abundantly fuperior to any of our fettlements. The vegetables here
are innumerable j for all that grow in Europe are in perfection
and many that cannot ftand the inclemency of our winters thrive
here, J t has excellent timber, and ihrubs of various kinds, viz.
oak, pine, cedar, . mulberry, apple, orange, peach, cocoa, grape,
elive, vanilla, moho, cabbage, lightwood, and mangrove trees, bet
fides many European fruits which are introduced. Mulberries,
grapes, and olives, grow fpontaneoufly, and if I am not miftaken,
was told by the Spaniards they have the cotton-tree, being probable
enough, as it grows in Georgia, in the fame climate, net many
miles diftant.
THEY

f IÇO ]
THEY have the mono-free, a very ufeful íhrub, m great plenty,
answering the ufe of hemp, many cables and ropes .being made of
its ftrong fibres.
I MUST not omit relating fome -yçry interefting particulars,
from any obfervations of my own, but annotation from fome япаnufcript
notes (which I accidentally met with) of Father Gomez df
Sefuhida, on the American trade.
" FLORIDA (hç fays) enjoys a very temperate air and foil, won-
" derfully fertile in grain, herbs, and fruits.
" THE f fondons are extremely well-proportioned warriors, and

SEIGNIOR DÍEOO PAT RIA; DA VALOS obferresï whàf.wboHhey
haveis not inferior to the Engliß}--, for my own part, what I faw
was not equal to our worih
OF fifh oft their coafts, and m. the jaays, they have ,the'
torfoifes of five feveral kiitdsy manatee^ ÖV. j in the riveö, the faroe
a* in Carolina.
OF their feathered kind are the curofoe, the maccow, the quam,
and humming-bird, befides European poultry. Their infefts are the
cochineal-fly, miqua, and altera, &c.
THE natives have no manufactures but what each family makes
for its own ufe : They are declared enemies to labour, fpending
their time chiefly in hunting and war ; yet neceffity induces them
to plant corn fufficient for their fupport.
THE natives are extremely healthful, rarely troubled with any
difeafes, unlefs the fmall-pox, and iuch as arife from excefs of
drinking. «They have fometimes fevers and pleurifies, but no cronical
diftemper, and are acquainted with the virtue of herbs which
cure venomous bites and wounds.
THE F/oridans are a manly well-ihaped race : the men are tall,
and the women little, anointing themfelves with oil and greafe, and
thereby becoming a dark brown. They wear a cloth betwixt their
thighs, girded about their waift, fomething like breeches, and the
women a kind 1 of ihort petticoat to their knees.
THEY are a brave, good-natured people, very hofpitable to ftrangers,
and not cannibals, as firft reprefented. They are patient in
adverfity, flow to anger, not eafily provoked, quick of apprehenfion,
and have a great flow of fpirits. Their public conferences ihew them
to be men of genius and ftrong natural parts.
You have herein the fubftance of my poor remarks, which I
heartily wiih may be happy enough to enlighten the obiburc knowledge

t 102 ]
leáge of this charming country, to the advantage of individuais, efpecially
adventurers, .as w,e are not indebted to any of our countrymen
for any fatisfadory account thereof. I cannot advance any
other reafon for it than a political view of the Spaniards to fecrete
their riches, like'the 'French\ of -which we have recent proofs, viz.
-Canada^ .fifc.'.and vdifcouraging accounts of .our people, who
generally touching at the Cafe, find it there extremejy barren.
lam,
. Honourable Sir,
J u N E 22,
1763. Your humble fervant,
. ROBINSON.

An Account of the First Discovery and Natural
History of Florida.
Roberts, William. London:Jefferys. T., 1763.
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
Roclcville, MD
Condition On Receipt; The half leather and decorated
paper binding was extremely dirty, worn, abraded and
deteriorated, particularly at the corners, edges,
endcaps and joints. The front joint was partially
broken. The sewing was sound. The pages were dirty,
discolored and acidic. Several foldout maps were torn
at the folds. One map had been mended with
pressure-sensitive tape.
Treatment : The volume was photographed. The inks
were tested for solubility. The volume was collated
and disbound. The head, tail and pages were dry
cleaned and nonaqueously buffered (deacidified) with
methoxy magnesium methyl carbonate solution. The tape
was removed with toluene. Tears were mended and folds
guarded with Japanese paper and rice starch paste.
The volume was sewn on linen tapes with linen thread.
The volume was case bound in full cloth. A leather
label was stamped in gold foil.
Northeast Document Conservation Center
February 1988
SO:SH