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L E T T E R

OF

M E O I E

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EUCKIXGIIAM SMITH.

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These translations are inmle from mariuscripts in the ori^nnal Spanish,

belonging to the lIi.--torii.al Culleetlou of James Lenox, Ih-q. One

hundred copies have been printed for G. It.

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LET T E RFROM

IIEIIXAXDO DE SOTO,

FLO III DA,

TO THE JUSTICE AND BOARD OF MAGISTRATES

SANTIAGO DE C U E A

/

July 9th, 1530.

On the cover is written :

—

“ 'ruANScuinKn from a ij'.ttkr wincii the Adelam'ado Soto wroti: to the Justic

AM) l)OAUD OF ^Magistrates of Santiago, in the Island of Cura.

CONTULI,

MU5^0Z.”

— ; At f3'V0iv jiU tlOi'jU'.-jT. aar ox ani};'« y,uTZU:tiiA Miff tf^lUW j«a.x|»a A % ., -

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SrMANCAS.

Fj.ouida.

Soto,

Cahtas.

Lkg. 31. 1.131*.

L E T 1' I a dozen

leagues, or more, from tin* si'a, we Avere so long (h'ta'iiu’d that 1 was

obliged to send the Lieut('uant-( lern'ral, Vasco I’orcallo d(> Fiirueroa,

in my stead, in the pinnaces, to take possession (d‘ a toA\n on the Ca[ie

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'}]m ;‘uui,([ Jt'jVfJi im( jloiilvr iti ll/jir HfoUl: on/i)it?:iU uft

f/i'il I tnil''-. Ir>.r^'ii>j 'W({fl oJ 'uv,f oj '.'KOij'jj; >mo‘( (>iTi;3ao(fl li

t O,'"' .rtf -J [ [Jllrt’itf- //'

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•M.iMitf f Jiwf) 1 ‘>e»

Ilf / 'liiMMirtf |H iKi 7/OU Juill I'flfivr 'ic JfOV

. i;m: nj Hi 7 f'ff/; vfniilj I iiulff iri/f I ,0» o-li

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/I i ,lmi! ,'iuin7 .1 fiKi.Ivf n-r« fjor rtji ^w.oy o}. > ‘V \*'^V » «T * .

V tu 'fOl >?IOll^fW»Wo7r

/.If ill! flli'// .»Mfi7j.fI .0'>f T ,7(( jiff. 07 / ] tiu!) (JO/ o) if lUi^v/ r il^ffoifllB ,-io^ ;

ii'ii/f (I- 1 (!('ii[j x;(fiioj(->irjj imrii ^tn Urj lotcf '(rnh ifjMt'itfuii oa Joii

*ij7/ liDifiv/ fliut (nb

/ifu iifoilifY/ ii-friq- of(t >)7ii to ifJtA ff&KBl gar/®U ^

7«il Miiinj'xi Jt ,?H7/ jf jioibv Hol «) ofJij ^«iyd *(in

Ji ’^nifyJii » IwiJi oi ji vul /lool Inf4i ^jtli iii oi o«f

|l>i// l» »liiMii)i'j/Miif ')i>V/ 07/ Of IJ bun *y.vJih •xmk IjoyiJ^no oipv/ *jif

/i'*7cl> r> (jif rtjffii Jiiilj ij 'id til >77

8 LETTER OF

of tlie ba}'.* I ovdcrod all the men ami horses to be landed on a

beach;

wlicnc(' \ve went, ^vith .— Tr'tuslntnr.

•'!'?»

, ;,„ U,M OJ ...c.l m Mnh. mHi (ii; r •o fll,nAnuiZ vHAu>‘.i\n >rr,il r>ilJ,.'il»tilu,l --.II

,.,, „ ,1 „o,.i .;,. vliMl % •ruml-l.. n,;j

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,- -.I'Mf ^(u.'i '-fll I" ifiwii-jnio'hitl,'./m'./'i ] .hr/nijj iko loj^/.

.jl,'M,H:ti.:fl JilK < 1u!M K to(‘W/VK|, ol od'f/ ,m>im»l'J

! ,p ni -jovumIhiorvl

a^t7r ,n.jO

/v":!, I, "Mi i!li«/«»i'imoo .OJui t'XM '‘‘W

mIijU i! JOU “ // .00.r*1 iuill

l,H„ ‘t" o-iwr'^.nJ rt(lii!OIJpfMtry ^ 1o (/'//ol 'xtt .ifoftpi >ii

, OJ 'VJ .7/ n..,ili;jl ,>oivfoiyum /iraa Mx u^Jn //m tyff til

jUi^Un'^'.uU /.In;... 0 -, ;dp/.:w,uI.='O3lir/r0j( ; Mil' IW.t Ml .»M.

jiwNb^Mnl iM,.(UMr;fi7/ ;oiIil cM olxwu

„i ,„n ; .' HI. l:. ji iili u| -hIj 'lo .*>mo«.^ 5£ill Ms-imll ,rv>. /oil T.nwll l>nov;vd j^rr/J

MiV't.ojSui' fc mito^-7tf %iMo^ cnoift>/ l.‘»llfjr 117/01 7;»xll ^

,Kr»ouiq^//itCTf

i j(j)fi;l 1 3V.til '

HERNANDO DE SOTO. 9

I dare not repeat \vliat is stated. They say, that there is to be found

in it a great plenty of all tin' things mentioned, and fowls, (/initiajns*

in yards, and tame deer tended in herds. How this can he, 1 do notnnderstand, unless they mean the cattle, of A\hich we heard before

coming here. They say, that there are many traders and nineh barter;

and that there is an abundance of gold and silver, and are many ])earls.

God grant that tliis may be so; since, of wliat they say,.l beli('\e nothing

but Avhat I sec and do examine, although they know, and ha\ (‘ been

told, that if they deceive me, it \\ ill cost them tlicir lives. 'L’his inter-

preter affords us the means of being understood, and 'without him I

know not what we shoidd do. Glory to God, who lias diix'ctcd all,

through his bounteous goodness, in such a way, that He appears to

ha^c this enterprise altogether under his especial care, that it sliouhl

be for his service, as I have besought that it might be, and ha^•e so

dedicated it to Him.

1 sent eighty soldiers by sea in boats, and my General Ij;. land withforty horsemen, to fall upon a throng of some thousand Indians, or

more, whom Joan de Ahasco liad discovered: but the General returnedlast night and reported that they had escaped, and tliat, altliough he

had followed them, they could not be overtaken, because of the many

obstructions in the way. On our coming togethcr,f we will go to join

Baltasar de Gallegos, that avc may marcli to pass the winter at Ocah',

where, if what tliey say be true, we shall have nothing to desire.

IIea^en be pleased tliat something may come of this that shall lu* for

the service of our Divine Master, and whereby I may be enabled to s(‘rv(>

Your AVorships, and each of you, as I desire, and as is your due.

Notwithstanding my continual occupation here, I am not forgi'tful

of the love I owe to objects at a distance; and since I may not be thme

in person, 1 believe that where Your AVorships are, there is litth' in

wliich my presence can be necessary. This duty weighs uj)on nu‘ more

than every other;and for the attmitions you will bestow, as lu'fits your

goodness, I shall be under great obligations. 1 enjoin it u])on )'ou, to

* Turkovs, iti the huigujiirc s[)ok(ai tty the natives of the Yuoayo l>I;uuls.— 7V.f Afniseo lunl gone out in eoiuiiianil of the boats, ami iiy thi- aiipears not yet to

have got Ituek. Sec Ovirno.— Tr.

ft'

•OToa il '.r O't KAXSIM n

h..i,..| ,,l i,„J| .YCTi voilT .[Vllllit fi iu,„p,J

’:• - J>,i^-,->(|,iIi(H,,ln iki ii Jiiih J>ii«

I I. pin tfiltv lOVMIti* : i>t lijlfj ilYWIJJ IloO

H VmI > ., ,i .«„„4«l> b«J, f„,t„ ||,J ,,' .im .::ir .> w,l ib,!) ,«„ll )«,rt JK /Mi ,ah, « 1 ,

-I j.ini5«jwr-iira,aj#

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„ f,u(l l„hY(i4Y ,f,| r,hn„ o^fbt'W MiK^

10 LETTER OF HERNANDO DE SOTO.

make the utmost exertions to maintain the quiet and well-being of the

pnl)lie, and the ])ro])or administration of justice, consulting alway with

the Jjicrna’adu, that e^ery thing may he so done, according to law, that

God and the Jving may he served, myself gratified, and every one he

content and phami'd with the performance of his trust; as Your AVor-

shi])s Inne ever considered for my honor, not less than your own,although T still feel that 1 have the Aveight thereof, and bear the

responsibility.

.Vs respects the bastion Avhich I left begun, if laboring on it have

been neglected, or perha])s discontinued, (owing to the idea that the

fabric is not now nc('ded.) Your AVYrshi])s will hivor me by having if^

finished;

since cA ery da}- brings change, and although no occasion

should arise for its use, the erection is provident for the sA'cll-bcing and

safety of the toAvn;an act that Avill yield me increased satisfaction,

through your very noble personages.

That our l.ord nuiA guard and increase your ha])p«iness, is my Avish,and "N’^our AVorshi])s’ descia ing.

At the ToAvn and I’ort of Espiritu Santo, in the Province of

Florida. July the 9th, in the year 1539.

The Servant of Your Worships,

El. Al)El>ANTADO E. IIEHNANDO DE SOTO.

* A note Avvitten on the coj>y; “The italic letters mark a blank in the originalpaper.”

.OTO^i r*f.a n akti'm*!i!%

‘li V. vjjii'h(‘(r'.)7r !>iiu njlf ijiAhriwi o'! ^.ifoivmo- '»

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>i; ,iriii1 d:if “Jd ototilio'tolani ',u{f h-iJ'.uO'ltj btm 3ffatJ #»Ai k * „ . ita

'T7-

:m e :sl o i e

OF

HERNANDO DE ESCAEANTE R)NTAN1A)A,

R E S r E C T r N 11

FLORIDA.\

WRITTEN IN SPAIN, AROUT THE YEAR

If*' ^5 a‘ a.

A NOTE BY JUAN BABTISTA MU2sOZ.

“ A VKRY 0001) ACCOUNT, ATTIIOUUII IT IS I’.Y A MAN ^'110 DIU NOT UNDERSTAND THE

ART OE MRITING, AND THEREFORE MANY SENTENCES ARE INCOMPLETE.

“On THE MARGIN OF THE ORIGINAL ARE POINTS MADE BY THE HAND OF IIeRRERA,

YVHO DOUBTLESS DUEM' ON THIS FOR THAT P.UIT ABOUT THE BlVER JORDAN, YVIIICH, HE

SAYS, YVAS SOUGHT BY PONCE DE LeON.

A

jff'’

;un' I i^'.'. K

SiMANCAS.

Florida.

1>ESCHS. I PoRLS.

8 .

O.MNIS Tempuius.

U E M 0 I E

Memoir of the thi)t(/s, the shore, and the Indians of Florida, to descrihn

which, none of the nianj/ persons who hare coasted that countrj/ have

had sufficient knowledge.

Vkky ro\vEi{FUL Loiiu:

The Islands of Yucayo and of fall on one side of the

Channel of the ATihama. There arc no Indians on them,*^’ and the)

lie hetween Havana and ITorida.'^'

There arc yet other islands, nearer to the main, stretching bctiveen

the west and east, called tlie Martiros; for the reason that many men

have snlfcred on them, and also hccanse certain rocks rise there from

heneath the sea, Avhich, at a distance, look like men in distress.f ' '

Indians arc on these islands, Avho arc of a large size: the Avonum ar('

AA'cll proportioned, and have good countenances. There arc tcA'o Indian

toAvns;in one of them the one toAA'ii is called GnarngimA C, Avhich in

Spanish is pueblo de JJunto, the toAvn of Aveeping ; the name of tin-

other little toAvn, Ciichiyaga, means the place Avhere there has been

siitfering.J

'These Indians have no gold, less silver, and less clothing. 'I'liey

* Some portions of tlii.s acrouiit have evidently been twice drafted. See the jart

marked a in the Appendi.v, wliicli appears to liavc been intendeil for tlie commence-

ment.— Translator.t Hkrrer.V, Descriprion dr las liidias Occidenfales ; ]>ec. I., I/di. IX., Caj*. X.

I Kit-rhi {cha) pa-ija, in Cliahta, is “ fjoing-out (to) wail.” See a cninment at the

fool of note EH.

4

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.ArrwAj u\ ,\Au-uA'-\ \\ v>\^t>'Ava\ V,u\» ,'vw^Av. >n\>

.•»\Avv\nuwv.\ VouothOx(o‘ixiI

111 ij lidvc ,o /nri'iMi'rnffi ) frj({i;‘.) i^i uvxoJ 'jxio 'Mil iifwh to ono riiin.o.» '^i(lr -ml ijjj'jil 9va/! oi 1»Wi«!I f'iijj )e > 0 "Wim»o a aiPs (o?) ** ftl .ufifJlilO ui xMhTA, X

.Hil »40H V) loifl

u M E M 0 I R O E

go naked, except only some breeeli-clotlis woven of palm, with which

the men eovci' themselves; the women do the like Avith certain Aveeds

that prow on trees. Tlicse appc'ar like avooI, although they arc different

from it.-”^

The common food is iish, turtle, and snails (all AA’liieh are alike

lish), and tunii} and Avhale ; Avhich is according to AAhat 1 saAV Avhile 1

Avas among these Indians. Some eat sca-AvolAcs not all of them, for

thcix' is a distinction betAvecn the higher and the loAver classes, but the

princi})al })crsons eat them. There is another fish Avhich Ave licre call

lanqosta (lobster),'’'^ and one like unto a chapin (trunk-fish), of Avhich

they consume not less than of the former.

On these islands are many deer, and a certain animal that looks

like a fox, yet is not, but a different thing from it. It is firt and good

to cat.^”^ On other islands arc very large bears ; and, as the islands

run from AA'cst to cast, and the land of Florida passes eastAA'ardly

tOAvai'ds these islands, tliat must be the reason of bears being on them;

for the main is near, and they can cross from island to island. Hut

AA hat Avas a great Avonder to the captives Avho Avere there, and to those

of us in other parts, Avas the existence of deer on the Islands of

Cuehiyaga, ii}) to the Aery toAvn of Avhich I have spoken. Much more

Avoidd I relate of each of the animals, but that I have other objects

Avhich call my attention, and ] leave them.

On these islands is likcAvise a tree Ave call here el palo para iiiKehas

cosas (the Avood for many uses),'’^ Avell knoAvn to physicians; also much

fruit of many sorts, Avhic h 1 Avill not enumerate, as, were I to atteiu])t

to do so, I should never be done Avriting.

d'o the Avest of these islands is a pi’cat channel, aa hicli no navigator

dares go through Avith a large vessel because, as I have said, of some

islands that are on the o])])ositc side toAvards the sunset, Avhich are

Avithout trees, and fojiued of sand. At some time they haAc been the

foundations of caAs, and must have been eaten aAvay by tlic cui-rents

of the sea, Avhieh Imve hfft them thus bare, smooth and sandy. They

are seven leagiu's round al)out, and are called the Islands of the

'rortugas;

for turtle aiv thma', and manv AAhich come at niglit to lay

their (‘ggs in tho sand. 'I’he animal is of tlie size of a .'-hidd, and lias

as mmh tlesli as a cow; it is like all kinds of meat, and A('t is fish.

'lo %

tl ihl'// iliW/ r«i»!rK( ’lo iioovw(liiO T»l

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Jorli \.anhUi iTi/H'iv'i ft‘

hu^o ,.rHi jt’ ji

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Uiit AumiA ..I Jonil^r ospit mn naypATMui^^ A mmn ifko-ioil) ol jjnn , ‘)VJfr ixlv/’ ^•»‘)'Itf[j .

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ottl o) ft eiiiW Ujdw

'lo AMA oil! uo -iooh lo oftiiolftiKO odi ZfPrr in »«.!«».vcoxtl li rii l^

’.«0>lc.q» OVftfl X iblllvx ’to, ftV/OJ //ioV qW

.J00 (iiu r>i(jo OYJJII I )«ih loti .-I'ftnlifi) oilllio fto. lo oMot t W»iof«-

;ri(-jJi o/ftoM i>>Il^v^iol)I^olX^^ 7.io^^^

\ b' oioif lUn 0‘7 po'ii ft ?! ^’-ruu/l>'i j)>!0il'l t»X)' v

ihijfit iivfii . KuAA^.n\(i oi mmt± ^ w3i[moJ)u ol I 'ii'jvx ,oii;'XontUiio Joit lUvf 1 xbnio/

lor iiijil

''(ti'iHvr of.tof> od loVoii IjItnuC^ I ,o?. o&'Ol'•TV

{ >ni nn /f nil// ,bituftiX‘X )fty)§^ it >l lo,|iv-i7i' orft nl

OfOM^ lo M-n^ o/i;c{ I ft ib»vr »» «*mfi

oifi (bid// ,yy^ dtooniii ,0 (wl »ftd) iftiiiH ^)l*d o/rid d'iid /x ^ftoa*)d) 1«

•jdl ly AUUAA Oil) I»ol|«o Iftij; dw^'dft -'>wj.Mrd nOVM vi^

ful oj id^ift Jii oiiio'j d^iidvr /iiftiji Ixifk olrxoj |0't ;«i;jiii)xol

/.ftil liKu ,l»l'»ii{? li lo ojX) ’i« ?.j '*d 1 iji «}!);;;'» tbdl^

,dril A )'V7 Inn; ,)uoin *io bbiVtilJlft odd A )i i ft «ft d’otnit «i>

F 0 X T A X E D A

.

i:.

Kiiniiing from soutli to north between ITnvana and ]''lorida, in

the direction of tlie Tortiigas and the hlartircs, tliere are forty haigiu's

of distance; twenty leagues to the Martiros, and thence other twiuity

to ]''lorida^’—to tlie territory of Carlos, a ])rovince of Indians, in tin'language of which the word signifies a fierce people, as they ar(> called

for being brave and skilled in war, as in truth they are/’^' Tliey are

masters of a large district of country, as far as a town they call

Guacata, on the I/.ike of ^layaimi, which is called Mayaimi hecau>e

it is very large. On the margins are many little villages, which 1 ^vill

name over hereafter. The distance in going from lla\ana to the

farthest islands, Avhich are beyond the C’ape of the klartires and almost

unite to Florida, is sixty leagues ; because those islands are near

seventy leagues in extent, and lie from west to east.

This channel has a variety of passages, and many different outlets

and branches. The principal channel is very wide;the A\ ay through

its midst being towards the Islands of Vermuda, of which 1 ba\ e some

small idea from what the Indians say; but not wishing to extcnid this

account in that direction, I return to the part of it 'which treats of the

termination of the islands on the north.

The Martires end near a village of Indians called 'requesta,''' situat('

on the bank of a river which comes from the interior of the countl y

the distance of fifteen leagues, and issues from another lake of fresh

water,*'*' which is said by some Indians who have tra\(‘rs('d it moi'c

than I, to be an arm of the Lake of Mayaimi. On^

this lake, wliidi

lies in the midst of the country, arc many toAvns, although of not more'

than thii'ty or forty souls each; and as many more places tlicre are in

which peo])le are not so numerous. The iidiabitants mak(' bread of

roots, which is their common food the greater ])art of the } car ; and

because of the lake, which rises iu some seasons ‘.o high that tlu' roots

cannot be reached iu cousccpieiice of the water, they are for some time

without eating this bread.''' Fish is plentA' and v(‘iy good, 'lliere is

another root, like tlu' trufih' of this countrv, whidi is sweet;'*' and

there are other diflercnt roots of many kinds; but when then' i> game,

t'ither deer or birds, tl)cy prefer to ('at flesh or fowl. 1 will aho men-

* IIkkukk.x, boo. I., Lib. IX., Cap. XII., § J.

i.r

M( jiS'Uiiri iuiii xia^wiUt rti nim’i

-lie (1 tl v fi(*t ** 1/1 h'mIi .aWlrnJ^ l»/rif >n»rsii/l#‘r oill V» ircul-wifi mI)'”

'

(f.'

.

' '

' w. ^,m(|mv/ i ( .•!)(» 'i‘>|p 4ifl Mfll g| vff>)V/’ .}

»»!i iti ,^.ii^ilMil 'to ruu'/ffft; iT5,,mi (>J^> Vr noij'rwr ^'ifJ '."1—’'lytiiM'l f oi-j>'.||i.. (I). /‘if'l S'Wff ''?tl1 ny^mr^un!

,u> /•..IT ‘-'v.-tn 7;j«h >

ill , /- .! »$ i'jiTi# ^ T) J'»i;ti i? 1 *'

..•nil >•».) inu'/./Mi/ I. )l[ji'-> ?i. (billy/ Jnrlri{ftK^^t/f^'[ i if' u

(i •f/Jlili YircfM 'to ybli ^ .

(I^iJo'dil /»v7 ‘ull rn-y ri l^iqiinlj lAqi-JUCJ^ iplIT

•IHIi.'- ') 7 ll

-iilj' I'W’.l/;-) u> )[^j(ill>r7y Joir jinl ; bilfvljtlf?y iitb'rl

nil 'l'i i()itl/y Ti Tv i’lWf- rT

jU-ioit vilj 7«> fjlmcblfcjifi *ia.ir»»II6Hijrri->l

••Ijim 5i.<'

",1 t. .i»b'.)T Tt lyrtHi'/ o-ir;‘)fi lafu JirMJTuK 0#r

y tiKJKi i )lff fiftiwui

1C MEMOIR OF

tion, tliut in the rivers of fresh water are infinity of eels of very hi^h

flavor, and enornions tront, nearh' tlie size of a man. Tlie eels are the

thickness of the thii;h, and some of them are smaller. The Indians

also eat hujarfos (alligators), and snakes, and an animal like a rat,

Mhieh lives in the lake, fresh-Avater tortoises,"' and many more wild

animals, which, if we Mere to continue enumerating, we should never

be through.

These Indians occupy a very rocky and a very marshy country.

They have no product of mines, or thing that we have in this part of

the world. The men go naked, and the woimm in a short cloak made

of a kind of palm-leaf, s])lit and woven. They are subjects of Carlos,

and ])a) him tribute of all the things I have before mentioned, food and

roots, the skins of deer, and other articles.

f

The Auditor Lucas Vasipiez, a resident of Santo Domingo, and six

others, townsmen of his, I think, left there with vessels, (of which some

Indians of the Island of Yeaga, at the end of the I,ncayo Islands,*^'* give

account,) to see the river and land of Santa Elena. Senen leagues to

the north of these is a town, which, instead of pronouncing it Orizta,

they w ho went theua' called it Chicora and as to the other town, for

(iiiale, they said (ntaldape. The Spaniards saw no more towns; for

they cx])lor('d no farther, and did not enter nor examine the coast in

calmest, for tear of st liking their vessels and getting them lost. Thus

they accomplished no more;although it is true that neither gold nor

silver is to be got there, as they are to be found only at ]daces remote.

It is said, that sixty leagues inland towards the north there are regions

of gold and copper ; and along the banks of a river, and by lakes, are

towns, Otapuli, Olagatano, and many others.^ The inhabitants are

neither ('hichinu'ca^ nor the ]ieo])le of the Jordan. The king is calk'd

mayor ij yran .So/- (chief and great lord) in onr language; and in that

of the Indians of Carlos, it is Zertepe. The cacicpie is the greatest of

the kings, having the renown of ^lontezuma.

* Tiic Oiiossiiiii, and tlie TesluiJo jwli/pltemus of Daiidiii.

•fTIh' jnu’aLTiiiili marked h in tlie Memoranda appears to me to liavo teen designed

to follow here and elo-e a eliapter.

I Hr.unr.aA, lUe. HI., Idh. VI 11., Cap. Till.

'-IO )MU i/::i u

’ri'.iv )'> ^rm ri^luyf )d *'i«7li u,((t

F 0 X T A X E D A

.

17

The natives are poor at tlic plaee to ^vliieli Lucas A'asquez and

other S[)aniards Avent, altliough some seed pearls arc found there in

certain conchs. Th^'V cat tisli, oysters (roasted or raAv), deer, roelmek.

and other animals. A\dien they kill these, the Avonum hring- Avood to

roast or to hoil Avith, and Avater in clay ])ots. If the Spaniards found

aiiA' gold, it must have conic a long Avay, from the mountains, and from

that king of Avhom 1 just spoke. The Jordan that is talked of, is a

superstition of the Indians of Cuba, Avhieh they hold to because it is

their creed, not because there is such a river.

Juan Ponz de l^con, giA ing heed to the talc of the Indians of Cuba

and Santo Domingo, Avi'iit to Florida in search of the lti\er Jordan,

that he might have some enterprise on foot, or that he might earn

greater fame than he already possessed and close his life,

—

‘Avhich is the

most probable supposition;

or, if not for these objects, then that lu'

might become young from bathing in such a stream. This thought

AAais of itscll’ proof (hat all must liaA c been fiction that Avas told by the

Indians of Cuba and its aa'IioIc neighborhood, aaJio, to satisfy their

tradition, said that the Jordan A\'as in Florida; to Avhich at k'ast I can

say, that Avhile I Avas a cajitive there, I bathed in many streams, but to

my misfortune I ncAcr came upon the river. Anciently, many Indiansfrom Cuba entered the ports of the Province of Carlos in search of it

;

and the father of King Carlos, Avhose name Avas Senquene, stopped

those persons, and made a settlement of them, the descendants of Avhom

remain to this day. And the same objects that they aa'Iio left their

country came in (}uest of in the Piver Jordan, the kings and caciipies

of Florida, although savages, took information of and sought after, as

though they had bc'cn a more polite people, that they might see Avhat

river that could be A\hich did such good Avork, even to the turning of

aged men and Avomen back to their youth. So earnestly did they

engage in the ])ursuit, that there remained not a river nor a brook in

all Florida, not even lakes and ponds, in whicli. thev ilid not bathe;

and to this dav thev persist in seekiim that Avater, and m'ver an*

satisfied, lu the attainment of the promises of their faith, those* of

C’uba determined, for such was their voav, to venture their lives on that

sea; and it emh'd in all that numerous people Avho Avent over to Carlos

Tt

Imxj \'»if|)4.ijtf- I ii.|.ii . ,t

IS MEM OIK OF

fonnim>- a settlement : but to tills dav youtli and ac find alike that

they are mocked, and many have destroyed themseh es. It is cause for

merriment, that Juan Ponz de l^eon vent to Florida to find the Kiver

Jordan/''^

A^'e M ill speak of the country towards Ahalachi, ivliich is in the

direction of ]’;inuco, ivlierc resounds the fame of its abundance of

pearls; and it is certain that they do exist. Between Ilaialachi and

Olagah''’’^ is a riA er the Indians call Cuasaca-esgui, AA'hich means in our

language, ]lio de Canas (river of canes).^'-’ On this river, arm of the

sea, and coast, arc the ])carls, Avhich are got in certain oysters and

conchs. They are carried to all the })rovinces and villages of Florida,

but princi})cJly to Tocobaja, the nearest tOAvn; because in it resides the

king, Avho is chief cacique of the region lying on the right-hand side

coming to ] lavana.^'''^ lie is called Toco-vajachile, has many vassals, and

is an independent king. lie lives inland on the last cape of the river.

There' an' more' than foi ty leagues of distance, folloAving up the streaan,

to Avhere Hernando de Soto thought to colonize; but he did not do so,

in consequence of his death. AMien that took place, the intention Avas

abandoned, and the soldiers marched on. The Spaniards, on their Avay,

hung the cacique of Ahalachi, because he Avould not give them ])iovi-

sion of maize for the journey; or, as the Indians of the toAvii of

Ahalachi saA', because their cacique had around his neck some large

})eails, and in the middle of them a very big one, about the size of an

egg of tlu' turth'-doA O,—Avhich there are in that country, and Iuia c nestsin tlu'ir s('asou on trees;— and this is Avhat the Indians state.^"^'I’lu're are no lands there having cither silver or gold, at least the

natives do not know of any. Their food is maize and fish; and there

is a very gu'at tleal of both. They kill a great many deer, antelopes,

and otlu'r animaF, that they eat; but their usual food is fish. They

make biA'ad from certain roots, such as I have described before' as

growing in sAvam])s; and they have fruits of different kinds, Avhich to

mention Avoedd lu' e'ndless.

'J'hese Indians do not Avear clothing, not even the Avomen. They

go nake'd, ('xce'pt some dn'ss('d deer-skins made into bree'ch-cloth';, A\ith

which tlu'y only conceal their shame. The females coAer tlu'msehes

TO

'J'jifil ltuii 'i;4i. (uJfi jIjuO/ yjll» «iflt oJ IWrf

••*! "riui"- 4 hq/^clinfi '(itndr -./m ;

'

i i/i 'f ih l..iit (.,t *if>’if»hTlnnuMif'^rt 'Jill ifD

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'

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,

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vulj ((M y ! ( t v»oIIf ,iy yH.n-Hs®ii,D

/r».' of* Vh| Irflj •»! Hul ;'ni.rHolH(;d/'

'

(ii

ift oin iii Hi,i«..)) ''i:»

iif; 'lo m\K nif} lit(M.fjj /nur^Ul rrr/ n aioili 1»> oih iii

'J7i;,f f)/ir: .Mfiiuov iB.li (it OTii Tfoilt ifniff*//—

M' ilnil ofii fruf/r ?i giifi Jmi!— :H-;vt'ii 'no iro^iiOz Tf',uU hioii'j j/'M’ff f;i Jif .r) 10 invlis, (’jiliin ^uiyisif vroif! ?inuil^\oo

pf; 'yiol'jJ fvKfr'i'jgoh nTlrrf I «/; ctorig ,Jrlod'i niul'i')') imuttl ojium

o) ihhhf 700'! I’ilifj 1o nilni) u/tiil y/jili ^iri; ry/iitm //^ lu 3s;rjf'»

F 0 X T A N E D A

.

10

about the waist with the straw tlmt grows on trees. This weed is like

tow, or wool, but is brown, instead of white.*

We will now leave Toeobaga, Abalaehi, Olagale, and ]\logoso,whieh ai'e sejiarate kingdoms; and 1 Avill nanu' o^er the villages and

towns of the deceased eaci([ue Carlos, who was })ut to death b}' s('iittmc('

of the Ca])tain lleynoso. First, a place called Tampa, a large town,

and another town, whieh is called Tomo; another, Tnehi;t and another,

8oco;J another, by the name Xo, which signifies town beloved; another,

Sinapa;§ and another, Sinacsta; and another, Mctama})0;]{

and anotlu'r,

Sacaspada; and another, C’alaobe;® and another, I'lstame; another,

Yagna; anotln'r, Gnevn; another, Mnspa;^'*^ another, Casitoa; another,

Tatesta;^^"' another, Cayovea;and another, Jutun; anotlier, Tequemapo

and another, with the name of Comachica; also, Qnisiyove, and tno

other towns of that territory, the names of whieh I do not recollect, for

it has been six years since I came from tlierc.^'^'^’ llesides, there are

others inland, oir the Lake of Mayaimi;and tinothcr town, and the first is

Cutespa; another, Tavaguemne; another, Tomsobc;’f*t another, Eiu'ni-

pa and other twenty towns there are, of which I do not remember the

names. There are also two towns more, which are on the Islands of

the Ynca)os, subject to Carlos, the Indian before mentioned; the one is

called Gnarnngnnvc, and the other, Cnchiyaga.*^’**'^ Carlos, after his

firthcr, Avas lord of these fifty towns, until the time of his execution, as

I have said; and now Don Fedro reigns, the son of Sebastian. 'I'la'se

two Avere brought to Havana by Pedro iMclendcz, that he might gratify

them, and he directed that they should be so named; but they became

* I think the paragTaphs marked c in the Memoranda Avere originally written for

the place this paragraph ocenpies.

f A-toh-che? “])OUch.’’

f Suk-ko, “ muscadine grape.”

§ Sint' cip-n, “snake-eaters.”

IINi-ta im' am-po, “ bears their bowl.”

^ Kid-U 'fod)i

?

“ spring (that is) deep.”

** Tek ini' am-po, “ women their liowl.”

ft Torj-so-be, the swallow-tailed hawk, Falco Jitrcalns.

II Jl ini-pn? “we eat." These are all words in Chahta.

-.li,-yh-lt k'J

J'VKsIii"-T; tF) ^ *

Mr

i

'

--(ft

Jil i |.•»/f Iii r .rmi uO rofll //(ktiH *^lit diH/ titiluyf 'mIJ

(.ki 1'^. , I / |d . ••yf'Miv to I 'i/frd' •Vi'^*'M Hit# ;>Vr

{. ',. wll' ' *(i* v.t '.)ti\iui \{\ >r > I'tu, ,.»ui^l>i5iii4' MViftiapH: ytu

/'I il' . ^ .'(Mf rr>ft'')v 'iifj''rr> nvnni

.11,'f.- >„w)f I . npr :1‘ o'>idt( )! .uWKt'{'>H UUiJ'{0! ) Oilt^O

.If'' rii lufi. 1 : iif'Vii r,,‘f'‘‘!jtriiJJii boUfj? iiijk‘>Ld‘U:ffiYr(ti ‘iyil)OfUi htt8

,'t m! (will.,

|vi ;iil"i;

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)

‘ . .Ml A *-9/i'*i!fv''?' : ) .' 'diorf^i > iiidlofm?; isrt'^nT ^ ^

'I'.Mi ;» iT , . : f. rit« (. /n0}o[(‘fsjm^i Wib.' Molii'r

>//i hm: .'Ml d/fftl.) vnjfi/f bntt

i.i') ? 'h i'll ! ihhlv/ 1o ^icitaoft tf/ft 1/5^ 'to rjiiiv

s hIi,

- .('i'- 'i'f ''*V>T'uf) rrrnii> fM(U,i -i(^.i) ti'H Mt I J'V[(f7/ ‘fO -fh)

bJ *k

f

ifi I I 'll-’ .-f/s

'£ -H .1 .( (fii.i..«f irii)f>b,l V/]) ,ir:c>l’fftO pJ.155

r.)i .l•otUJ‘l'•/'l 4 /if -itiirtw » ft.'o't inlii il| *

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'i«Ti AtiTt

cnVi^ll ,:Jv/4iil If .0/r>>vi

20 MEMOIR OF

worse tlum tliey were before lie made tliem gifts, and still -worse would

matters have stood had they been christened; but, as I did not wish

that they should be, they were not; for, b}' their conversation, 1 discov-

ered that bajiti'^m ^vas not lawful for them,—tlu-y were heretics; andsince then it a])p('ars they ha\e returned to their old rvays, and are

more Avicked than they were formerly,

'J'hat peo}de uudc'i'stand the greater part of -our strategy, are

archers and men of strength. Xo one knows that country so well as T

know it, Avlio write this; for I was a captiie among its inhabitants, from

the ag(' of thirteen years until I was thirty years old. I speak four

languages, but not the* language of Ais and Jeaga, whicli is a country

I never travelled into.'^’^’^ I Avish only to say this more of Carlos,—ithas a large po}ndation, is rich in pearls, and possesses little gold.

'I'he mineral regions of Onagatano arc distant, on the snoAvy

mountains of Onagatano, avIio is the farthest vassal of llavalachi and

Olagatano, and is far from Olagale, iMogoso, and the people of Cane-

gacola.' 'riiesc last, the Indians say, are nvnnerous, and are great

AA’arriors; they go naked, although some of them arc clothed in skins;

and they knoAV how to draAv, and Avhatevcr they see, they paint. They

are called Canogacola, aaIucIi means a crafty peo})le, skilful Avith the

boAV. XotAvithstanding these qualities that they have, the good arms

of the S])aniards A\ill overcome them—good crossboAvs, firelocks, andshields, sAvords l)roa

if 10OK'fi

I.. eye

' » Mi

T.iiK*v^ MMOV lltfT.j'.iij ofiCiii 'wi 'j'ioT-4 voVII ijmO>^Huv«H 'yy// /'oU pil‘ (oH?

,-Mif M i({ >j‘i// / k(i—.( ir.'jli "//‘l [//} //,,( Kilt •'.niO Uo'co! Ml i; , /' V l-l

F O X T A X F A

.

21

cacique^ is lord of the Kiver of Canes, Avliere tlie })earls and lands of

lapis la/.nli are,t and that tlie gold is afar off in the last dei)endeney

and town of Olagale.i

One Don Pedro A’izcaino, wlioin llis l\rajesty made Keeper of the

^Swans, was a eaptive in tliis province. § If he on whom tliis gift was

graciously conferred had heen more of a man, the Indians of A is.

Gnacata, Jeaga, and tlieir vassals, wonld already have been snbjngated.

and even many of them made Ciiristians ; but he is a man of litth^

ambition and capacity, so it is useless to have vain regrets. He iimh-r-

stands well the language of Ais, and the languages of tlie other places

mentioned, whicli are spoken as far as Mayaca and Mayajuaca, ]>art<

over against them, towards the north; but I tliink that because of the

order of Pedro iMclcndcz to hang him, in consequence of a falsehood

that was raised against him and Domingo llniz, his companion, he was

frightened, and came to Spain with the news about Florida, and u onid

not go back again. If he did go back, it must have been to bring

with liini a son he had among the Indians, as he luonght him liere and

never went there more. And because of the unjust treatment to tlie

interpreters, he desired not to go back, as others of ns liave not.

remaining as we arc without pay to this time; for, as we came desti-

tute, it gave us little wish of returning to Florida to serve without ;iny

recompense.

The King of Ais and the King of Jeaga are poor IndiaTis, as

respects the earth; for there are no lands of silver or of gold wbei('

they are; and, in short, they are rich only by the sea, from the vessrF

that have been lost well laden with these metals, as Avas the case

Avith the transport in Avhich Farfan and the mulatto owmn- Avere ; Avith

the vessel of the ^'izca^no, iu Avhich came Anton Granado, avIio avc.s a

passenger, and Avas captured; and Avith the vessel of Avbidi duan

Christdval Avas master and captain, lost in the year ’dl, Avhen the

Indians murdered Don Martin de Guzman, the Captain Hernando de

* Of Cafiogiicola ?

t Chalcedony is fonml in tlio country.

I Tlii.s name, us ajipcars from tlie context, .sliouM lie “ Olagataiio."

§ Is it from him that C'ayo 'V'izcaino geU its name ?0

lu riuihl (»(rr. tj{{j ‘ri9i\ u ) 'to ritfijf *«!) 't*' IvM i'(4 ill )io ';ti^u >! 0/f> iDiflf fU’i; Mja|/iO odi 0l> ifoCt imqfm/ffr

. ^

‘itlJ fli ImihuI >,! f”

•* vij ••«* kirtl* J

t.

o£f»«n ov«,'.> juth kiihwciili li *1 |

22 MEM OIK OF

Andino, rrocurador of tlio Province of Popayan, and Jnan Ortiz de

Zarate, Distributor of Santa Martha ; and tliere came in licr also two

sons of Alonzo de IMena, with an uncle, all of them rich, lie that

brought h'ast was I, hut with all 1 brought twenty-five thousand

dollars in pure gold; for luy father and mother remaiiu’d in Oarthagena,

where they were coinc/ulrros, and served llis Majest}' in those parts of

Peru, and afterwards in the city of Carthagena, A\ Jiere they settled,

and I and a brother were born. Thence they sent us to Spain to be

educated ; when we were wrecked on Florida, as I have stated.

Other ^cs^els have been lost ; among them the armada, of -which

it was said the son of Pedro Melendez was General for the Indians

took a Spaniard that reached the shore whom the}' found famishing,

and I afterwards saw him; also one Juan llodriguez, a nati\e of

Nicaragua, spoke with him. He told us that he came from New Spain,

and was going to Castile; that the General was a son of Pedro

Mi'lcndez, the Asturian; tliat he came as a sailor in another vessel;

and that tin* peo])le of neither knew any thing of what had befallen the

otlu-r, until the Indians armed themselves to go to the coast of A is,

when he saw tluun go and return with great wealth, in bars of silver

and gold, and liags of reals, and much clothing. As he was newly

cajitnred, or found, and \indcrstood not the Indians, I and Juan I’o-

driguez wi-re the interpreters for this man, and others, as we already

knew the languagi'. It uas a consolation, though a sad one, for those

Avho Avt're lost after us to lind on shore Christian companions who could

share their triaF and hel]) them to understand tho^c brutes. Many

Spaniards lun-(‘ sav(>d tbeir lives by tinding before them these asso-

ciatgs. For the natives who took them would order them to dance and

sing; and a-; tlu'y were not understood, and the Indians tliemsehes

are very artftd, (f(;r tlie most so of any are the })eople of Florida,)

they thought tlie Christians were obstinate, and unwilling to do so.

And so they would kill them, and report to their cacique that for tlnur

craft and disobedicuice they had been slain, because they would not do

as they wc're told; which was tin' answer, as I ha^e said, made to the

cacicpie w hen he would ask why they had killed them. Out' day, 1, a

negro, and two otlnu-s. Spaniards recentlv made captives, being pia'sent,

the cacique, in conversation with his vassals and the great (Iu('fs of his

uo jrroi^nA' gf

'!• rcIj fO (u,•t,l lit!?; ,fn /iK/»l'l *to • lUivofT ‘urt lit ‘tr>f>/>'tJ i ,'»/r.« i)rfi, ,AU\\>\bv»)UVO:» V>(U

. wii .(I V !u‘)

’io /•' » Mil) (ji rilVfK/r'j'i/^iJi I)i(ji',(ix'j*I»

'I'l I I M) > 1 . j ' ^s v-jtfs r ,u'um! MTp/r TMt|)tr('l if

Jr . !?.)«!•••; /:i I I ' ti .Pilthon ^mV «’ u! ri ;

..4 »nI #/: V. -.n! /iioilJ .)»»oi {H'itI i*nn\ i?j(-''V't/ r.

jJ) 'tul ”';ffri'.tffMi) rnv/ x'rbiipfol/^ oiIimH U.J'1 hipn, it ^''|jM*

f^iFMi-.fiiir'l linUf. (‘-'iff tfMrJv^ riLMi^ *;i(h ifitfl /f,

" >/iJ(ffi r .VK'’^t rliMil if/.i/J. \iftCi o>ln : ’> f '

,i(tf;i[-] ju'nfj talto UuH^-/r mo IIf Jou) *nhf fiu/iUuk^-.fjii.l ’ivf^tvh-'.iif'tdf ..noHoff otf) luiti JiodJf^’rikiiif Jou 'ptayr Vailji 1

FONT AN ED A. 23

train about \vliat I have just mcutioued, asked me, I beiu^ mas huUno

(better acquainted with the language than any one), saying: “INcalante,

tell us the truth, for you well know that I like you much: "W'lieu av('

require these, your companions, to dance and sing, and do other things,

why are they so dissembling and obstinate that they will not I or is it

that they do not fear death, or will not yield to a })eople unlike them in

their eustoms 1 Answer me; and if you do not kno.w the reason, a^k

it of those newly taken, who for their own fault are prisoners now, a

people whom once avc held to be gods come down from the sky.” And

I, answering my lord and master, told him the truth: “Sir, as 1understand it, they arc not contrary, nor do they behave badly on

purpose; but it is because they cannot comprehend you, which tliey

earnestly strive to do.” lie said it was not true;that often he would

command them to do things, and sometimes they would obey him, and

at others they would not, however much they might be told. 1 said to

him: “With all that, my lord, they do not intentionally b('ha^c ami^s,

nor for perversity, but from not understanding. Speak to them, tliat 1

may be a witness, and likewise this yonr freedman.” And the cacitpie,

laughing, said: “ Se-lc-te-ga,” to the new comers; and they asked vhat

it was he said to them. The negro, who was near to them, laugln'd,

and said to the cacique: “Master, I will tell you tlie truth; they lane

not understood, and the}' ask Escalante what it is you say, and lie docs

not Avish to tell them until you eommand him.” Then the caciipu'

believed the truth, and said to me; “Declare it to them, Escalante; for

noAV do 1 really believe you.” I made knoAvn to tiiciii the meaning of

Se-le-tega, Avhich is, “ Him to the look-out, see if there be any people

coming;” they of ]-'lorida abbreviate their Avords more than av(\ 'J'he

cacique, discovering the truth, said to his A'assals, that Avhen tlu'y

should tind Christians thus cast aivay, and take them, they must reipiire

them to do nothing Avithout giving notice, that one might go to tlu'm

Avho should understand their language. And so it hap})ened, that tlie

man just spokmi of, Avho Avas called Eijiguini, Avas the tirst found after

that. In our tongue his name Avas Martinez, a sailor, as before statisl,

Avho came from .Mexico in the hota that Avas lost.

licaving thi-. matter aside, 1 desire to speak of the riches found by

the Indians ot .Vis, Ashich perluqis Avere as much as a million of dollars,

K2

ouAoA :;fii „( I .-n^ \n[ 1ol/vit

, »J((»il< '.(’* pjiivji'! .("/Mitvinf Jii;jll l*H}'

.^''

*o wu\ ff ml/ vlU 1 I'tili ’'n-nvl H*'»‘‘// wc./ •(/i e.»(j4iiJ oilrw'W^ ? j

.owtlll ' oh'- olt |>»0,'! )>{m ol /rlM'l».')1 imI'// 7^v/^m 3i

!wf/*’ />{-'• fJ'd ^t^>1t

I «,.( -Mr-', '.»ili (/lilt Ijfot ,'i;^ifei3ii«. J.WUJ lvM»l.(tit J

(Oil ina ^

/Mit if iiil/r .)H>( lMf'v»i?*'K{mQr> nnutfyi bI fi t(«i

Mji/y/- •>

liifi. .fiiSil' 7*' «j(f .iv!;iim VoifJ Hm/m •p/-.vroit vtoa bfmmxp oio/ilci, lit

-f/iMhil yltMmiliniiii Jow oIj vmfl Jnot *>m Jwfi Jits ff|r7/»' 'f

J )m(i .m,-i)lt-o; ,(„)» (J .N^fahn/iiei-iihniMojj mr.-0 .i.mi

Mil) I'ji/. "miwiijJoA 'fiid? 'jxXH-yM rm«,,s:«yrrli " r r\(S t^i0

ii,,lt/ li t^lf*,}! ."jili liua ; liiomoo vroM oil) ol

fij! i .‘ili u'ui^' ''.mill Pilr/jmifiOO 0O'{ (tj/f'f oJiIJ [lot

101 Vniojii 0) li iwtR

1m uiiii').'il*i4Uoo

pail (nilv/ null ,'l/ir.h07 'Jtif 01 bij!^ ,i!nrjl oill j^tinovooJIj /owpiotio

odjiJ J)im , if'it'i i-JjliU iifiioWft ,

lij'trls lij ( 1 ^:^ 7if^iiri oKo-i/alJ .oohoit ;^ur/i)5. ol) oJ ^

’)?!? 4i 0^ L/l/. .ognis^iJfil J)sif;Jii fifujut b;i 01(17/ TiiiwKy^l fijil// (t^V- lo i»ii)iii)fl I 04U

.

24 mp:moik of

or over, in bars of silver, in gold, and in articles of jcu’elry made by

the hands of Mexican Indians, which the passengers were bringing with

them. Tliesc things Carlos divided witli the caciques of *\is, Jeaga,

Guacata, !Mayajuaci, and Mayaca,^”"’ and he took what a])])eared to him

well, 01- tlu' best ])art. 'J'hese vessels, and the wreck of the others

mentioned, and of caravels,’^ with tlie substance of tlie Indians of Cuba

and Honduras \^bo wc-re lost ’uliile in search of the_lvi^er Jordan, and

who came well otf, ^vere taken by Carlos, and by the chiefs of Ais and

Jeaga. Tlie Indians of the Islands of Guarungun\e arc rich; but, in

the Avay tliat I liaA c stated, from the sea, not from the land. From

TocoA'aja to Santa Islena, Avhich may comprise a shore of six hundred

leagues, there is neitlicr gold nor siher natiA'c to the country, and

only that of Avhicli I haA'e spoken as coming by the sea. The land is

abundant in ])asturagc; but it is not AA'orth AA'hile for me to say Avhethcr

tliere is any fit for settlement or not, since tlie Indians can live on it;

nor yet for the planting of sugar-cane, as I do not knoAv it positiAcly,

although some stalks Averc set out AA'hich groAv; but as I Avas not aftcr-

Avards ])resent, I did not sec the result.

In all these ])rovinces Avhich I have named, from Tocovaja-cliilc to

Santa Elena, the people are great anglers, and at no time lack fresh

lisli. They are great boAvmcn, and A'ery faithless. I hold it certain

tliey ncA'er Avill be at ])cace, and less Avill they become Christians. I

Avill sign tliis assertion Avith my name as a very sure thing, for I knoAVAvhat I say. It my counsel be not heeded, there Avill he trouble, andmatters be Avorse than they Averc bcforctime. Let the Indians be

taken in hand gently, inviting them to peace; then putting them under

deck, lmsl)ands and Avives together, sell them among the Islands, and

even ujiun 'Ii'rra-I'irina for money, as some old nobles of Spain buy

A'assals ot the king. In this Avay, there coidd be management of them,

and their inimber l)ccome thinned. This I say Avould be true ])olicA';

and tlie S[)aniartls might then make some stock-farms for the breeding

of cattle, and be there to assist the many A'cssels that are Avi'ecked allthe Avay along from Carlos to the I’rovince of Sotoriva, in Avhirh is the

* **sliij'iit.'s witliout ileoks, which the Spaiiyei'ilcs call (?ara\ cias.’’—

Translation of J'KTKIl .\t.\RlVK.

•/

F O N T A X E ]) A

.

25

port of San Agustin, and ri\or of San ^Iateo.‘‘'‘^^ There tlie Lntherans of

France liad made a fort, and found a nook -wlicnce to jdnnder as many

ships as sliould come from Terra-Firma, wlietJier from Mexico, or Finn,

or from other ])arts; wliicli tliey did, and retired to that river of San

Mateo, where resides tlic perfidions cacitpic of Sotori^a, Aliinacaiu,^’’^'*

and of other ])laces, Ids dependencies. Midway up tlie river San

Mateo, sixty leagues inland, is another caciqnc. Inning a-n indepemhmt

sovereignty, and being seignor of his land, whose name is Utina; and

Saravay, and Moloa,'-’"- and many others are his vassals, nntil condng to

Nayagnaca, in the land of Ais, winch lies towards Caha^el•al, so calk'd

by onr ])ilots who sail thither. MTth these two cacicpies Fero Melendez

made treaties of friendship. They ha^e no gold, silver, or ])carls; their

people arc ])00]', very cunning and false, apd g-rcat archers, 'i'lu'y go

naked, like the rest of whom I have spoken before.

By way of this Fiver San iNfateo, one may go to Tocobaga, on the

other side of Florida, to the west; I do not mean all the way by the

river, but in this manner: Enter over the bar of the San Mat(M), and

arrive at ZaraNay, Avhich is fifty or sixty leagues in the intciior u]i

the river, or at tlie Frovince of Ftina, and there disembark, k('cping a

westerly course from town to town, nntil coming upon the j)eo])l(' of

Cahogacola, subjects of Tocovaga; and thence upon the countr}' of

TocoA’aga itself, which lies Avithin on another large river,* Avhere Soto

was, and where he died.

MTth this 1 will end, and say no more; for, if the eompiest of that

country Avere about to be undertaken, 1 Avould give no Further account

of it than I luiAe rendered. Its subjugation is befitting His Maj»'^ty,

for the security of his armadas that go to Feru, Xcav Spain, and otlu'r

parts of the Indies, Avhich pass, of necessity, along that shore and

channel of the Vahama,. aaIictc many vessels are Avrecked, and many

persons killed; for the Indians are ])OAverfnl archers, and oppo-^e them;

and because of this, 1 say, it is Avell to liaAc a small lort lor the

protection of that channel, Avith some income for its repair, and the

maintenance of soldiers as a garrison in it, that might be drawn Iroin

Mexico, Feru, the Island of Cuba, and all the rest of the Indii's.

* irsuuKa-V, Doc. I., Lib. L\., Cai). XII.

m! r, I . i;!'!’' ' f, -tn I/' i . i,< j. ) > I 'i'l ;j;> ‘ii h'tff

rr,

I r.i; i| ‘t)ii fi ''i.lf 'r>/U I !

1

t " • ' I h t • I I < I M t / / /i j 1

1

; I ! I '‘

< 1'

^'Vj.-Hf lo jf'ill.V Offj lo nV{p.H:• ! rri ';. th; nutnr fofnu;([5

‘

.'o mIi -...d.i.ih Imm .-Mifdi/. fixi/o'-.Kf oxM ijMifHd -tot ; >;fjoer>t|

•- 77iw{ oj 'h,,v >i il ,70>t- ! ..ffj) ‘]o o^-m.D-.uI [>7IK

•-'* yic.H lUX -jiUVr ifjfv/ ,! nrt?r.!-) ;,;xfl ‘lu !!

luoii U..I.U, ^ 1 . i.ijiiiM o lo oj/ii.iiotiiim/f< 'off },. if^. ^

^ ,uyf>toU

A Ai'X ,.n/ , /'I ,,( , ,q •

!‘irn rioil.;

i'l I Hi hr/;;

26 MEM OIK OF

Thus inncli sliould be done; and anotlicr thing also—to go in scarcli ofpearls, for tlu're is no other wealth in that eountry. So, I conelude,

and as this aceount may become important, I sign it.*

HEKXAXJX) ] )ESC'A I.A XT1=: EOXTAX El )A

.

M E O K A X 1) A

.

[Connected with tlie foregoing narrative, on a loose sheet of paper, which serves as a

cover to it, is the following:—

]

a. Columbus discovered the Islands of Yucayo and Achiti;

a

part of Florida was discovered by other persons, residents of Santo

Domingo.

The isliinds of the Lucayos are made up of tliree groups, in this

wise: First, the islands of the Bahama; second, the islands of the

Organos;

third, the islands of the Martiros, Avhich liave tlicir coniines

on the west in et'rttiin caijos (keys),'!' the Tortugas, formed of sand, and

for this reason are not to be seen from a distance, as is the case with

all the coasts on the Bahama Channel, so that many 'vessels are lost

on the islands of the 'J'ortimas and tlie IMartircs.O

Ifa \ana is towards the south; Florida is towards tlie north; and in

going from the shore of Havana, Island of Cuba, to the main, arc tliese

islands of tin' Bahama and the Organos, and the islands of the i\lar-

tires and the Tertugas. There is a channel at the widest ])art, of

twenty h'agues, between the Havana and the Martires;and tlience to

Florida tlien' are l(mrteen leagues; between the islands tliat lie towards

S])ain, or rather towards the east, and by the widest j>art of this

passage from them towards tlie west, there are fortN leagues of distance.

iMaiiy shoals and deej) clmnnels exist among them ; but there is no

* TliC jias.sagc imirkdl rd cmj the Spaniards make ‘cavo," from which comes

the Knglish “ key."

- io nioK'iu

V- ikir.'.A iti oji ('1— ;jniilf mlhiiwJUtp -)d, lifomla ki'iM’ ^t I .*>- /'l uitH 1/uft Jfi dtlti'.m rifltn- f.»H ih>.(^idfuWfloO -,n;' =J3

oJlt:•^y 'io. ,>oto>:ioq loilJo Y(f hrfir/Mb' hhipfi % imjv'< I

j”

n(ii O'!!! mil.oii t .

Mfit ‘to j-["ii;!. i ojlj .fiHO'iva di(< ’ii* ,^!)»ii>fr;l Oil)T'Miv/

oviul fl jii!// Tfo -ill) tin'dl

Ijiik ,Imiu^. in fr>,avA ,WJ^^MhoT oifl itwt>v^ til '^di Vtu''

lijivr -j!'in Mfl) dll .'V)fioi

F O X T A X }•: I) A

.

27

passage for sliips, or even for brigs, altliough tliey arc snialler ; there

arc passage-ways for iiotliing larger tlian canoes, and those arc to tlic

cast and nortlicast. To tlic westward, to come from Havana and go to

Florida, tliere is a passage; hut none to come to Spain, cxci'pt by the

principal channel of liahama, whicli is lictween the Martircs and tlie

Havana, the islands of the Yucayos and tlic Point of Canaberal; and

no otiicr way can be fonnd to make the distance shorter. 'J'o laing tin'

course more direct, it might be made througli the middle of Florida;

but not with vessels only, but by s(\a and land, through tlie wide Pivt'r

of Tocobaga to the Jliver San Mateo, the vessels relieving each other

on one and the otlier side to come to Spain,*

A N 0 T II E U ,M E M 0 R A N D U M

.

h. I will next state generally some things of Florida, and of a river

that is called Tordan, in its northern part. AVe Avill also sjieak of tliat

portion of it to the Avest, Avhere Hernando de Soto died, the Captain

Salinas, and also Francisco do lleinoso, and Avhcrc certain friars Avere

lost, and others made prisoners, some of Avliom 1 aftenvards srav alive

and in captivity. AVc Avill then go on to describe tlic habits, food, and

raiment of the Indians of Abalachi, and other places bcloAV it, Avhich

are Mogoso, Tocobaga, Osiquevede, Carlos, .Vis, and Sonsobc;and of

many others Avill 1 speak, though not of all. Of eacli suliject I Avill

treat apart, under a separate head; and to begin, I Avill quit forth tin'

foregoing chapter concerning tlic islands of the liUcayos and tlu' Mar-

tires, dAA'clling-placcs of the Indians.

c. The men of Abalachi go naked, and the Avomcn have Avaist-

bands of the straw that groAvs from trees, Avhich is like avooI, of Avhich

I have given some account before; and they eat deer, avoIvcs, Avuolly

cattle,^'’’’- and many other animals. 'J’hey collect certain tributes of

base gold, mixed Avith lim', and many colored buckskins. In a river

belonging to this people are pearls, Avhich have licen notieed. 'I'ln'y

arc archers; but by sending woolen cloth to them, by an experii'ina'd

* Tills section is ropented in neailj the .>:anie wonia bv IIkuku’.v, Dee. 1., lal>. IX.,

Cap. XI 1.

.AaHZATyiOH

o! • Ki, ., III! i-rtji INlif}. •I»j^'u(>f 7Juht}lt)M 'ajl tnn

{MUl < ' >1 [( /laj’i'V 'iii'iioi n| ‘afj

'

•if! (•! '•; •''

t

opjitfoM or MDiuj Ji((j,yyii/r'i^q. fra'y^i'jyrr

'•ill ]>ii i . 'll o;)/ lift t ul ?( lifl // ,niiif)j)j; U 'Ui ioiriwiii'? Iwjritihtj

li'ii:,

*< r «• I K ti ’

1

t(r Tinu'i oilj Ijffii 'flit i({f ojoisf

:.)(*{•// '.ifj ibijoTdT l)i»K i:-i». vrt Ufd ;vfttn f'Wny.

r wfjr* - toff

/

dtl) jOdJiitiC /{3'j Ollt dj litr*} f)«o «o

'

, 1/ j'lJrAnowsiy'

f'jvi i w ^it/: .f:j>ftoi’[ hi agttt/U llhf I,

iv:tfr 'ro vfi;*)»|h o-jiffi: ltiv/‘ '>7/’ ja.Nol iM/fi''

iri-tiji|ij'') -uf; ,!:ij(h uJoK oi) nh/ritni'jl F ‘rtr-ify/' , !'•jnu bnfi •'o'/cojii f 'ifft lj(j tr|->/;(j;if/ To /r^m ijrr ^il-iilv/ ju ,loov^ -jj14 a ihlilu orfj T0 ?'bi(c7/ ,//i/|OV/ l/j;) '/;.»i(j fMOJ ;/Ji'torxj bJ 1 0*9*71!- O‘If0H IITJ-Tl^ 07jii( I'f'

li> rvJtnfhi ffiiiif/0 rrilFu'* -ojrlT .Amuhiv,

10/^11 0 11 f frnolo'- vnn/rt b/m ,onH ihr// Ito/I/ii fbfo^ o«fl(f «

(.Old .fi r*rii>ti 7/^:1 ( ibii!'// tfqoyij ftiiJj

i>‘> tn‘*h'Mj/.» un vi( .lyni/Jf ifjoh uoliioo 7

.,ZI ,iJi.l ..! .y,a 7.J 'h'J rjWMi «

2S MEMOIR OF FONT AXED A.

hand and capable linguist, their friendship may he easily Avon. They

are the host Indians in Florida ; superior to those of 'J'ocohaga, Carlos,

Ais, Tegesta, and the other countries I have spolccn of iii their suc-

cession, as far as the river called Jordan, and of Avhich 1 have lu-rcin-

hefore correctly set forth es'cry thing concerning them.

The peoj)le of Ahalachi*'*'^' are subject to those of Olagale,

Mogoso,'"'^’ and others tOAvards the region of the ridge of Aite, Avho arc

the most A\'ealthy Indians, and the places they occupy are of the most

A'alue. 1 Avas tAvo years among them, in search of base gold mixed

AA'ith tine but on all the coast of AA’hicb 1 shall speak hereafter in

this memorial, there is no base gold to be found, much less any pure

;

for that Avhich the natives have is from the vessels Avhich are Avrecked

in passing from New Spain and Peru, Avhen storms overtake them inthe Channel of the Bahama, and drive them on Canaveral, or on the

Martires—of Avhich the Cabo dc Martircs is called Chichijaga—as fardoAvn as the Tertugas, which are opposite to them, and the Havana is

also on the south.

d. And the character of CA'ery thing, and the substance of all, I have

herein set forth : but I have not mentioned all the toAvns;for they

have a variety of names, AA'hich I cannot rejuember. And Avith so

much I ]>ausc.

* ^ '’T-'wsi

i'l»n •ill jl ft;|,iiJi(fj),jij

i • • .•'*oi[f '•!, f)hno('l fii tyiij

•O'. •|)-'ll tH l.t '>7i:it I ''if)

*v •* • • ‘-’f i ']•*'••/ ii' l>iir. fvj|.tiu1 U'fVS'i !>ili /ff

!(•• 'If ;j tjvci • iffu'i 141 III) > lil'ful

. M} y - .(JjM ,[(, 'Wlib;d.*4{/ ‘17 .1

'‘Hi , '/ «• H;_Jii?f '>i!) 'to M -j«f| 4ilisV/o-)

-i(r tl) '• "s . )/] if( i, JaJi'i') Oil) 111.! uri .).l|J

JM'iJKf /(ii: '1 |f Itui n •'^••'.: w iil) ruo it '•i iiViiil •iuvrfKir oili ilviilv/ iflifl iv.'i'l' tfi uiot!? ;-uaoU ii'xlv/ j/nVl h/ii; wi’X

ifi 111 .(itic/j.-riiiO .(i '7 Hi .t(f o/iib h«f»j vjiIi ’lu’l'xnmiJ'r) r»dj

'll., it •:);— I.:, : • • i! >r i)' j }t )ilr, i -i vyVi\i'sAf. Ai ruO* f{‘>ij|’/A lo-—'FTitii'lM liC'-Hjjvcfl MV) h/n,

,1117 . 1 ) jji')'{ loirnno I A .Kunati 'lo vhirHi^/ «

I .ibif/n

t'

*t

•.. i '-i

Ml

*• * 'Cs- :a|B,

N 0 T E SIJY

T II E T II A N S L A T O II

.

In reading the Indian words, the letter

e is to he sounded like the English a in day,

i i in marine,

0 o in go,

u u in rule,

y y ill yoke,

a a in far,

a a in date,

a M in gun, and

j] nasal, somewhat like the n in link.

Single islands, with these names respectiv^ely, are on a map of the year

1500, made by the navigator JuAX de la Cosa. Their size and position indicate

to my eye the Gran-Cayco and the Mariguana.—See De Orhe Xovo, Dec. III.,Lib. VII., also Munoz.

Long since depopulated, as ic appears, to supply divers in the pearl

fisheries of Paria and the gold washings of Espauola.

—

IIerkeua.

These islets, the appearance of which suggested a name for the wliolc

chain of islands, have received from the Spaniards the distinctive appellation ul‘

Las Mucaras ,—a Lucayan, or provincial word, for rocks a little above the surfaitcof the land or water. {Diccvvinrio Provincial, por EsxEB.t.N Pichakdo: llabana,

1849.) Beknap.l Komaxs says, they are seven in number, and that mangrove

and blacktvood bushes grow on them. They are situate over against the souih-

east promontory of the Peninsula; the middlemost of them being the highest,

called Caleza de los Martircs by the Spaniards; “infanrous for many shiinvracks,’

says IIeylyn, “ but of great observation amongst seafaring men,'” becau.' e, on

seeing them, they know that they have entered the Straits of Florida.— C.-'-jno-graphie: London, 1G52.

8

a :>f T 0.'la

ri...»

;l o T /. .[ z /. H T II 'r

ibrvA /itj ,4fVigr«T Oirf gbiitBVI ;

III VI r' -I'jtiui u;(} tiolxioort Of/ at >J 5

,^i('wi>>« It}'} j

jf'Vi rri -s (,

III « * I,

iff

,-VtV\_ lU o

,iniV\ m if.lltl ,«M\v,Hi '!

. li ji Ciilj ’.uUl jci{»/cifrioa ,I/r-.6ii p

I" j''"' n 'to •>•14 V J ivi.f'ivqe^i ihlv/^ ^('innUi ol^rtfS

•i., iif'iir :k>i -tvfi. I ‘If; a^ia Tiyi!'!' .^fHO*.') AJ Ui? '/.a'iI tO}fl:5iv;;u ^jff; ufcuiil. ,0(Nlf111 .'t/r .tjTo/, tj'WO 'A\ *•,;>?!—.liiTCUJjhii)/.' yf!{ bps'. QOYfiO-RliTfc) ylj ,'0^« od’

cfelfc*j.tlT .diJ

lii.'.. Oiij u; '(^]i/j ,BvnH e.

30 NOTES BY

As Ponz de liCon passed along the eastern coast of Florida, he inquired

the name of the country; and the people of each district gave him a diflerent

one, until he thought they jested vith him;but in the end they answered his

importunities by telling him that it was called Cautiu ,— a name that was given toit by the Lucayans, because the inhabitants covered som.ewhat of their persons

with plaited palm-leaves.

—

Ueukek.\ ; Dec. L, Lib. IX., Cap. XI.

In the year 15G8, when the favorite wife of Satouriona was placed in the

hands of Gourgues as a hostage, she had on no other apparel than this of the

I'ilhxndsia vsneoides; yet, as reads the English translation of the account given

by Laudoxnieke, her lord was “ Monarch of the confines of the Iliver May,

which hath under his obeysance thirtie other Paracoussics.” It was observed,

however, during a voyage made a little time before by Sir John IIawkixs, that

“the women also for their apparcll use painted skinnes, but mo.st of them gownes

of moss somewhat longer than our m.osse, which they sowe together artificially,

and make the same surplesse wise, wearing their haire down to their shoulders

like the Indians.”-—Hakluyt, Voyages and Discoveries. The Spaniards found the

like material used for clothing by the females of Malhado, (Santa Posa Island,) in

the year 1529, and which Le Moyne, some thirty }^ears later, plctui'cd as the

dress of the sex on the eastern coast of Florida.

—

Naufragios de Alvar Nunez

Cabeza de YACa.—Brevis Xarratio.

I’hese appear to have been the manati, or else some animal that no

longer exists in the waters of the coasts of the Peninsula. In Jeffekys’s Geo-

graphical Descripfioa of Florida, printed in the year 1763, it is stated that the

Beef then abounded with great plentj^ of seal; and Vaa Slenorhynchus udlkianus

is found off the southern shore of Jamaica, on Pedro Keys. Lohos marinos are

thus mentioned in the itinerary of Ponz of the year twelve: “On Tuesday, the

21st of June, the Spaniards arrived at the islands which they called Tortugas,

because in a little time at night they captured on one of them one hundred and

sixty turtle, and miglit have taken more had they wished them. They likewisa

took fourteen sea-wulves, and killed many albatrosses and other birds to the

number of five thousand.”—Herrera.

The large cray-fish of the Florida Keys are of the flavor and size of the

lobster. Their appropriate region is among the corals;they have been seen

only one or two hundred miles north of the Capes.

—

'Williams.

iMctophrys sex-roni’di/s, Mitchell; called Kuckle-tish by the fishermen of

the Bahamas and the Florida Beef.

Y!i artTOK os

1

I 1'1.7/ vt>v/

I'

*!«»'( i;iii «l .

r.f l vU /n> J’l'tl «.8'R 9*J(iij7/r»/0 Ut rihitstd

I Ki'j'iu 'll ,iif>!4()!'l >7 ua, oiil aA

!.t .r.Tiifj II uimT i/int-iih ifJnO V' ^Iqoaq oifj lifrt t»rino W Tout/o-) 'Mlt oaui.oo/^ if

I/. .1,’. > ,,yj .Jill ,.l Aiiit

•••II

•jlU >1 If*. ill I'-

JfDlupwi :.ifj itujAl i'Wlf

.vj.14 luviJ. •'.'-'i lo ‘71 '/aiop '-jI* Ihol lod

/'O'/iOX'io 'prJ’i.h'fi Hul ioi/^fJ rlujilw

3«Ji ‘^/.Tl 'uS virik t/liii(,i3.J!?,^7}:(ii ys«v^9V ji ^

way/ ''z I". It l«7 jp.oiri . J f.)6'3fiim] p/“.il lIyOoO I«hr.;^m nMI),/} ?.ii f/'ii.f3jr''(’,f‘3>;( tur."/^ v,i i?ilj juht* ,.ivi(!oT/. ail diilJw 1ji,iiK»Jrt Vii>^

oij: A)'. i«> u (4 ^

fill) ,>(^h[)v^''f''P iifl*’ V ovbv/t o/Jl Oo simY 'K' Y'lJ-tc.HJt .Off; nr isurfj

,^./iguiuo'f i iHjio Y/rifi ibii(v/ tliiifilbf oiIj in ivjvniu S%12

f'lifi Dcnlirnifl ’r>HO morfi lo wo no fVmii(jiv> ’/_n{i lA vicui (iIjjH sj iiivoiIT .modi byJ>,iv/ bud ymm irp/lui Ovijd. /ui^ vizi*

djii 01 iti'dJ 'ladJo Luu syucnl/iJbi v

T HE T R A X S L A T 0 ]^. 31

(II) it Wildcats and foxes are rare. Opossums and raccoons extremely

numerous. The latter, in particular, about the sea-coasts live on fish and oysters,

and become lumps of fat.’’

—

The Territory of Florida^ by JoHX Lee ;

Xew York, 1837.

Xo doubt the Guaiacian ojjlcinale (lignum vitm) is meant. It covers, saysWilliams, the higher points of the interior keys.

t-’) The depth of vater was ascertained to be sufficient for the passage of the

India fleets by the Adelantado of Florida, Pedro Melendez do Avih's, in the year

1566.

—

Fnsayo Cronohgico jiara la Jlistoria General de la Florida^ por 1). Gabriel

de Cardenas z Cano (B.aecia). Madrid; 1723.

Carlos, or Calos, is explained to me as an abbreviation of the Chahta

words Ica-la ?u-so, which signify “ strong (and) black.” I am incline

ie,Tl 0T A J B yj. A K T 'A n T

i

’

/f-Milvil/.? e»yrtry.'0*< Brtjc TSttTi.-aao^jO &tS fet(«»r-07/ »' V\,

h7-'.i .-•nt„1ji-VJifyV' • iSvv-WAV :^.il^t

J"

II •£

.!3

.if;?

AjJliilV) uli ’i„ uAihihBxdiU- j'la.sjj ow ox «i'.«fcib(ji^O'' to:ftu'i[J ot Lytrffout.iuji i j(fwi/t} tlaWvr "•' -tv-A

Oo/H >] :twlj yffk: oi lo ban

32 NOTES BY

it from a Spaniard brought to him by the Indians while at Fort Caroline, in the

years 150I-’G5,

“One of these two declared unto me, that he had served him (Calos) a long

time for a messenger; and that often times bv his commandment he had visited a

king named Oathcharjua, distant from Calos foure or five dayes iourncy, which

always remained his faithfull friend; but that in the midway there was an Island

situate in a great lake of fresh water, named Serrope, about five leagues in big-

nesse,* abounding with man}' sorts of fruites specially in Dates, which grow on

the Palme trees, whereof they make a wouderfull traffique;yet not so great as of

a kinde of root, whereof they make a kinde of incalc, so good to make bread of,

that it is imjiossible to cate better, and that for fifteen leagues about, all the

countrey is fed therewith : which is the cause that the inhabitants of the Isle

gaine of their neighbours great wealth and profit: for they will not depart with

this root without they be well payed for it. Besides that, they are taken for the

most warlike men of all that counirey, as that made good proofe when the king

of Calos having made alliance with Oathcaquaf was deprived of Oathcaqua’s

daughter, which he had promised to him in marriage. " The Spanyard

that made this relation, tolde mee that after this defeat he went to dwell with

Oathcaqua, and had bene with him full eight yeares, even untill the time that he

was sent unto me. The place of Calos is situate upon a river which is beyond

the Cape of Florida, forty or fifty leagues towards the Southwest; and the dwell-

ing of Oathcaqua is on this side the Cape toward the North, in a place which we

call in the chart CunnaaeraJ, which is in 28 degrees.”''

The Zamia iniegrifolia is native to Florida, from a few miles south of

Saint Augustine along the coast to Cape Sable; but it only prospers in the thick

shelter of “hammocks,” or in the pine lands where shaded by palmettos or bushes.

All attempts to cultivate it in field, or grove, have proved unavailing.

^J'lie flour, prepared from the root, is called by the Seminoles l-un-ti hat-h\

“white bread,” to distinguish it from the red bread made from the China briar-

root, tStiu'lax haslala, which they call kun-ti isoh-ti.

Ajtios iv.lerosa; the “mud potatoe,” luk-clutk a-he, or “reed jiotatoe,”kaij-shak a-hc, ot the Chahtas. It grows large, and in abundance, near

AhajHipka Fake, wliich receives its name from the Maskoki ak-hah^ “bog

potatoe,” and pnJqi-ki-ta “to eat.”

“ Crniinl cmiiroa de cimj licnes.”—B.vsamf.r.t T lie nume is iii arly that of tlic Sa-uan-ua for “inuskrat”—o-thus-kaa.

( n ; I r < > xC

’

./ . r i

:

i f J‘ wOH< (.in:i P 'Ii-.i't jj

.•.•y-li'i [

: lit I-..'“

' ' *fiti ' I’'r! -

t . . - I J' ’ 7

t

ii'';i'.''l,

'll

:'// il'.i/.' " ;i "i ,i'’7•’/

' M '. » ..f; 'r

ii'

:

-1 '."h

f.i l:•• u'll j> fvfi'.i ,"f I'M'ii [ "t :*v’;.!/ II vi 'A'

) '111. .1 i-'l'iiTP'/ IIj

V Itc 1 1 , . • I. '»ij/O 'A rv[. 1 , ,

:nC,’

-1

t 7 '.['i • ! i;

'i '

.1 )/.’ / ") > ITiI ' ll.!'

'

'

'

v.-*i*A I . . ; ' i-vIi'Klfii'i’-i r;.|f

:

! ;

•'' .'r.7 iii

,'.../i - iii .11

]fi * 'iI""

M-J

’iii’ij •'lif iikifiT il;.-;f.t i;;;'.''l*f 'M (iif' t, .ii.-iii’niil ui i>J oJufw**

M-MiA -V- .(-.lii// jMwiAWrt V ^icuy-t

Vj-Ht .•.•'•i' ilrif. fjc r.i h''r. 'to^

‘ ,i'**iV,''> 'rAn -'ifT 1''iJ^ I T

*• iii*« rAV

THE TllAXSLATOE.

“Crocodiles, which by rm abuse of language we call hgarlosy— Gca.Ilistoria de las Indias . . . por Baktolome DE las Casas . . . Lib. TIL, Cap.

XXII., MS.

“Crocodiles, that were so celebrated in Egypt, which we here call lugartos dc

agua."—TorQUEMAI'A.

He speaks now only of thu group of the Yucayos named the Martires.and of the extremity of them, probabh’ what is now called Cape Florida. (See

the second paragraph of the second section -in the Memoranda marked a.)

On the passage of the fleet of Aylldn to Espauola from the northwest, the

pinnace conveying his body was wrecked on the coast of Florida— “ that sepul-chre in the ocean sea, where other captains and governors before and since have

gone, or been driven, to a resting-place.”

—

Oviedo, 2a P. MS.

Spelled Chicora, and Chlcoria, by the Spaniards, Chicola and Chicpiola,

by the French. But for what some Sa-wan-wa Indians (Shawnccs) have told

me of the name of a tribe among them, the AjiaLuo-la, 1 should doubt there

having been an}' such town or people. Bene Laudonniere, while in the Kiver of

Port Poyal, in the year 1502, on being told by the Indians that Chiquola was

the greatest lord of that country, showed thenr the parts of the heavens, to the

intent of inquiring in what quarter of it that chief dwelt, when one of them

directly pointed towards the north. They described the people there as nume-

rous; the city as having gold, silver, and pearls in plenty, and without value; the

houses as inclosed, although it co>dd not be understood with what. The captain

supposed it to be on the Biver Jordan. Somewhat in accordance with this story,

Le Moyne has drawn it, encircled partly by trees, and partly by a streatn. In

my view, he has ]Jaced it on the right bank of the North Edisto, soon after thu

river is formed by the confluent waters of the Bawho and AVadmelaw. Ovieik),

who was well informed as to the history of the CA'pedition of Aylldn, made in the

year 152G, says that the Spaniards, after the desertion of the guides they twk

with them, could never hear further of a province, port, river, or people, having

the name of Chicora, no more t,han they could of any other in that list of coun-

tries and islands the Adclantado had been empowered to explore and coloni/.c,

in every name of which, before setting out, he thought he had a treasure. Ihis

authoritv may be thought to make way for receiving the explanation of lonta-

neda, repeated by IIerkeka, that the name is a corruption of another; wools, in

such cases, badly understood, or spoken lightlv, have come afterwards to arrest

the attention and exhaust the ingenuity of men. Some illicit slavers, hastily

returning from a newlv visited shore, where thev remained oidy long enough to

^8

., . ®r,;i

-".•>h«jv:"\ Jliio va wjud'nital la ,ji ifdjfv)'-'I

f 'ftA.T JU! :H/(>Jf»f;i/.a vm\

" '‘' "' ^IXX

'’>• h >, v' lj,,> :,£9,f ,x;f „| h'VJA'nfofya 0!< ', ^

-Ci'tiiotj;: ...li LiMn.Mi hoiusuY »nf,T 'to io^‘

'.u>) M(v/ l/,[|f^7 v/.o(j ,m^a^ “IVV'^'

{.rt jiv,4 r.o,. ui.noU^ id* It ,: >y/*ir'f.i a»n Ii^il o: '(o Jf/oii >WnO~^ '*1

0 Liu; ii^>:hd eifftiovo^ him inU:hM ni^tom^w/t.'rte lb ,7«oa

'^5^'’

.

'*'

.'•4i

,j;:-. ,,M(l'.t I irr. ,,io,;:i'jtB > Liob h(.*1/ yJ :,Jj ATjifi f.'V7/oif3 id/rr '^o hwlr^^^^dti.hmIi '».-, oiiu ,177 Uhh trdf a 'h -laJifiMij.MtAAt Mi ini,m mqmi frjh hiMimmb yofir JtiJn uiir0tti^^or hyffUfHj-fi .Bfifii-/ t.m.(;fV7 £i,in tlitKiUi uc/.ru;3^ him .t^vlig g/,ivfci£ fuj :'^ri3 sjf|

-mIT Jmi// .Uhf bonfi..^uhv'D'i}{i !'u; hhlO^Ji l^mtjfh .f.'jSyfwi an «tei/orfNu'r .]tht oof.nLvwwJ m ttidvnutoa .f7./fndT, ToYilf „&i}J w

II,

-ittr.;iu,)« n vd,'(.iIiim.j aJ

'•«I ..luv/J*. n.,m (>,f,oS V yj?•i ^ vm/B ^Hri>ut/y7 u«a

NOTES BYO-X

entrap some nnsuspccting natives, ean hardly be expected to bring back such

information as is to be attained only ^Yith oiiportunity, leisure, and the use of

language. Aylldii, wo must bear in mind, had not the means fur carrying on the

undertaking he solicited: but it may ^vell be imagined that he -would obtain them

in abundance for an enterprise that held out the prospect of early returns : sucli

to the adventurer as the discovery of a passage-way to India might be expected

to yield, and the easy production of silk to the peaceful laborer; for Chicora

promised these, and happily united to such advantages a soil rich in gold, with

waters prolific in pearls. The account of its products, its wealth, the customs

and superstitions of its people, received from him by Petek Martyr, is as fanci-

ful to iny mind as another enrolled b}^ GoitAKA and TTekkeka, and shared in, if

not entirely made up, by Don Erancisco de Chicora, the Christianized captive,

who managed, as the result proved, to turn it all to account in regaining for

himself and his com))anions their forests, and it may be, avenging in some degree

...the })eriidy by which it is .said they had suffered. Oviedo had tried in vain

to convince the Licentiate of the wildness of these tales;but he Avould trust,

he said, the false Adalid as soon as the son he had begotten— forgetting,although good jurist he was, reflects the writer, that the captive'is free to make

use of every expedient that offers reasonable prospect to a way that may take

him back to his friends and freedom. Orista, according to Barcia, was situated

on the Biver Santa Elena, three leagues from its mouth.

—

2a P. dc la TIisloria

General n Xatnrul de las Indins. . . . IMS. Ensayo Cro.: ano 1560. fi’he royal }iatent

issued to Aylldn, is published in Navarrete’s Coleccion de los Yiages Menores.

Neaily the entire jiaragraph has been used by Herrera.—Dec. L, Lib.

IX., Cap. XII. Vainly do many think, he says, that the river is the same now

called .Jordan, which is at the Point of Santa Elena, without rellecting that the

Castilians bestowed that name on it.—Caps. X., XI., y XII. They came upon acountry called Chicora and Gualdape, which is in 32°, now called Santa Elena and

Biver Jordan.—I>cc. IL, Lib. X., Cap. VI. Oviedo, writing of the next vciyage-of the Spaniards thither, says that they landed at a river they called Jordan, to

the cast of the J’rovinco of plorida, on the shore of tUe same land;thence, after

a few days, they removed west, to a great river called Gualdape.

In the year 1663, a reconnaissance of a part of the western coast of Florida

was made by Sigiien/.a Gongora, in the frigate Guadalupe, under Admiral De

Pes, by order of the Viceroy of New Spain. The southernmost of the streams,

which empties into tla^ eastern arnt of the Bay of ICanzaeola (ancient Achusi'''),

* J/ar/i' iis/ii, ‘‘ Biver young,” in Chalita.

f f

- Yir 6:i ro*^

vi IibJr»yj2'i» vf itcj» ^vnim ij»ftK)«i ip*i/ao

r.ini nr twh) ' ffiivO harf x»*iU UJm. *>i ti nv tv>v V jr»VN»ii

,r«oivAL f ni\ .i\i ,|if t»* ,n5{|v A. ai fiswwijl

a 1»>C .sw'i'— ^jrrn^rslt 'T(f «;;•'«) »ftrf t!} Hi fei tlai(f/< Ihitl/o^ jj

H ii'Hjcf «j>i}!yf m-n tnll la ivr .r-o^ivO J,7 .jj,^ JuJ Jl ,»i» I - m b-iabof ,ai'Jnol 'jfitrlf v/'/h tt IB hihuel \^iU imh i^a9 ,vjiifii() nintiuit^qis -^JL^ V-

rfttBf crtmR ho tiviihi vth

THE TE AX SLAT OH.

was called after the commander of the sloop in consort, Jordan^ a name that

unexjdained in its origin may lead to a supposition that at some time it has l)oen

misplaced.

—

B.vkclv. This region of country, I am told, continues among the

Chahtas to retain the name of a tribe that once occupied it, Paij-che ok-la, “'riie

(long) ]Jair People.'’ To the eastward of this, and not distant from it, Caue/.a

l)E Yaca remai'ked tlie flowing and very long hair of five or six chiefs who

came off from the shore in canoes to the boats of Xarvaez.

Of the educated Chahtas, to whom I am indebted for the explanations

herein given of names in the language of their people, Peter P. Pitchlynn states

with great confidence that tliis word is a contraction of o-la la-l-a-Ie, the significa-

tion of which is “ water margin.” Olagale is probably the Ocale of which Soto

and Eangel write, and the Cale and Ocali of others. It also ajipears to be the

Etocale of Eiedma;but the word, as he has spelled it, has a dilferent meaning,

which is, “lay on the fire.” On the map of Le kloyxE is to be found Eloquale.

The town or settlement could not have been remote from the present CYala.

*''' The phrase “ reedy water little,” rendered into the language of tlie

Chahtas, is koi)-shak ok’ ushi. The growth of cane on the Alabama, and the

residence of the “ Conchaques,” a Mobilian"''^ tribe of Indians, at an early day on

its upper waters, might point out that river as one likely to bear such a name;

but from what is said afterwards, there can be no doubt that the Sawane is the

river intended, whether it be rightly called or not.

I will observe here, lest an opportunity where I can do so with equal jiro-

priety should not again occur, that in looking for this name on old maps I

have noticed that the Chatahoche, or some river represented to be in about tlie

same place it occupies, once bore the name “ Calistobole.” The Chahta words

la-h io-ho-h mean “spring boiling.” In the Caribe tongue, ‘.‘a fountain” is

tahouh.huu. Irom the analogy of several words in these languages, having like

sounds and import, there is a little ground for thinking that the Caribes of the

Antilles, and the ancient people of Florida were in some way connected. I'he

assertion of EodiEFortT is.more precise, that, according to tradition, there was a

removal a long time ago of some of the inhabitants from the upper {>art of the

* C’lialita cars discern no meaning- foi' this name in the was’ it i.s usually written.

Manvila and Mavillc, as it was anciently spelled, disclose it to he Ini' o iiihd>‘, which

I'l'ael I ol.soin reiuiers literally “they (who were) there robI)ed.” ..Vltlunigh the iril)c

hi’lniiv.-' to tlie Ma.'-kii-ki confedei'aey, it speaks the lanu-uace t>f the Chahtas. It is

calleil alike l.iy both nation.s Ma-ni-la.

.-4, fl 0 IV /- J ;[ T i‘[

>

111 >1 jurin't MOirtfi J/i i/iii) j. ^c'(i)ij a.-'.H’i;)w;^i»»j. .Tik-ri Jirt "»ii.{'JP^

Jiiilt ‘jdigji a ,tio«/iCKj iii tiooiH 'wfr

«, l>:( K^ll

.7it«4ib 70 H/i; li/ 'liiul lUrc j?uw/a({ lyiif a#,

'"*

'','

' '- '

.^c^iidv inVl ’io fejBOvI till}' ot kbnmo nt 'jajw',

r.orsi-rjt .

?Ov(}/7Uil>py jdf tol lyji>hUii uitt ] iijotl// o> fj6lto»k-0 'mfKHl

.'Wftiirpic \ n'V?> Mr 7ijji Jan fchibo

»0 V* Jiltj .OJjii h(V!yr*407 '\pluH *

»tU ban (mtHl’tl'A- htr no p,ar.a, '"io,. yjf!r rruf''bU't putki^.

'0

no *,!v i7Vfi Jt'.ififiJoo mi

c>ri^ HI JiMl Jcfwob on 3‘d £SfipOr\riU ,'-ifc7rf.V/7W’lj(5 Swi;s gi, w ru^lt;4

.JO/! lii

•A;'tti fiiUjAy .liti^fi Qs oh tUij f 17^ staa! evi'jfl»,io Uiw [

I Mo no ^nuitf >i»(j •lu) iii Jjijril ,,njryya ir^^h jOn hiuC'd« Momf.iuh .} mf.fa 111 .jtff Oil 7^vl7.'v/ViV.\oAB4

fjdi Hu yrft 47; (i irtl ja'7/ijr'.jijii »?(>fifliot...^^

•jfiT f>'jJ'j

36 NOTES BY

Poniusula to several islands of the south. To entitle him to have made more

than a fjrtunate hit in \vhat he says, the examples he gives of a common tongue

need to be verified; tlic more so since the digression Avhich contains them in his

Avork on the “ Ajialachites’’ and “ Cofachites,” is otherwise a fiction. The frame-

work in which his picture is stretched, to give it the semblance of truth, is taken

from Garcilaso and the accounts by the French of their occupation of Florida.

Some names may be borrowed from the maps of the day;others appear to be

those of mere fancy. Our knowledge of the geography and physical character

of the country renders the story often improbable, and sometimes absurd, llis

informant, not satisfied with giving us the contentions of these people in ages

before the discovery of Florida, which account might have passed well enough

by itself as a dark tradition, “one of the most curious and inquisitive Persons

in the "World’’ has brought his tale into the historical era, where he relates much

that is contrar}^ to authentic accounts, and even claims to have visited Florida,

which he speaks of as a country of mountains, valleys, and torrents I

P. S. 1 have had an opportunity of comparing the first and fourth editions

of the lliisloirc Xalurelle et Morale dcs lies xintilles de VArnerique^ by PociIEFORT,

printed sevcmlly in IfioS and 1681. There have been two editions between them,

tliosc of 1665, 1G6V, according to Eich, who says that the fourth publication ap-

pears to be the same as tlie second, which, he also states, has nearly eighty pages

more than the first. The third was printed at Lyon, with a different title; but the

three others were printed at Potterdam, by Arnould Leers. The consideration

of one long letter published in the last, from the second edition, will suffice for

so much of the book as respects Florida. It is in French, is addressed to the

author, and is dated at “ Melilot,” on the 6th of January, 1660, the second year

after tlie first publication, and Avas written by an overseer of the English families

living among the Apalaches! It was accompanied by a dissertation on every-

thing curious in the counti’y, for the purpose of being put, if thought worthy,

into the next edition of the w^ork. There were pictures also with it of the

celebrated mountain of “Olaimy,” of the Eoyal City of “Melilot,’’ and the

sensitive plant. The contributor expresses his great satisfaction at reading the

very faithlul account given on the authority of Mr. Bristok, and mentions that

having made known to the Indians, from the copy of tlie book he received, what

is said ol the origin of the Caribes, of the historv of themselves, their language,

maimers, relirdon, Avars, tradition, and country, they applaud it for its truth,

and declare tliat to have said less Avould ha\*c been injustice to their nation.

“Best assured,’ says Doctor Edouard Graev’cs, at the close, “that our Florida

wdl unfold without reluctance all that site has of flowers to adorn the Avivath

that is duo lor your History, and that our plains, our lakes, our lorests, and our

YfC ^vilTOK

,.i iMtii -U;>r«'JoT jlJHMft.

Ifij , ,„/ucfr> ( *••. Ssy'-rj *4'o4\i4»\u k:,\\ *uV>’,x)fir I0 v.

_

..|a ,(ihay] 0(fl o4yr.,.i'7i>l

(hfyio \biit*v hi'd f’jhUi'li oplh'oif'

Ilf} j(iJ;jHi| '’ Jfrff ,tfo-(d ia fUil

j* ^afi (nf0

;ot '‘i’-' '.uod'^y lnifOiKiiS -iifi if/ii»n'l.‘Ar«I«rt V.t ,ifanoi''[ 'll m )l ,nfihorr otij di* os-

-inxr iutuvo’ Uih /);)(U ,Vf«i,uw:l. V.' il.iy idt .nQlit; #•...

(Ifeilj^riH j.-{j lo- r.?ivi4w mi iiyi^Tw w/^

/'vjV-.> no jf{ofj»;jr.,‘tHi'b f\ v/( bcMUwirtioO'jis J'ln/lJ .?^nwi«