tended leaving behind : at the same time he recom
mended to his care the horse W 7 hich had been left
in his territory.

The Indians went away, delighted with this kind
treatment, and on the third day, came the good Mu
cozo, followed by his warriors and a train of attend
ants ; two of whom led the horse, while the others
carried the saddle and bridle, as they knew not how
to use them. Mucozo embraced Anasco and his
comrades, inquired particularly after the Governor
and the army, and made him relate the particulars
of their going and coming, their battles and skir
mishes, and the toils, the hunger, and the privations
they had suffered. After hearing the whole detail,
he observed that he would rejoice much if he could
18



206 CONQUEST OF FLORIDA.

impress his spirit and will upon the other Caciques
throughout the land, that all might serve the Go
vernor and his people as they merited and he de
sired.

Juan de Anasco was struck with the difference
between the reception he met with from this noble
Cacique, and that from his own countrymen, whose
first inquiry had been after gold. With a grateful
heart, he thanked him for the kindness he had shown
Calderon and his soldiers, and delivered him many
kind messages from the Governor.



207



CHAPTER XXXIV.

Anasco sails in quest of the Bay of Ante. Gomez
Arias embarks for the Havana ; and Calderon
prepares to march to join the army.

1539. JUAN de Anasco now set to work to dis
charge the duties of his mission. He was to em
bark in the two brigantines, and to coast to the
westward until he should arrive at the Bay of Aute,
which he had discovered with so much toil, as has
been already related. He brought orders, also, from
the Governor to Captain Pedro Calderon, to rejoin
him with his troops, by land : and the worthy cava
lier Gomez Arias, was to sail for Havana in the ca
ravel, to carry news to Dona Isabel de Bobadilla of
the events of the expedition.

The whole harbour, therefore, was in a bustle.
The brigantines and caravel were careened and re
paired ; the sea stores, sails, rigging and equipments
carried on board, and the crews mustered and em
barked. Equal stir was made for the march by
land ; preparing the furniture for the horses, furbish-



208 CONQUEST OF FLORIDA.

ing up armour and weapons, and culling out every
article that was necessary for the service.

After every thing had been selected that was re
quired either for sea or land, there remained an
abundance of all kinds of articles, which they could
not take with them ; such as cassava bread, cloth
ing, cuirasses, helmets, bucklers, lances, pikes, be
side sea stores, and quantities of steel and iron,
which the generous spirited Governor had provided
in such profusion for his expedition. All these su
perfluous articles they gave to Mucozo, in reward
of his constant friendship. The Cacique found him
self suddenly overwhelmed with riches. During
four days that he remained at the harbour, and for
the residue of the term that the Spaniards sojourn
ed there, his subjects were incessantly busy, going
to and fro like ants, bearing off these inestimable
presents to his village. Every preparation being
made, the crews being embarked, beside thirty sol
diers who were distributed in the brigantines and
caravel, and twenty Indian women for Dona Isa
bel,* the different commanders took leave of each
other, and of their various comrades. Juan de
Anasco made sail in the brigantines in quest of the
Bay of Aute ; Gomez Arias in the caravel for Ha-

* Portuguese Narrative, c. 12.



CONQUEST OF FLORIDA. 209

vana, and Pedro Calderori prepared to march, as
soon as he should have seen them fairly under way.*
With this cavalier and his little army we shall keep
for the present, hoping to meet with the stout Juan
de Anasco at some future day.

* Garcilaso de la Vega, P. 2. L. 2. c. 27.

18*



CHAPTER XXXV.

Breaking up of the garrison at Hirrihigua. Pedro
Calderon sets out to rejoin the Governor. Despe
rate conflict with the natives in crossing the Great
Swamp.

1539. No sooner had Anasco and Arias set sail,
than Calderon with a force of seventy horse and
fifty foot, sallied out of Hirrihigua, leaving the gar
dens and the fields they had planted in full and fresh
vegetation. They reached the village of the kind
Mucozo on the evening of the second day. He
came out to welcome them, and hospitably quar
tered them for that night ; and the next day he es
corted them to the frontier of his dominions, where
he took leave of them with many expressions of re
gret.

Pedro Calderon with his forces continued his
march until evening, when they encamped in a plain
skirted by a forest. The night darkened apace,
when of a sudden a party of savages rushed into
the encampment ; the Spaniards attacked them



CONQUEST OF FLORIDA. 211

sword in hand, and dispersed and pursued them to
the entrance of the woods. No sooner, however,
had they returned to the camp than the savages
were on their track, and in this manner annoyed
them all the night long. During these skirmishes,
one of the horsemen pursued an Indian ; who, find
ing that the horse gained upon him, and that he
would soon be overtaken, turned suddenly round
with an arrow fixed in his bow, and drew at the
same moment that the horseman threw his lance.
The savage fell dead, but not unrevenged ; for, his
arrow 7 pierced the horse s breast with a mortal
wound, and brought him down upon the spot, so
that Indian, Christian, and horse rolled together
upon the ground.

This Indian must have been one of their chief
warriors ; for, upon his fall, they all immediately
fled into the forest and were not again seen.

The horse that was slain, was the famous steed
of Gonzalo Silvestre. The Spaniards, astonished
that this powerful animal should have died so sud
denly, merely by the wound of an arrow, opened
his body and found that the dart had penetrated his
breast, and passed through his heart to the very en
trails. So powerful and adroit were the natives of
Florida in the use of the bow.

The next evening, the Spaniards slept on the



212 CONQUEST OF FLORIDA.

margin of the grand morass, and the following morn
ing they traversed it without opposition from the
enemy. They pushed on with forced marches, the
horsemen dismounting by turns, and relieving the
foot soldiers. Thus they travelled for several days,
without a single brush with the natives, finding re
freshment and food in the villages. These were
all abandoned, and the whole country was as si
lent as if uninhabited, until they arrived at the war
like province of Apalachee.

Having encamped for a night upon the skirts of
the thick forest bordering the morass, they entered
on the following morning the narrow defile, half a
league in length, through the close woods, and reach
ing the water, the foot soldiers passed over the In
dian bridge of logs, \vhile the horse swam the deep
est part of the channel. Calderon, finding that they
had passed over the deepest and most perilous part
of the morass, wished to hasten over the residue.
He therefore, ordered ten horsemen to take behind
them five arquebusiers, and five cross bowmen, and
seize upon the narrow pass through the forest which
was on the opposite bank. They set off at full speed
through the \vater, when shrill cries and yells arose
from different quarters, and Indians rushed forth
from behind bushes, brakes and the trunks of huge
trees, and discharged showers of arrows at them.



CONQUEST OF FLORIDA. 213

In the very first discharge, the horse of Alvaro
Fernandez, a Portuguese, was killed, and five others
wounded. The horses, panic-struck with the sud
den attack and clamour, turned and fled ; their mas
ters could not restrain them. Plunging and rearing
in the water, which was up to their breasts, they
threw off the foot soldiers, who were all wounded,
as the wheeling of the horse exposed their shoulders
to the fire of the enemy. The Indians perceiving
their fall, rushed forward to despatch them, giving
their war-whoop and shout of victory, to encourage
their companions.

The suddenness of the attack, the overthrow of
the ten archers, the flight of the horses, the throng
ing of hordes of savages to the combat, produced a
scene of wild confusion. The Spaniards were be
wildered, and as the battle was in the water, and
the horse could render them no assistance, they
were greatly alarmed for the result of the conflict.

The Indians, on the contrary, encouraged by
the success of their, first efforts, attacked the fallen
archers with greater fury. The nearest Spaniards
rushed across the bridge to their rescue. On their
left advanced a formidable band of savages ; about
twenty paces before them stalked an Indian, per
fectly naked, fearless and bold in his bearing, with
a large plume of feathers upon his head. His ob-



214 CONQUEST OF FLORIDA.

ject evidently was to gain the shelter of a huge tree,
which lay between him and the Spaniards, from be
hind which he might annoy them, and even prevent
their passing. Gonzalo Silvestre, who happened to
be near the tree, perceived his intention and shout
ed out to Anton Galvon. Galvon was one of those
who had been dismounted and wounded, but like a
true soldier, he had kept hold of his cross-bow. He
followed behind Silvestre, who shielded him with a
quilted garment, which he had found floating in the
water ; advising him to shoot at none but the lead
ing Indian, who was evidently the Chief. In this
manner they gained the tree, but the movement did
not escape the observation of the savage ; he bent
his bow and in the twinkling of an eye sped three
arrows. They were sent with unerring aim, but
Silvestre received them upon the garment which he
used as a shield, which being wet, proved an effec
tual defence.

Anton Galvon who had reserved his fire until the
Indian should draw near, now fixed a bolt in his
cross-bow, and sent it with such good aim, that it
pierced the savage through the breast ; the latter
staggered a few paces, crying out to his followers,
" These traitors have slain me." They rushed up
to his aid, received him in their arms with dismal



CONQUEST OF FLORIDA. 215

murmurs, and passing him from one to the other,
conveyed him from the field of battle.

The combat was not less cruel and bloody in
other parts of the morass. A large body of the In
dians advanced on the right. A valiant soldier, An
dres de Meneses, with ten or twelve others, stood
to receive them ; Andres received four arrows in
his thighs and fell into the water ; luckily his large
shield covered him, and the enemy leaving him fired
upon his companions, five of whom were grievous
ly wounded.

The Indians, elated by their successes, considered
the victory as already theirs, and redoubled their ef
forts. The Spaniards were evidently losing ground,
for only fifty of their number could be brought into
the engagement, and the horse could neither render
assistance, nor molest the enemy. They fought, how
ever, desperately, they were struggling for life ; for,
\vith them, it was either victory or death. At this
critical moment, the news spread among the In
dians that their chief was mortally wounded. It
gave an immediate check to their ardour ; they
soon began slowly to retreat, though keeping up a
constant discharge of arrows.

The Spaniards perceiving these signs of faltering
among their adversaries, now T rallied, charged upon
them, and drove them out of the morass, pursued



216 CONQUEST OF FLORIDA.

them to the narrow defile of the forest, and took
possession of the cleared field in which De Soto
had formerly encamped.

This the savages had strongly fortified, but had
abandoned it to go to the assistance of their chief.
Here the Spaniards halted for the night, as the place
was strong and only accessible through the narrow
defile. Scarcely a man among them escaped with
out a wound ; and the least injured bound up and
dressed the wounds of their comrades. Not an eye
was closed this night, every man maintained an
anxious vigil, and the savages who hovered around
them, kept up a dread and dismal howling until
break of day.

The lucky shot of Anton Galvon was the salva
tion of the Spaniards this day ; for the proud In
dian who was laid low by his bolt, proved to be the
Chief, whose fall changed the tide of battle in their
favour. But for this, every one of them would pro
bably have been massacred.

When morning came, they resumed their march,
driving the enemy before them through the defile cf
the forest. At length they issued out into the open
woods, where the enemy availed themselves of the
same barriers and palisades which had stood there
when De Soto passed. From behind these they
would sally out, discharge a shower of arrows, and



CONQUEST OF FLORIDA. 217

then retreat ; wounding in this way above twenty
Spaniards. Every inch of ground was disputed,
until at the end of two leagues, they came to an
open plain, where the enemy left them through fear
of the cavalry. They now marched on for five
leagues, and halted in an open country, that the
wounded might have some repose ; but as soon as
night set in, the Indians again beset the camp with
dreadful yells and howlings, and bitter and taunting
speeches. The little army of Spaniards was worn
out by repeated assaults ; the horsemen would spring
into their saddles and pursue the enemy helter skel
ter. The Indians would launch their arrows and
then fly in every direction ; but only to repeat the
same annoyances the moment the troopers returned
to the camp.

19



218



CHAPTER XXXVI.

Fierce struggle with the natives at the passage of a
stream. Arrival at the milage of Apalachee.

1539. WITH the day, the Spaniards continued
their march, and came to a forest skirting a deep
stream, which the Indians had obstructed with pali
sades, and strong barriers placed here and there.
Some of the Spaniards, having formerly passed
through this, w T ere enabled to counsel the mode of
attack. It was ordered that those on horses should
dismount, being better armed than the rest, and
4hat thirty of them, with shields, swords, and hatch
ets, should go in the vanguard to destroy the barri
cades. Those lightly armed were to mount the
horses, as they were of no use in this pass, and to
go with the baggage and serving men in the centre.
The other twenty, who were well armed, were to
form a rear guard. In this order they entered the
forest.

The Indians, seeing that the Spaniards were few
in number, and that they could not use their horses,
charged with great impetuosity, confident of an easy



CONQUEST OF FLORIDA. 219

conquest. The Spaniards forced their way to the
palisades, where the battle became obstinate, the
one struggling to cut a road, and the others to de
fend it. While some of the soldiers kept the enemy
at bay with their swords, others hacked with their
hatchets at the fastenings of wild vines by which
the barriers were fastened as with cords. In this
way they demolished them one by one, but at the
expense of many grievous wounds. Alvaro Fer
nandez, the Portuguese, also, lost another horse,
which was transfixed with arrows.

At length, the Spaniards fought their way across
this perilous pass, and then travelled with less trou
ble over the plains, where the enemy avoided them,
through fear of the horses. But whenever there
were any woods near the road, the Indians were
sure to be in ambush, whence they would make
their attacks, shouting, and repeating frequently
these words, " Where are you going, robbers? we
have already killed your chief and all his warriors."

In this manner, these one hundred and fifty Span
iards, skirmishing and battling all day, arrived at
sunset in Apalachee. They had to travel slowly,
on account of the many who were wounded, ten or
twelve of whom afterwards died ; one of these was
Andres de Meneses, a valiant soldier.

As they drew nigh the village, they became ex-



220 CONQUEST OF FLORIDA.

ceedingly anxious, for they descried neither man nor
horse, nor any sign of life. They felt sure that the
yells of the savages must have reached the village,
and as their comrades came not out to their assist
ance, they dreaded lest the boasts of the natives
that they had despatched De Soto and all his army,
should prove true.

They wound slowly into the village, but their
anxiety was soon relieved by the sight of the Go
vernor, who received them like an affectionate
father. They w r ere hailed, too, by their comrades,
with shouts of joy, as men risen from the dead ; for
the Indians, to grieve and alarm De Soto, had assu
red him that they were all slain by the road : a fate
he thought too probable, when he considered that this
little band of a hundred and twenty men had to cut
their way through a wilderness in arms, which he,
with a force of eight hundred men, had found such
difficulty in passing.

Among the first to greet Pedro Calderon on his
arrival at Apalachee, was Juan de Anasco. This
cavalier had made his voyage in the two brigan-
tines, without any adverse accident, and arrived
safely in the Bay of Aute on the 29th of December.*
The Governor had calculated the probable time it
would take for Anasco to make his journey and his

* Portuguese Relation, c. 12.



CONQUEST OF FLORIDA. 221

voyage, and had taken precautions accordingly.
For twelve days before his arrival companies of
horse and foot marched, and counter-marched, be
tween the camp and the bay, so that while one body
was advancing towards the fort, the other was re
turning. In this way they kept the road clear of
the enemy, and, when at the bay, placed their stand
ards in the highest trees, that they might be readily
descried from the sea.

Juan de Anasco saw them, landed confidently,
and without molestation, and leaving his brigantines
well manned in the bay, came up under the escort
of the companies to the camp.

It was a great gratification for Anasco and Cal-
deron to meet each other, and to be once more
united to the Governor and their other brother offi
cers and soldiers. Companionship in toils and
dangers, had attached them strongly to each other,
and the proofs they had of each other s fortitude
and valour, made them ready, when together, to
brave the greatest perils and hardships. Thus hap
pily united, a little fraternity in arms, in the midst
of a hostile wilderness, this band of adventurous
Spaniards passed their winter cheerily together in
the village of Apalachee.



19*



222



CHAPTER XXXVII.

The exploring expedition of Diego Maldonado.

1539. A FEW days after the arrival of Juan do
Anasco, the Governor called to him the hardy and
trusty Diego Maldonado, and, advising him to leave
his own band of followers under the command of his
comrade, Juan de Guzman, ordered him to speed to
the Bay of Aute, set sail with the brigantines, and
explore the coast to the westward, taking note of
all its rivers, bays, and harbours.

Maldonado set sail as directed, and coasted along
to the west for seventy leagues, when he discover
ed a very beautiful harbour, called Achusi.* It
was land-locked and completely sheltered from all
winds, ample enough for a fleet to ride in, and its

* The present Bay of Pensacola. Vide Martin s Louisiana,
V. 1. p. 10. The Portuguese narrator calls this port Ochuse,
and says that Maldonado set out by land, with a detachment of fifty
foot soldiers, and marched along the coast until he discovered
the bay. We follow the Inca s account, which is adopted by
Herrera and others.



CONQUEST OF FLORIDA. 223

shores so bold, that a vessel might anchor near the
land.

The natives invited him on shore with many prof
fers of hospitality. Seeing he mistrusted them, they
came, without hesitation, on board of the brigan-
tines, and traded with the Spaniards, bringing them
whatever they demanded. This friendly inter
course gave Maldonado opportunities to go about in
his small boats, to take soundings, and note all the
advantages of the bay. The Cacique, moved by
the representations his subjects brought of the brig-
antines, and relying on the good faith of the stran
gers, in a luckless hour, ventured on board. The
Spaniards, having made all the necessary observa
tions, and being apprised of the rank of one of their
visiters, hastily weighed anchor ; thus requiting the
hospitality of the simple-hearted natives, by treache
rously bearing away their Cacique prisoner. In two
months from the time of his departure, Maldonado
was again at the camp.

De Soto was rejoiced at the accounts given of
the Bay of Achusi. It was the kind of seaport re
quired for his projected empire ; and where he
might receive the reinforcements and supplies from
Havana, necessary to the prosecution of his grand
scheme of conquest and colonization. It was now
the latter part of February ; he despatched Maldo-



224 CONQUEST OF FLORIDA.

nado in the brigantines to Havana, to proclaim his
success, and to return with those vessels, the cara
vel of Gomez Arias, and any other shipping he
could purchase, well freighted with clothing, wea
pons and ammunition of all kinds. Gomez Arias
was likewise to return with him, as De Soto had a
great opinion of his prudence and sagacity in coun
cil, and his hardihood, perseverance, and intrepidity
in warfare. They were to rendezvous in the bay of
Achusi in the following month of October, at which
time De Soto proposed to meet them there, having,
in the interim, made a circuit through the interior
of the country, to explore the surrounding pro
vinces.*

* Portuguese Narrative, c. 12. Garcilaso de la Vega, P. 2,
L. 2, c. 23




CHAPTER XXXVIII.

Strange adventures that befell the Spaniards while,
wintering in Apalachee.

1539. THE natives of Apalachee were a race
large of stature, of amazing vigour of arm and intre
pidity of spirit, and seemed to delight in war.
During the whole winter they kept up alarms by
day and night, never ceasing from stratagems and
assaults ; but the vigilance and promptness of the
Governor, and his great skill in Indian warfare,
foiled every attempt of consequence. They never
pretended to oppose any body of soldiers drawn up
in squadron, but roved in bands about the forest to
surprise foraging parties, or lurked about among
thickets to cut off any stragglers from the camp.

If a small party repaired to the forest to cut
wood, the sound of their axes would sometimes at
tract a host of foes, who, coming upon them by
stealth, would surround and massacre them, break
the chains of the Indian prisoners who had been
brought to carry away the wood, and bear off the
scalps of the slain as trophies wherewith to deco-



226 CONQUEST OF FLORIDA.

rate their bows. In this way they picked off more
than twenty soldiers, and rendered the vicinity of
the village so dangerous, that the Spaniards rarely
ventured to any distance unless well armed and in
strong parties. One day, however, Juan de Anasco
and six other cavaliers, while riding about the vil
lage chatting familiarly, extended their ride into the
adjacent fields. Not intending to venture far, and
being in a negligent mood, they wore no defensive
armour, nor any weapons but their swords, except
ing one of their number named Estevan Pegado,
who had a helmet and lance.

Thus sauntering along conversing, they spied in
a glade of the woods hard by, a male and female
Indian, and spurred forward to make them prisoners.
The female was so terrified at sight of the horses,
that she stood like one petrified. The husband
seized her in his arms, ran with her to the woods,
and thrust her among the bushes ; then, seeming to
scorn flight, he returned to where he had left his
bow and arrows, and seizing them up, made face
against the enemy.

The Spaniards were pleased with his spirit, and
determined to take him alive. Rushing upon him,
therefore, before he had time to discharge an arrow,
they threw him down, and crowded upon him to
prevent his rising, while Estevan Pegado with his



CONQUEST OF FLORIDA. 227

lance kept him to the ground. The harder he was
pressed, the more furious he became. He writhed
and struggled under the horses feet, and wounded
them in the flanks and belly with thrusts of his bow.
At length, with a desperate effort, he sprang on his
feet, seized his bow in both hands, and dealt Estevan
Pegado such a blow across the forehead that the
blood streamed down his face. " Plague on it,"
cried Pegado, " if we treat this savage thus daintily,
he will kill us all seven." So saying, he rose in his
stirrups, thrust his lance through the breast of the
Indian, and pinned him dead to the earth.