arrangements for passing the night in this perilous
situation. Being exposed to the attacks of hordes of
lurking savages, constant vigilance was necessary.
They divided their party, therefore, into three bands
often men each. One mounted and armed for ac
tion, went the rounds the -first third of the night;
another band kept watch at the encampment, with
their horses at hand, saddled and bridled and ready
to be mounted. The third detachment merely took
the bridles off their steeds, and, suffering the saddles
to remain on, turned the horses loose to graze while
they snatched a brief repose. In this manner, go
ing the rounds, watching and sleeping by turns, they
lightened their toils, and the night passed away
without molestation from any enemy.
As soon as the day dawned they sought the track
of the General and his troop, and following it came
to the second pass of the morass with the Indian
bridge. Here, having to advance for a great dis
tance, breast high in water, they thought themselves
in imminent peril from the Indians, who might ho
ver about them in their canoes and assail them with
flights of arrows : to their great joy, however, they
accomplished the whole passage without any as
sault. This capricious conduct of the savages, one
CONQUEST OF FLORIDA. 103
day attacking with blood-thirsty fury, and the next
keeping entirely out of sight, occurred repeatedty
throughout the whole of this expedition, and has
been sometimes attributed to superstitious notions
and observances in their warfare.
Having travelled six leagues, the convoy carne to
a beautiful valley, in which were large fields of In
dian corn, of such luxuriant growth as to bear three
and four ears upon a stalk. The horsemen leaned
down and plucked them as they rode along, eating
them raw to appease their hunger. In this valley
they found the Governor encamped, who received
them joyfully, lavishing praises upon Silvestre for his
courage and hardihood, and promising to reward
him for his valuable services. He excused him
self for not having waited at the appointed place,
by alleging the intolerable hunger of the troops,
and their doubts whether Silvestre had not fallen
into the hands of the Indians.
Within a few days the Governor was joined by
the residue of the army, conducted by Luis dc
Moscoso. They had traversed the two passes of
the morass with great toil and difficulty, but fortu
nately, without any hostility on the part of the na
tives.
The fertile province in which the army was en
camped, was twenty leagues to the north of that of
104 CONQUEST OF FLORIDA.
XJrribarracaxi, and was ruled by a Cacique named
Acuera, who, on the approach of the Spaniards, had
fled with his people to the woods. Hernando de
Soto sent Indian interpreters to him representing
the power of the Spaniards to do injury in war, and
confer benefits in peace ; their disposition to be
friend the natives, and that their only object was,
by amicable means, to bring the people of this great
country into obedience to his Sovereign the power
ful Emperor and King of Castile. He invited the
Cacique, therefore, to a friendly interview to ar
range a peaceful intercourse.
The Cacique returned a haughty and vaunting
reply. " Others of your accursed race," said he,
" have in years past poisoned our peaceful shores.
They have taught me what you are. What is
your employment? To wander about like vaga
bonds from land to land to rob the poor to be
tray the confiding to murder in cold blood the de
fenceless. No, with such a people I want no peace,
no friendship. War never ending exterminating
war, is all the boon I ask. You boast yourselves
valiant and so you may be but my faithful war
riors are not less brave and this, too, you shall one
day prove, for I have sworn to maintain an unspar
ing conflict while one white man remains in my
borders. Not openly in the battle field though
CONQUEST OF FLORIDA. 105
even thus we fear not to meet you but by strata
gem, and ambush, and midnight surprisal."
In reply to the demand that he should yield obe
dience to the Emperor, he replied : " I am king in
my own land, and will never become the vassal of a
mortal like myself. Vile and pusillanimous is he
who will submit to the yoke of another, when he
may be free ! As for me and my people, we choose
death, yes, a hundred deaths, before the loss of
our liberty, and the subjugation of our country !"
The Governor was filled with admiration at the
pride and haughtiness of spirit of the savage chief
tain, and was more pressing than ever to gain his
friendship ; but to all his messages and overtures the
answer of the Cacique was, that he had already
made, the only reply he had to offer.
In this province the army remained twenty days,
recruiting from the fatigue and privation of the past
journey. During this time the Governor sent per
sons in every direction to explore the country, w T ho
returned with favourable reports.
The Indians, during this time, were not asleep nor
idle. To fulfil the bravadoes of their Cacique, they
lurked in ambush about the camp, so that a Span
iard could not stray a hundred steps from it with
out being shot down and instantly beheaded ; so
106 CONQUEST OF FLORIDA.
that if his companions hastened to his rescue, they
found nothing but a headless trunk.
The Christians buried the dead bodies of their un
fortunate comrades wherever they found them, but
the Indians would return the following night, disin
ter them, cut them up and hang them upon the trees.
The heads they carried as trophies to their Cacique,
according to his orders. Thus fourteen Spaniards
perished, and a greater number were w r ounded.
The savages in these skirmishes ran comparatively
but little risk, as the Spanish encampment was
skirted by a thicket, whither the Indians, after mak
ing an assault, could easily escape. In this manner
the Spaniards saw effectually verified the threats
which had been shouted forth by the Indians who
had hung upon the rear during the march, " Keep
on, robbers and traitors," cried they, " in Acuera
and Apalachee we will treat you as you deserve.
Every captive will we quarter and hang up on the
highest trees along the road."
Notwithstanding their great vigilance during all
this time, the Spaniards did riot kill more than fifty
Indians, for they were most prudent and wary in
their waylay ings.*
* The Inca, P. 1. L. 2. c. 16.
Herrera. D. 6. L. 7. c. 10.
107
CHAPTER XV.
The Governor arrives in the Province of Ocali.
Occurrences there.
1539. FOR twenty days did the army repose in the
Province of Acuera, during which time, De Soto per
mitted no injury to be done either to the hamlets
and villages, or the fields of grain : they then broke
up their encampment, and set out in search of ano
ther province, about twenty leagues to the north
eastward, called Ocali,* the same of which Galle-
gos had heard, at the village of Urribarracaxi.
Their way lay across a desert tract, about twelve
leagues broad, interspersed with open forests of
pine and other trees, free from underwood, through
which the horsemen could ride at ease. They then
traversed seven leagues of inhabited country, where
dwellings were scattered about the fields and fo
rests. At length they arrived at the principal vil
lage, called after the Cacique Ocali, which contain
ed six hundred houses. The inhabitants, however,
* This name is spelt Cale by the Portuguese Narrator.
108 CONQUEST OF FLORIDA.
had abandoned it, and had fled with their effects to
the forests.
This province, being further from the sea coast,
was less cut up, and intersected by deep creeks and
bays, which in other parts penetrated an immense
distance into this low and level country, causing
vast swamps and bogs, difficult and sometimes im
possible to be passed. In some of the morasses
they had traversed, the surface would appear like
firm and dry land, yet on stepping upon it, it would
tremble for twenty or thirty paces around, and on
being trodden by horses would give way arid plunge
steed and rider into a suffocating quagmire.
Beside being more free from morasses, the pro
vince of Ocali was more populous and fruitful than
the others ; and this the Spaniards found to be the
case, throughout this country, in proportion as the
provinces were remote from the sea. What they
chiefly suffered from throughout this whole expedi
tion, was the great scarcity of animal food, as the
natives did not raise domestic cattle ; and, although
deer and other game were abundant, the Indians
only killed sufficient to supply their immediate
wants.
The Spaniards took up their quarters in the vil
lage of Ocali, where they found vast quantities of
maize, vegetables and various kinds of fruits. The
CONQUEST OF FLORIDA. 109
Governor sent three or four Indian messengers dai
ly, to the Cacique Ocali, endeavouring, but in vain, to
draw that chieftain from his retreat, with proffers of
peace and friendship. With one of these messengers,
there came to the carnp four young Indian warriors,
gaily decorated with many plumes, who manifested
an eager curiosity to see the Spaniards, their dress,
their arms, and above all, their horses. The Gover
nor entertained them kindly, gave them presents,
and ordered that a collation should be set before
them.
They sat down and appeared to be eating very
quietly, when, perceiving the Spaniards to be off
their guard, they all rose suddenly together, and ran
full speed to the woods. It was in vain for the
Spaniards to pursue them on foot, and there was no
horse at hand.
A grey hound of uncommon sagacity, however,
happened to be near ; hearing the cry of the In
dians, and seeing them run, he pursued them. Pas
sing by the first whom he overtook, and likewise the
second, and third, he sprang upon the shoulders of
the foremost and pulled him to the ground ; in the
mean time the Indian who was nearest, passed on;
but the dog leaving the one he held down, sprang
upon the other, and secured him in the same way.
In like manner he served the third and fourth ; and
10
110 CONQUEST OF FLORIDA.
then kept running from one to the other pulling
them down as fast as they rose, and barking so fu
riously, that the Indians were terrified and con
founded, and the Spaniards were enabled to over
take and capture them. They were taken back to
the camp and examined separately, for as they were
armed, the Spaniards apprehended some treachery ;
but, it appeared that their sudden flight was only
by way of exploit to show their address and fleet-
ness.
This same grey hound had signalized himself on
another occasion, before the army reached Ocali.
As several Indians and Spaniards w r ere talking in a
friendly way on the bank of a river, one of the In
dians struck a Spaniard violently with his bow, and
threw himself into the water, all his companions fol
lowing him. The dog immediately sprang in after
them, but passed by several of the Indians without
molesting them until he came to the one who had
committed the assault, when laying hold of him, he
tore him to pieces.
Ill
CHAPTER XVI.
The fate of the Greyhound.
]539. AFTER repeated solicitations, the Cacique
Ocali, at the end of six days, ventured from his place
of refuge, and visited the army, where he was treated
with great courtesy and kindness, although the Span
iards doubted much the sincerity of his professions.
Hard by the village ran a wide and deep river,
with most precipitous banks. Notwithstanding it
was the summer season, this river was too full of
water to be fordable ; it was necessary, therefore,
to construct a wooden bridge, over which the army
might pass. De Soto having treated with the Ca
cique for a number of his subjects to aid in its con
struction ; they w r ent forth one day to decide upon
the spot where it should be erected. As they were
walking along the bank, conferring on the subject,
more than five hundred Indians suddenly started up
from among the bushes and thickets, on the oppo
site bank of the river, crying out fiercely, " you
want a bridge, do you ? merciless robbers ! but you
will never see it built by our hands !" Thus shout-
112 CONQUEST OF FLORIDA.
ing, they let fly a volley of arrows towards the
place where the Cacique and Governor were stand
ing.
De Soto demanded of his savage companion the
meaning of this outrage, seeing he had given him
pledges of his friendship. The Cacique replied,
that these were of a refractory party of his subjects,
who had cast off allegiance to him on account of
his attachment to the Spaniards, and that he was
not therefore answerable for their acts.
It happened that the greyhound already mention
ed, was at hand, held in a leash by the governor s
page. No sooner did he hear the yells and see the
menacing actions of the Indians, than he was furi
ous to get at them. In his struggles he drew the
page along, threw him on the ground, and then
breaking loose, plunged into the stream. The Spa
niards called him back in vain. The Indians, know
ing his valour and exploits, and the harm he had
done to their countrymen, were glad of an opportu
nity to revenge themselves. They showered their
arrows about him as he swam, and with such dex
terous aim, that more than fifty struck him about the
head and shoulders, which were above the water.
Still the courageous animal kept on, and reached the
land, but had scarcely left the water when he fell
dead. His death was lamented by the Governor
CONQUEST OF FLORIDA. 113
and the army, as if it had been that of a brave
warrior: for. he had been of signal service through
out the expedition, a vigilant guardian of the camp
by night, and a fierce champion by day. He was
one of a rare and renowned race of dogs, several
of which were noted for their feats in the course of
the Spanish discoveries and conquests.
10*
114
CHAPTER XVII.
The Spaniards enter the vast province of Vitachuco.
Their reception there.
1539. DE SOTO saw that the chieftain Ocali, was
but lightly esteemed by his subjects, who disobeyed
his commands with impunity ; and, thinking that the
neighbouring Caciques might suppose that he was
detained against his will, he gave him permission to
go to his people and re-visit the camp whenever it
pleased him. The Cacique gladly availed himself
of this offer, but declared he only went in order to
bring his subjects into more perfect submission to
the governor, which accomplished, he would joyful
ly rejoin the Spaniards. With these and many si
milar professions, he departed ; but never again
showed his face in the camp.
Upon the departure of the Cacique, the Spaniards
commenced constructing a bridge over the river.
The work was superintended by one Francisco, a
Genoese, the only shipwright in the army. He was
likewise skilled in every kind of carpentering work,
and by his art rendered incalculable services to the
Spaniards throughout this expedition. Large planks
CONQUEST OF FLORIDA. 115
were thrown upon the water, and these tied toge
ther with strong cords, which they had brought with
them for such emergencies ; crossing and fastening
the planks with immense poles laid on top. It was
of sufficient strength for the passage of both men
and horses. Having captured thirty Indians to
serve as guides, the Spaniards crossed the bridge
and set forward on their march.
After travelling about three days, the Governor
threw himself in the advance of the army, with a
hundred horse, and a hundred foot ; and, pushing
forward in the night, came by daybreak to the fron
tiers of a province of great extent, being fifty leagues
across, called Vitachuco. It was under the domi
nion of three brothers. The eldest, Vitachuco,
bearing the name of the country over which he ruled,
had five parts out often, the second brother govern
ed three of the remaining five, and the youngest of
the family who was chief of the village of Ochile,
and of the same name, possessed the residue. This
was contrary to the usage of the other provinces
through which the Spaniards had passed, in which
the eldest son inherited all.
It was scarce daybreak on the first day, when
the Governor and his advanced corps arrived at the
village of Ochile. It contained fifty large and
strong dwellings, being a frontier post, fortified
116 CONQUEST OF FLORIDA.
against the adjacent provinces, with which it ap
peared this country was embroiled in warfare.
De Soto and his little band rushed suddenly into
the village, with clamorous sound of drum and trum
pet ; seized the Indians, as, terrified and amazed,
they came forth from their houses, and surrounded
the mansion of the Cacique. This was built in form
of one large pavilion, upwards of a hundred and
twenty paces in length, and forty in breadth, and
four doors, and a number of smaller buildings con
nected with it like offices.
The Cacique had with him a guard of his prin
cipal warriors, and many others had hastened to his
defence. He would have sallied forth and made
battle, but the Spaniards had possession of the
doors, and threatened to fire the house. At length,
by sun rise, he was persuaded through the media
tion of Indian prisoners and interpreters, to yield to
the superior power of the Spaniards, and accept
their proffered friendship. The Governor received
him kindly, but kept him with him, while at the
same time he set at liberty all the other prisoners,
ordering his soldiers to treat them in the most friend
ly manner.
The Governor, however, did not feel himself se
cure. The neighbourhood was populous ; the In
dians seeing the small number of his band, might ga-
CONQUEST OF FLORIDA. 117
ther together, and attempt a rescue of their Ca
cique. Taking that chieftain with him, therefore,
and a number of his savage warriors, who adhered
to his fortunes, the Governor marched his band out
of the village, and returned in quest of the main
body of his troops ; these he found encamped at
three leagues distance, full of anxiety on account
of his absence.
The day following, the army entered into Ochile,
in battle array ; the foot and horse formed into
squadrons, and trumpets, fifes, and drums sounding.
The troops being quartered, the Governor prevailed
upon Ochile to send envoys to his two brothers, in
viting them to accept the offer of peace of the Span
iards, and warning them of the disastrous conse
quences that would attend a refusal.
The second brother who was nearest, readily
complied, and at the end of three days came ac
companied by many of his warriors gaily deco
rated. After kissing the hands of the Governor, he
entered into familiar conversation with the officers
and distinguished cavaliers of the army, asking the
name of each, and bearing himself with as much
ease as if he had been brought up among them.
The elder brother, however, who was much the
most powerful of the three, made no reply to the
message, but detained the envoys by whom it was
sent. The two brothers, by the persuasion of De
118 CONQUEST OF FLORIDA.
Soto, sent again other messengers with still more
urgent counsel and entreaties. They represented
the invincible power of the Spaniards, who were
children of the sun and moon, their gods that
they had come from the remote region, where the
sun rises, and withal, that they had with them ani
mals called Horses, so fleet, courageous, and power
ful, that it was impossible to escape them by flight,
or resist them by force.
The answer of Vitachuco is given at length by
the Inca Garcilaso de la Vega ; though he quotes
it from memory, after a lapse of years ; and de
clares that he cannot vouch for its being arranged
exactly in the order in which it was declared, or
that it was the whole of what was said ; but, he
pledges his word that, as far as it goes, it is truly
the message of the Cacique. He declares that if
the whole could be written, as recounted by the en
voys, none of the knights that the divine Ariosto or
his predecessor, the illustrious and enamoured Count,
Matheo Maria Boyardo, have introduced in their
works, could equal in haughty spirit and extrava
gant bravado, this savage chieftain. Without claim
ing for it all the praise here, so liberally awarded by
this ancient author, still it shows the fiery spirit of
this wild warrior, whose gallant efforts were, alas !
of but little avail against the resistless might of the
Spanish invader.
119
CHAPTER XVIII.
Haughty message of the Cacique Vitachuco.
1539. "!T is evident enough," observes the Ca
cique in reply to the embassy of his brothers, " that
you are young, and have neither judgment nor expe
rience, or you would never speak as you have done
of these hated white men ! You extol them greatly
as virtuous men, who injure no one. You say that
they are valiant that they are children of the Sun,
and merit all our reverence and service. The vile
chains which they have hung upon you, and the
mean and dastardly spirit which you have acquired
during the short period that you have been their
slaves, have caused you to speak like women, laud
ing what you should censure and abhor. You re
member not, that these Christians can be no better
than those who formerly committed so many cruel
ties in this our country. Are they not of the same
nation and subject to the same laws ? Do not their
manner of life and actions prove them to be chil
dren of the Spirit of Evil, and not of the sun and
the moon, our gods ? Go they not from land to
120 CONQUEST OP FLORIDA.
land plundering and destroying ; taking the wives
and daughters of others instead of bringing their
own with them ; and, like mere vagabonds, main
taining themselves by the laborious toil and sweat
ing brow of others ? Were they virtuous, as you
represent, they never would have left their own
country, since there they might have practised their
virtues, planting and cultivating the earth, maintain
ing themselves without prejudice to others or injury
to themselves ; instead of roving about the world
committing robberies and murders, having neither
the shame of men nor the fear of God before them.
Warn them not to enter into my dominions, for I
vow that, as valiant as they may be, if they dare to
put foot upon my soil, they shall never go out of my
land alive the whole race will I exterminate !"*
This was the first reply of the fierce Vitachuco ;
but he sent many others, insomuch that every day
there arrived two or three Indians, sounding always
a trumpet, and bringing greater bravadoes and
menaces than the last. The Cacique Vitachuco
thought to terrify them by the various and hideous
supernatural deaths, with which he menaced them.
At one time he threatened, that the moment they
entered his province, the earth should open and
*The Inca. P. 1, L. 2, c. 21.
CONQUEST OF FLORIDA. 121
swallow them ; that the hills by which the Span
iards would have to travel, should join together and
bury them alive. Again, the trees of the forest
through which they had to pass, were to be blown
down and crush them ; flights of birds were to hover
over and pounce upon them, with corroding poison
in their beaks. And again, that he would have the
waters, herbs, trees, and even the air poisoned, in
such a manner that neither horse nor rider, man nor
beast, could escape with life ; making an example
of them to all who should henceforth dare to invade
his territory.
These extravagancies provoked the laughter of
the Spaniards, who considered them the empty bra
vadoes of a vapouring spirit ; but the deeds of the
Cacique afterwards showed that they were the furi
ous wishes and conceptions of a proud warrior;
who, it is probable, was promised all these miracles
in his favour by some Indian prophet.
These and many other messages arrived during
eight days that were spent by the Governor in tra
velling about the domains of the two brothers, who
did every thing in their power to gratify the Span
iards. At length the two brothers themselves
departed on a mission to Vitachuco. The fierce
chieftain pretended to be at length won by their
persuasions, and agreed to enter into friendly inter-
11
122 CONQUEST OF FLORIDA.
course with the strangers ; but he wished first to
know how many days they would be in his domains,
what quantity of provisions they would require
when they departed, and what other things w r ould
be necessary for their journey.
The two brothers sent an envoy to De Soto with
this message, who replied, that they would not so
journ in the territory of Vitachuco longer than he
desired them to remain, nor did they wish any more
provisions than he saw fit to give them, neither had