_How Cabeça de Vaca arrived at Court, and gave account of the
country of Florida; and of the persons who assembled at Seville
to accompany Don Hernando de Soto._
After Don Hernando had obtained the concession, a fidalgo[229]
arrived at Court from the Indias, Cabeça de Vaca by name, who had
been in Florida with Narvaez; and he stated how he with four others
had escaped, taking the way to New Spain; that the Governor had been
lost in the sea, and the rest were all dead. He brought with him a
written relation of adventures, which said in some places: Here I
have seen this; and the rest which I saw I leave to confer of with
His Majesty: generally, however, he described the poverty of the
country, and spoke of the hardships he had undergone. Some of his
kinsfolk, desirous of going to the Indias, strongly urged him to
tell them whether he had seen any rich country in Florida or not;
but he told them that he could not do so; because he and another (by
name Orantes,[230] who had remained in New Spain with the purpose of
returning into Florida) had sworn not to divulge certain things which
they had seen, lest some one might beg the government in advance of
them, for which he had come to Spain; nevertheless, he gave them to
understand that it was the richest country in the world.
[229] Gentleman.
[230] Dorantes.
Don Hernando de Soto was desirous that Cabeça de Vaca should go with
him, and made him favorable proposals; but after they had come upon
terms they disagreed, because the Adelantado would not give the money
requisite to pay for a ship that the other had bought. Baltasar
de Gallegos and Cristóbal de Espindola told Cabeça de Vaca, their
kinsman, that as they had made up their minds to go to Florida, in
consequence of what he had told them, they besought him to counsel
them; to which he replied, that the reason he did not go was because
he hoped to receive another government, being reluctant to march
under the standard of another; that he had himself come to solicit
the conquest of Florida, and though he found it had already been
granted to Don Hernando de Soto, yet, on account of his oath, he
could not divulge what they desired to know; nevertheless, he would
advise them to sell their estates and go--that in so doing they would
act wisely.
As soon as Cabeça de Vaca had an opportunity he spoke with the
Emperor; and gave him an account of all that he had gone through
with, seen, and could by any means ascertain. Of this relation,
made by word of mouth, the Marquis of Astorga was informed. He
determined at once to send his brother, Don Antonio Osorio; and with
him Francisco and Garcia Osorio, two of his kinsmen, also made ready
to go. Don Antonio disposed of sixty thousand reales income that he
received of the Church, and Francisco of a village of vassals he
owned in Campos. They joined the Adelantado at Seville, as did also
Nuño de Tobár, Luis de Moscoso, and Juan Rodriguez Lobillo. Moscoso
took two brothers; there went likewise Don Carlos, who had married
the Governor's niece, and he carried her with him. From Badajóz went
Pedro Calderon, and three kinsmen of the Adelantado: Arias Tinoco,
Alonso Romo, and Diego Tinoco.
As Luis de Moscoso passed through Elvas,[231] André de Vasconcelos
spoke with him, and requested him to speak to Don Hernando de Soto
in his behalf; and he gave him warrants, issued by the Marquis of
Vilareal, conferring on him the captaincy of Ceuta, that he might
show them; which when the Adelantado saw, and had informed himself of
who he was, he wrote to him that he would favor him in and through
all, and would give him a command in Florida. From Elvas went André
de Vasconcelos, Fernan Pegado, Antonio Martinez Segurado, Men Royz
Pereyra, Joam Cordeiro, Estevan Pegado, Bento Fernandez, Alvaro
Fernandez; and from Salamanca, Jaen, Valencia, Albuquerque, and
other parts of Spain, assembled many persons of noble extraction in
Seville; so much so that many men of good condition, who had sold
their lands, remained behind in Sanlúcar for want of shipping, when
for known countries and rich it was usual to lack men: and the cause
of this was what Cabeça de Vaca had told the Emperor, and given
persons to understand who conversed with him respecting that country.
He went for Governor to Rio de la Plata, but his kinsmen followed
Soto.
[231] In eastern Portugal, near the Spanish border.
Baltasar de Gallegos received the appointment of chief castellan, and
took with him his wife. He sold houses, vineyards, a rent of wheat,
and ninety geiras of olive-field in the Xarafe of Seville. There went
also many other persons of mark. The offices, being desired of many,
were sought through powerful influence: the place of factor was held
by Antonio de Biedma, that of comptroller by Juan de Añasco, and that
of treasurer by Juan Gaytan, nephew of the Cardinal of Ciguenza.