_How the Governor left the province of Patofa, marching into a
desert country, where he, with his people, became exposed to
great peril and underwent severe privation._
In the town of Patofa, the youth, whom the Governor brought with
him for guide and interpreter, began to froth at the mouth, and
threw himself on the ground as if he were possessed of the Devil. An
exorcism being said over him, the fit went off. He stated that four
days' journey from there, towards the sunrise, was the province he
spoke of: the Indians at Patofa said that they knew of no dwellings
in that direction, but that towards the northwest there was a
province called Coça, a plentiful country having very large towns.
The cacique told the Governor that if he desired to go thither he
would give him a guide and Indians to carry burdens, and if he would
go in the direction pointed out by the youth, he would furnish him
with everything necessary for that also.
With words of love, and tendering each other services, they parted,
the Governor receiving seven hundred tamemes. He took maize for the
consumption of four days, and marched by a road that, gradually
becoming less, on the sixth day disappeared. Led by the youth, they
forded two rivers,[253] each the breadth of two shots of a crossbow,
the water rising to the stirrups of the saddles, and passing in a
current so powerful, that it became necessary for those on horseback
to stand one before another, that they on foot, walking near, might
cross along above them: then came to another[254] of a more violent
current, and larger, which was got over with more difficulty, the
horses swimming for a lance's length at the coming out, into a
pine-grove. The Governor menaced the youth, motioning that he would
throw him to the dogs for having lied to him in saying that it was
four days' journey, whereas they had travelled nine, each day of
seven or eight leagues; and that the men and horses had become very
thin, because of the sharp economy practised with the maize. The
youth declared that he knew not where he was. Fortunately for him,
at the time, there was not another whom Juan Ortiz understood, or he
would have been cast to the dogs.
[253] The Great Ohoopee and Cannouchee rivers.
[254] The Ogeechee River.
The Governor, leaving the camp among the pine-trees, marched that
day, with some cavalry and infantry, five or six leagues, looking
for a path, and came back at night very cast down, not having found
any sign of inhabitants. The next day there was a variety of opinion
about the course proper to take, whether to return or do otherwise.
The country through which they had come remained wasted and without
maize; the grain they had so far brought with them was spent; the
beasts, like the men, were become very lean; and it was held very
doubtful whether relief was anywhere to be found: moreover, it was
the opinion that they might be beaten by any Indians whatsoever who
should venture to attack them, so that continuing thus, whether by
hunger or in strife, they must inevitably be overcome. The Governor
determined to send thence in all directions on horseback, in quest
of habitations; and the next day he despatched four captains to as
many points, with eight of cavalry to each. They came back at night
leading their beasts by the bridle, unable to carry their masters, or
driven before them with sticks, having found no road, nor any sign of
a settlement. He sent other four again the next day, with eight of
cavalry apiece, men who could swim, that they might cross any ponds
and rivers in the way, the horses being chosen of the best that were;
Baltasar de Gallegos ascending by the river, Juan de Añasco going
down it, Alfonso Romo and Juan Rodriguez Lobillo striking into the
country.
The Governor had brought thirteen sows to Florida, which had
increased to three hundred swine; and the maize having failed for
three or four days, he ordered to be killed daily, for each man, half
a pound of pork, on which small allowance, and some boiled herbs, the
people with much difficulty lived. There being no food to give to
the Indians of Patofa, they were dismissed, though they still wished
to keep with the Christians in their extremity, and showed great
regret at going back before leaving them in a peopled country. Juan
de Añasco came in on Sunday, in the afternoon, bringing with him a
woman and a youth he had taken, with the report that he had found a
small town twelve or thirteen leagues off; at which the Governor and
his people were as much delighted as though they had been raised from
death to life.
On Monday, the twenty-sixth of April, the Governor set out for Aymay,
a town to which the Christians gave the name of Socorro. At the foot
of a tree, in the camp, they buried a paper, and in the bark, with a
hatchet, they cut these words: "Dig here; at the root of this pine
you will find a letter;" and this was so fixed that the captains,
who had gone in quest of an inhabited country, should learn what the
Governor had done and the direction he had taken. There was no other
road than the one Juan de Añasco had made moving along through the
woods.
On Monday the Governor arrived at the town, with those the best
mounted, all riding the hardest possible; some sleeping two leagues
off, others three and four, each as he was able to travel and his
strength held out. A barbacoa was found full of parched meal and some
maize, which were distributed by allowance. Four Indians were taken,
not one of whom would say anything else than that he knew of no other
town. The Governor ordered one of them to be burned; and thereupon
another said, that two days' journey from there was a province called
Cutifachiqui.[255]
[255] From the wording of the Ranjel narrative, Aymay was on the
east side of the Savannah River and Cutifachiqui on the west
side. The latter town was not at Silver Bluff, South Carolina, as
commonly thought, but further down the river. Cofitachequi (as
Ranjel spells it) is proper Creek, and means Dog-wood Town.
On Wednesday the three captains came up: they had found the letter
and followed on after the rest. From the command of Juan Rodriguez
two men remained behind, their horses having given out, for which the
Governor reprimanded him severely, and sent him to bring them. While
they should be coming on he set out for Cutifachiqui, capturing three
Indians in the road, who stated that the mistress of that country
had already information of the Christians, and was waiting for them
in a town. He sent to her by one of them, offering his friendship
and announcing his approach. Directly as the Governor arrived, four
canoes came towards him, in one of which was a kinswoman of the
Cacica, who, coming near, addressed him in these words:
EXCELLENT LORD:
My sister sends me to salute you, and to say, that the reason
why she has not come in person is, that she has thought to
serve you better by remaining to give orders on the other
shore; and that, in a short time, her canoes will all be here,
in readiness to conduct you thither, where you may take your
repose and be obeyed.
The Governor thanked her, and she returned to cross the river. After
a little time the Cacica came out of the town, seated in a chair,
which some principal men having borne to the bank, she entered a
canoe. Over the stern was spread an awning, and in the bottom lay
extended a mat where were two cushions, one above the other, upon
which she sate; and she was accompanied by her chief men, in other
canoes, with Indians. She approached the spot where the Governor was,
and, being arrived, thus addressed him:
EXCELLENT LORD:
Be this coming to these your shores most happy. My ability can
in no way equal my wishes, nor my services become the merits of
so great a prince; nevertheless, good wishes are to be valued
more than all the treasures of the earth without them. With
sincerest and purest good-will I tender you my person, my lands,
my people, and make you these small gifts.
The Cacica presented much clothing of the country, from the shawls
and skins that came in the other boats; and drawing from over her
head a large string of pearls, she threw them about his neck,
exchanging with him many gracious words of friendship and courtesy.
She directed that canoes should come to the spot, whence the Governor
and his people passed to the opposite side of the river. So soon as
he was lodged in the town, a great many turkeys were sent to him.
The country was delightful and fertile, having good interval lands
upon the streams; the forest was open, with abundance of walnut and
mulberry trees. The sea was stated to be distant two days' travel.
About the place, from half a league to a league off, were large
vacant towns, grown up in grass, that appeared as if no people had
lived in them for a long time. The Indians said that, two years
before, there had been a pest in the land, and the inhabitants had
moved away to other towns. In the barbacoas were large quantities of
clothing, shawls of thread, made from the bark of trees, and others
of feathers, white, gray, vermilion, and yellow, rich and proper for
winter. There were also many well-dressed deer-skins, of colors drawn
over with designs, of which had been made shoes, stockings, and hose.
The Cacica, observing that the Christians valued the pearls, told
the Governor that, if he should order some sepulchres that were in
the town to be searched, he would find many; and if he chose to send
to those that were in the uninhabited towns, he might load all his
horses with them. They examined those in the town, and found three
hundred and fifty pounds' weight of pearls, and figures of babies and
birds made of them.
The inhabitants are brown of skin, well formed and proportioned.
They are more civilized than any people seen in all the territories
of Florida, wearing clothes and shoes. This country, according to
what the Indians stated, had been very populous. It appeared that
the youth who was the guide had heard of it; and what was told him
he declared to have seen, and magnified such parts as he chose, to
suit his pleasure. He told the Governor that they had begun to enter
upon the country he had spoken to him about, which, because of its
appearance, with his being able to understand the language of the
people, gained for him some credit. He wished to become a Christian,
and asked to be baptized, which was done, he receiving the name of
Pedro; and the Governor commanded the chain to be struck off that he
had carried until then.
In the town were found a dirk and beads that had belonged to
Christians, who, the Indians said, had many years before been in
the port, distant two days' journey. He that had been there was the
Governor-licentiate Ayllon, who came to conquer the land, and, on
arriving at the port, died, when there followed divisions and murders
among the chief personages, in quarrels as to who should command; and
thence, without knowing any thing of the country, they went back to
Spain.
To all it appeared well to make a settlement there, the point being
a favorable one, to which could come all the ships from New Spain,
Peru, Sancta Marta, and Tierra-Firme, going to Spain; because it is
in the way thither, is a good country, and one fit in which to raise
supplies; but Soto, as it was his object to find another treasure
like that of Atabalípa, lord of Peru, would not be content with good
lands nor pearls, even though many of them were worth their weight in
gold (and if the country were divided among Christians, more precious
should those be the Indians would procure than these they have, being
bored with heat, which causes them to lose their hue): so he answered
them who urged him to make a settlement, that in all the country
together there was not support for his troops a single month; that
it was necessary to return to Ochus, where Maldonado was to wait;
and should a richer country not be found, they could always return
to that who would, and in their absence the Indians would plant
their fields and be better provided with maize. The natives were
asked if they had knowledge of any great lord farther on, to which
they answered, that twelve days' travel thence was a province called
Chiaha, subject to a chief of Coça.
The Governor then resolved at once to go in quest of that country,
and being an inflexible man, and dry of word, who, although he liked
to know what the others all thought and had to say, after he once
said a thing he did not like to be opposed, and as he ever acted as
he thought best, all bent to his will; for though it seemed an error
to leave that country, when another might have been found about it,
on which all the people could have been sustained until the crops had
been made and the grain gathered, there were none who would say a
thing to him after it became known that he had made up his mind.