6

been accomplished, he sailed from Ilavana on the cacique returned a haughty reply: Others of your twelfth of May, 1539, and on the twenty-fifth of the accursed race,' said he, have, in years past, dissame month arrived at Espiritu Santo, and took for- turbed our peaceful shores. They have taught me mal possession of the country in the name of what you are. What is your employment? To Charles V. The troops disembarked, and not a sin-wander about like vagabonds from land to land; to gle Indian was to be seen, the soldiers remained all rob the poor; to betray the confiding; to murder the night on shore in careless security, when in the defenceless in cold blood. No! with such a peomorning they were suddenly attacked by a large ple I want neither peace nor friendship. Warbody of Indians; several of the Spaniards were never-ending, exterminating war--is all I ask. You wounded by arrows, but reinforcements arriving from boast yourselves to be valiant-and so you may be; the ships, the savages were repulsed and the army but my faithful warriours are not less brave; and of took up their residence in a deserted village, the hous- this you shall one day have proof, for I have sworn es of which were large, built of wood and thatched to maintain an unsparing conflict while one white with palm-leaves. Leaving a garrison in this village man remains in my borders; not openly in the batof Herrihigua, de Soto proceeded for several leagues tle-field, though even thus we fear not to meet you, into the interiour, although constantly harassed by but by stratagem, ambush, and midnight surprisal.' the Indians. The kind of resistance met with by In reply to the demand that he should yield obedithe Spaniards may be seen by the following extract: ence to the emperour, the chief replied: I am king The fertile province in which the army was now in my own land, and will never become the vassal encamped lay twenty leagues to the north of that of a mortal like myself. Vile and pusillanimous is governed by Urribarracaxi, and was governed by a he who submits to the yoke of another when he cacique named Acuera, who, on the approach of the may be free! As for me and my people, we prefer Spaniards, had fled with his people to the woods. death to the loss of liberty, and the subjugation of Hernando de Soto sent Indian interpreters to this our country!' The governour, filled with admirachief, representing the power of the Spaniards to do tion at the spirit of this savage chieftain, was more injury in war, and confer benefits in peace; declar-pressing than ever to gain his friendship: but to all ing his disposition to befriend the natives; his only object being, by amicable means to bring the people of this great country into obedience to his sovereign, the powerful emperour and king of Castile. He invited the cacique, therefore, to a friendly interview, in order to arrange a peaceful intercourse. The

his overtures the cacique's answer was, that he had already made the only reply he had to offer. The army remained in this province twenty days, recruiting from the fatigues and privations of their past journey. During this time, the governour sent persons in every direction to explore the country; and

53

1

54

At length, the intercessions of Juan Orthey returned with favourable reports. During this the water. time the Indians were not idle. To justify the bra- tiz, and of the four Indian interpreters, began to have vadoes of their cacique, they lurked in ambush about effect. The most weary came on shore, one and the camp, so that a Spaniard could not stray a hun- two at a time, but so slowly that by the dawn of day dred steps from it without being shot and instantly not more than fifty had surrendered. The remainbeheaded; if his companions hastened to his res- der, seeing that these were kindly treated, and becue, they found nothing but a headless trunk. The ing persuaded by them, now gave themselves up in Christians buried the bodies of their unfortunate greater numbers, but still with extreme reluctance. comrades wherever they found them; but the sava- Some, when near the bank, returned to the middle of ges invariably returned the following night, disinter- the lake, until the love of life compelled them to red them, cut them up, and hanged them upon trees. yield. At ten o'clock, two hundred landed at the The heads they carried as trophies to their cacique, same time, and surrendered themselves, after havaccording to his orders. Thus fourteen Spaniards ing been in the water four-and-twenty hours. They In were in a wretched condition-swollen with the waperished, and a great number were wounded. these skirmishes the Indians ran comparatively little ter they had swallowed, and overcome with fatigue, risk, as the Spanish encampment was skirted by a hunger, and want of sleep. There yet remained in thicket, whither, after making an assault, the assail- the lake seven Indians of such indomitable spirit ants could easily escape. In this manner the Span- that neither the entreaties of the interpreters, the iards saw effectually verified the threats of their fe- promises of the governour, nor the example of their rocious foes, who had hung upon their rear during comrades who had surrendered, had any effect upon the march. Keep on, robbers and traitors!' they them. They treated all promises with scorn, defycried, in Aucera and Apalachee we will treat ing both menaces and death. Thus they remained you as you deserve. We will quarter and hang up until three o'clock in the afternoon, and would, no every captive on the highest trees along the road.' doubt, have remained there until they had died; but Notwithstanding their great vigilance, the Spaniards the governour, struck with admiration of their magdid not kill more than fifty Indians, for the latter nanimity, thought it would be inhuman to allow such brave men to perish, and consequently ordered twelve were extremely wary in their ambuscades." Spaniards, who were expert swimmers, to go into the lake with their swords in their mouths, and drag them out by main force. As they were too much exhausted to resist, the Spaniards seized them by the legs, arms, and hair, drew them to land, and placed them upon the bank, where they lay extended, more dead than alive; having, according to the Spanish narrator, been thirty hours in the water, apparently without putting their feet to the ground, or receiving any relief; an exploit adds the Inca historian, almost incredible, and which I should not dare to record, but upon the authority of several cavaliers and nobles, who, both in the Indies and in Spain, assured me of its truth, confirming the authenticity of The this extraordinary feat, related to me by a person in all things worthy of belief. Indians, who had come out of the lake and surrendered themselves, were distributed among the Spaniards to serve them as menials, so long as their conquerors should remain in the province. This was partly as a punishment for their participation in the late treason, and partly to deter the neighbouring tribes from like aggressions.

When the Indians risked general engagements,
they were always defeated with great slaughter by
their well-armed, brave, and highly-disciplined ad-
versaries, and particularly by the terrour inspired by
their horses. We copy part of the conclusion of
one of these battles, which took place in the vast
province of Vitachuco :-

"A worse fate attended the enemy's vanguard,
composed of his bravest warriours; who are always
doomed to fare the worst in battle. After receiving
the first impetuous charge of the cavalry, they fled;
but, unable to reach either the forest or the larger
lake, more than nine hundred threw themselves in-
to the smaller one. Here they were surrounded by
the Spaniards, who endeavoured, by threats, promi-
ses, and occasional shots from their crossbows and
arquebuses, to induce them to surrender. The In-
As the lake
dians replied only by flights of arrows.
was too deep to give them footing, they adopted a
mode of defence as singular as it was desperate.
Three or four clung together, and supported each
other by swimming, while one mounted upon their
In this way
backs, and plied his bow and arrows.
an incessant skirmishing was kept up all day. Num-
bers of Indians were slain, and all their arms ex-
hausted, yet no one expressed a desire to surrender.
At night the Spaniards posted themselves near each
other, round the lake, the horse by two and two, the
foot in parties of six, lest the savages should escape
Some of the latter endeavoured to save
in the dark.
themselves by covering their heads with the leaves
of water-lilies, and swimming noiselessly to land;
but the watchful troopers, perceiving that the water
was agitated, spurred their horses to the bank, and
drove their enemies back again into the channel, in
hope of tiring them out, and thus forcing them to
capitulate. They, moreover, threatened them with
death if they did not yield, but offered them peace if
So obstinate were they,
they would surrender.
however, that it was midnight before any of them
submitted, although they had been fourteen hours in

*

*

*

*

"Vitachuco (continues the narrative) now remained in some sort a prisoner in his own house, but was treated with great kindness and respect, and dined at the governour's table. Rage and hatred, howevNine hundred of er, still rankled in his breast; and he soon conceived another scheme of vengeance. his bravest warriours were dispersed among the Spaniards; equalling the latter in number, and, as he thought in personal prowess. They attended their new masters as slaves, and as the Spaniards, when at their meals, were seated, off their guard, and many of them without weapons, the cacique conceived that at such a moment it would be easy, by a preconcerted movement, for his subjects to strike a signal blow that should rid them at once of their oppresScarcely had Vitachuco conceived this rash sors. scheme, than he hastened to put it into operation. He had four young Indians who attended him as

pages. These he sent to the principal prisoners re- their arms broken, others were maimed by sticks and vealing his plan, with orders that they should pass it stones. One was knocked down by his slave with secretly from one to another, and hold themselves in a firebrand, and beset by three other Indians, who readiness, at the appointed time, to carry into effect. dashed out his brains. Another was assailed with The dinner-hour of the third day was the time fixed blows, his teeth knocked out, and he was on the upon for striking the blow. As Vitachuco would be point of falling a sacrifice when several of his coundining with the governour, and the Indians in gener- trymen came to his assistance. The savage assailal attending upon their respective masters, the ca- ant fled and mounted a hand-ladder into a granary cique was to watch his opportunity, spring upon De opening upon a court-yard, taking with him a lance Soto and kill him; giving, at the moment of assault, which he found against the wall. The Spaniards ata war-whoop that should resound throughout the vil tempted to ascend after him, but he planted himself lage. This was to be the signal for every Indian in in the doorway, and defended the entrance so bravethe place to grapple with his master, or any other ly with his lance that no one dared approach him. Spaniard, and despatch him on the spot. Many of At length, Diego de Soto, a relative of the governthe poor natives saw the madness of this second our, arrived in the court armed with a crossbow. project; but, accustomed to yield implicit obedience He presented it, and took aim. The Indian never to their chief, they promised to carry it into execu- attempted to draw back or screen himself; his obtion or perish in the attempt. On the day fixed, ject was, not to save his life, but to sell it as dearVitachuco dined as usual at the table of the govern- ly as possible. At the instant, de Soto drew his our, who sought to win his friendship by the kind- bow, he threw the lance. The steeled point grazed est attentions. When the repast was concluded, the Spaniard's right shoulder, and the shaft knockthe savage stretched himself upon the bench on ed him down upon his knees, passing half a length which he had been seated, and twisting his body beyond, and remained quivering in the ground. The from side to side, projected first one arm, then the aim of de Soto was more certain. His shaft pierother, to its full extent, clenching his fists, and draw-ced the Indian through the breast, and killed him uping them up so that they rested on his shoulders; he on the spot. It was fortunate for the Spaniards that then jerked out his arms two or three times, until ev-most of the Indians were in chains, and none of them ery joint cracked like a snapped reed. In this way regularly armed, otherwise their assault would have the Indians of Florida used to rally their strength been attended with great carnage. As it was, many when about to perform any extraordinary feat. Af Spaniards were maimed, and four slain, before the ter this preparation, the cacique sprang upon his savages could be overpowered. A signal vengeance feet, closed instantly with the governour, at whose was then taken upon the prisoners. Some of the side he had been sitting, seized him with his left Spaniards were so exasperated at the wounds they hand by the collar, and with the right hand gave had received, and at hearing of their governour's him such a blow in the face as to level him with the maltreatment, that they wreaked their fury upon evground, the blood gushing out of his eyes, nose, and ery Indian in their power. Others, who were cavamouth, as if he had been struck with a club. The liers, thought it beneath their dignity to take away cacique threw himself upon his victim to finish his the lives of slaves. They brought their prisoners, work, at the same time giving his signal war-whoop therefore, to the grand square of the village, and deso loudly that it might have been heard for a quar-livered them into the hands of the archers of the ter of a league. All this was the work of an instant, general's guard, who despatched them with their and before the officers present had time to recover halberds. Among the cavaliers who thus brought from their astonishment, the governour lay sense- their captive slaves to be executed, was one of a less beneath the tiger grasp of Vitachuco. One small and delicate form, named Francisco de Saldamore blow from the savage would have been fatal; na. He entered the square, leading after him a but ere he could deliver it, a dozen swords and lan- powerful Indian, by a cord tied round the latter's ces were thrust through his body, and he fell dead, neck. No sooner, however, did the savage perceive blaspheming heaven and earth at having failed in what was passing, and the fate that awaited him, his deadly purpose. The war-whoop of the cacique than, driven to desperation, he closed upon Saldana had been heard and obeyed by his subjects through-as he walked before him, seized him with one hand out the village. On hearing the signal, the Indians, by the neck and with the other by the thigh, raised who were attending upon their masters, assailed him like a child, turned him topsy-turvy with his them with whatever weapon or missile they could head downwards, and dashed him to the ground command. Some seized upon pikes and swords, with a violence that stunned him. Jumping then which they wielded with great skill; others snatch-upon his body he would have despatched him in an ed up the pots in which meat was stewing at the fire, and beating the Spaniards about their heads, bruised and scalded them at the same time; some caught up plates, and pitchers, jars, and the pestles with which they pounded the maize; others, bones remaining from the repast; others seized upon stools, benches, and tables, striking with impotent fury when their weapons had not the power to harm. The greater number, however, armed themselves with burning firebrands, which seemed to have been provided for the purpose, and rushed like devils into the affray. In this chance-medley fight many of the Spaniards were terribly burnt, bruised, and scalded; some had

instant, had not a number of Spaniards rushed with drawn swords to the rescue of their comrade. The Indian seized Saldana's sword, and received them so bravely that, though there were more than fifty, he kept them all at bay. Grasping the weapon with both hands, he threw himself into the midst of them, whirling himself round like a wheel, and dealing blows so rapidly and madly that no one dared oppose him, and they were obliged to despatch him with their fire-arms. These and many similar scenes of desperate vaiour occurred in this wild affray. In order to embroil with the natives of the neighbourhood, the interpreters, and those Indian allies who

56

army

had accompanied the Spanish army from the other ged: his hopes of finding gold regions were disapprovinces, so that they should not thenceforward pointed: he had lost nearly half his troops by fightabandon the Spaniards, they were compelled to aid ing and hardships of various kinds: the greater part in destroying the prisoners, many of whom were of his horses too had perished, and all had been tied to stakes in the publick squares, and shot with without shoes for more than a year for the want of their arrows. In these battles and the subsequent iron. He now resolved to return to the Mississippi; massacres, fell Vitachuco and thirteen hundred of select a suitable village on its banks for a fortified his warriours, the flower of his nation, among whom post, establish himself there and build two vessels were the four brave leaders who had been rescued in which some of his most confidential followers might descend the river, carry tidings of his safety from the lake." These extracts will enable our readers to judge of to his wife and friends in Cuba, procure reinforceHe how-ments of men and horses, together with flocks, herds, the difficulties encountered by de Soto. ever continued his route through the province of seeds, and every thing else necessary to colonize As soon as the spring was Osachile, and the army passed the winter of 1539 in and secure the possession of the vast and fertile the province of Apalachee. In the spring of 1540, country he had overrun. de Soto continued his route and in the province of sufficiently advanced, therefore, de Soto broke up Cosachriqui, which is thought to be near the sea- his winter cantonment and set out in the direction coast of Georgia and South Carolina, he obtained, it of the Mississippi; after a time he came to the village is said, fourteen bushels of pearls. At length, he of Guachoya, which contained three hundred houcame to the dominions of the cacique Tuscaloosa, ses and was situated about a bowshot from the Miswhich must have comprised a great part of Alabama sissippi in two contiguous hills with a small interThe inhabiand Mississippi. Here a disastrous battle ensued on vening plain that served as a publick square, the the site as it is thought of Mobile: a battle in which whole way fortified with palissades. forty-two Spaniards were killed and many thousand tants had fled across the river in their canoes, but Indians perished. After this battle the situation of abundance of provisions was found in the adjacent had country. Here the melancholy which had long the Spaniards was most deplorable. The been much reduced by the march into the interiour; preyed upon the spirits of de Soto, the incessant most of the soldiers were severely wounded, all anxiety of mind and fatigue of body, added perhaps were exhausted by fatigue and hunger. The vil- to the influence of climate, brought on a slow fever lage around them was reduced to ashes, and all the which continued until the seventh day, when he felt When baggage with the supplies of food and medicine had convinced that his last hour was at hand. He now been consumed in the house. At this time, too, the made his will, and appointed his successor. spirit and ardour of de Soto were damped by the dis- this was done, the dying chief called to him by two satisfaction among his troops on the 16th of No- and two, and three and three, the most noble of his vember, he therefore broke up his encampment and army and after them he ordered that the soldiery turned his face to the northward; after a march of should enter, twenty and twenty, thirty and thirty, five days he entered the province of Chicazo where and of all of them he took his last farewell. He he remained through the winter. Early in 1541, charged them to convert the natives to the Catholick the army of de Soto was attacked in the encamp- faith and to augment the power of the crown of ment, and although the Indians were driven off and Spain. He thanked them for their affection and defeated, yet it was with the loss of forty Spaniards fidelity to him, and regretted that he could not show with their horses. Three days after this battle, the his gratitude by rewards such as they merited. He army moved to a more advantageous position, about begged forgiveness of all whom he had offended, and a league distant, called Chicacilla; here they spent finally entreated them, in the most affectionate manthe rest of the winter, in great suffering from the ner, to be peaceful and loving to one another. Havcold, having lost all their clothing in the late battle. ing confessed his sins with much humility, he died They now erected a forge, and busied themselves in like a Catholick Christian, imploring mercy of the newly tempering their swords, and in making sad-most Holy Trinity. His body was placed in the dles, shields and lances, to replace those which they trunk of an evergreen oak and sunk in the Missishad lost. On the first of April, the army again mov- sippi. After great suffering, the remnant of this ill-fated ed forward until they came in sight of the Mississippi, which they crossed, (probably at the lowest expedition passed down the Mississippi, and endurto the village called ing severe hardships, succeeded in reaching Fanuco, Chickasaw bluff,) and came Casquin or Casqui, (Kaskaskias,) situated in the blackened, haggard, and half naked, being clad only The same fortune still with the skins of deer, buffaloes, bears, and other province of the same name. awaited the Spaniards: the Indians were constant-animals, so that they looked more like wild beasts, ly attacking them; and although always subdued and than human beings. cut off in great numbers, yet their enmity against the Among the ancient Persians, when children arriconquerors remained firm and implacable. De Soto however continued his march through the prov- ved at five years of age, they were intrusted to the ince of Palisema, passed through a village called care of learned men, who carefully implanted in their Tanied, (Tunicas,) and came among the tribe of Tu- opening minds an aversion to vice, and allured them, la Indians, and wintered in the village of Uttanque. rather by example than by precept, to the practice of Here their interpreter died, and his death was a se- the moral virtues. They were all trained to military vere loss to the service, as throughout the expedi- exercises, and particularly to the use of the bow; tion, he had served as the main organ of communi- and none were allowed to enter the royal palace cation between the Spaniards and the natives. In without express permission, nor to approach the seat of the spring of 1542, the views of de Soto were chan- | majesty without prostrating themselves to the ground