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Show 66 LEADING FACTS OF NEW MEXICAN HISTORY THE The prophecy of the woman, however, had no effect ever escape. He placed the fleet in command of Caravallo, an upon Narviez. on, and gave him full instructions as to his expediti the alealde of shore.®> There future course. Narvaez mustered his troops upon the equipped. fully cavalry, forty and y were three hundred infantr two pounds uted distrib Narvaez May, of day first the y, On Saturda victualled of biscuit and half a pound of bacon to each man, and thus . interior the into the command took up its march the expeVery brief indeed is the story of the naval portion of The fleet sailed up the coast but failed to find a harbor. dition. and five Returning, it came over the same course it had pursued, bay was Tampa of mouth the Cruz, la de Baia the below leagues Meanwhile Alvaro de la Cerda arrived with his ship discovered. from Havana and the search for Narvaez was continued for an entire for year, and being entirely unsuccessful, finally Caravallo sailed New Spain. The comPursuing a northerly course, Narvéez began his march. mand was accompanied by Friar Juan Xuares, and another friar, Juan de Palos, and three NARVAEZ MARCHES AND THE INTO CAPTURES INTERIOR Having clergymen. eled APALACHE nearly parallel trav- coast the along to or it, in a northerly direction, for fifteen days, they arrived at a large river, where the expedition was detained an entire day in crossing. This was accomplished by swimming and with the aid of rafts. This stream was the Withlacoochee,® as it is the first large stream north After crossing of Tampa bay, emptying into the Gulf of Mexico. d natives. Narhundre two as many as ered the river they encount vaez met and conversed with them by the use of signs, but the Indians grossly insulted the Spaniards, whereupon five or six were seized and, using them as guides, Narvaez went to their homes, about 55 Oviedo, Historia, ete., iii, p. 584, says, following the letter to the Audiencia, 260 foot and forty horse. The Relacion (p. 270) says three hundred men and forty men on horseback. 56 Smith, Buckingham, Relation, p. 34. Prince, L. B., Hist. New Mexico, pp. 49-89. Hodge, F. W., Spanish Explorers in the Southern United States, p. 25, note. Davis, W. W. H., Spanish Conquest of New Mesmico, p. 23. ‘‘The distance travel, from Tampa is about one hundred miles, and according to their rate of the Spaniards should have reached pied in making the march.’’ it in fifteen days, the time they were occu: FIRST SPANISH EXPLORERS 67 half a league distant. Here the Spaniards found a large quantity of maize which they gathered, giving thanks to the Lord for having succored them in their great extremity.*’ Here Narvaez remained for several days, sending two exploring parties down to the bay at the mouth of the river, searching unsuccessfully, however, for a harbor. The first party was under the command of Alvar Nufiez Cabeza de Vaca, who, returning, reported that he had marched upon what appeared to be the seashore until he arrived at the river which they had crossed, when he retraced his steps without having discovered the sea. Narvaez was dissatisfied with this report and sent out a second party of sixty infantry and six cavalry, under command of Valenzuela, who was directed to cross the river, follow it to its mouth, and look for a good harbor. Valenzuela returned after an absence of two days reporting that the bay was nowhere deeper than to the knee, that he could find no harbor but had seen five or six canoes filled with Indians passing from one shore to the other, wearing many plumes. Valenzuela having returned, the army resumed its march, continuing in a northerly direction, through a barren and uninhabited On the 17th of June the Spaniards were visited by an country. dressed in painted deer-skins and carried upon the chief, Indian With him was a very large concourse of his back of a warrior. people playing flutes, made of reeds.** Narvaez held intercourse with him using signs and gave him to understand that he was in search The chief said that his people and those of Apalache of Apalache. were enemies and that he would assist the Spaniards in making war A few trinkets were given to the Indians and Narvaez upon them. was presented by the Indian chief with the deer-skin which he wore. Having resumed their march, that night they came to another large river, so broad and so deep that they were obliged to build a large This consumed an entire day. canoe with which to ferry across. One soldier and his horse were The river was the Suwannee.®*® 57 Relacion (Bandelier trans.): ‘‘We gave infinite thanks to our Lord for having helped us in such great need, for, as we were not used to such exposures, we felt greatly exhausted, and were much weakened by hunger.’’ It was in this same locality that Her58 Hakluyt, Voyages, vol. ii, p. 566. who played flutes. nando de Soto, eleven years later, was also met by Indians States, note, p. 26. Hodge, F. W., Spanish Explorers in the Southern United 59 Smith, Buckingham, Prince, L. B., History Relation, p. 34. of New Mezico, pp. 50-89. |