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Show HISTORY LEADING FACTS OF NEW MEXICAN 68 THE swept away by the current and drowned; °* the body of the horse was recovered by the Indians and was cooked and eaten by the soldiers. The Spaniards made camp upon the bank of the river until morning, when the march was resumed, and the next day they arrived at the town of the chief. The usual hospitalities of the tribe were extended to Narvaez and his army and a substantial supply of corn was also During the night the Indians withdrew from the furnished them. The next morning, while on the march, they met a large body town. As the Spaniards of Indians, fully armed and equipped for battle. came up, however, they fied and then took up a position in the rear A small party was placed in ambush to surprise them, of the army. and in this manner, as the Indians came up, several were captured, Under their direction, and these were compelled to act as guides. Narvaez marched until the 24th of June, through a country covered with a heavy growth of timber, the ground covered with fallen trees. Many of the standing trees were from top to bottom by bolts riven of lightning which fall ‘‘in that country of frequent storms and Toiling manfully along until the day of Saint John the tempests.’’ Baptist, the army came in sight of Apalache,*! the inhabitants being Hodge, F. W., Spanish Explorers in the Southern United States, note, p. 27. Davis, W. W. H., The Spanish Conquest of New Mexico, note, p. 25, says: ** This river is supposed to have been the Suwannee, which rises in Georgia, flows south and empties into the Gulf. From the length of time employed in mareh- ing from the Withlacoochee to the Suwannee, Mr. Smith supposes that Narvaez erossed the river pretty high up. having passed any stream As the journal of Vaca makes between these two rivers, it would no mention of naturally be in- ferred that they crossed the Suwannee below its eastern branch, else some account would have been given of the latter stream. They must have changed their course from the North toward the West before they reached the river. It is the opinion of Mr. Smith, that, in the marching of the Spaniards from the Suwannee to the Gulf, they were conducted by the Indians near the present boundary between Florida and Georgia. Garcillasso de la Vega, who accompanied the expedition of De Soto a few years later, and who appears to have seen Vaca’s journal when he wrote his account of De Soto’s march, was also of the same 22, opinion.’’ The Journey of Alvar Nuitez Cabeza de Vaca, P: whose name was Juan Velasquez, a native of Cuellar, not willing to wait, rode into the stream, and the strong current swept and he took hold of the reins, and caused us much grief, since until 61 Davis, W. W. H., SPANISH EXPLORERS 69 unaware of the approach of the Spaniards; here they gave many thanks to God ‘‘that there would be an end to our great hardships, caused as much by the length and badness of the way as by our excessive hunger.’’ Without so much as a grain of corn, they had marched, heavy laden with armor, many weary miles, and ‘vet, having come to the place desired, and where we had been informed were much food and gold, it appeared to us that we had already recovered in part from our sufferings and fatigue.’’ Here, again, the Spanish hopes were blasted. They found nothing but an Indian town, and while corn was plentiful, no gold was found. The place was not far from the present city of Tallahassee, situated on one of the larger lakes, surrounded by an almost impenetrable forest, the approach to which was most difficult on account of the fallen timber. The houses of the village numbered forty, were low, and had thatched roofs. They were occupied only by the women and children. The Indians had fled, but shortly returned and opened fire upon the Spaniards with a great flight of arrows. The battle lasted only a few moments, when they again fled, leaving Alvar Nufiez Cabeza de Vaca and his force of fifty men, who had been sent in by Narvaez, in complete possession of the village. No loss was suffered by the Spaniards, with the exception of one horse killed. A few hours after the battle the Indians returned in peaceful attitude and requested that their women and children be delivered up to them. the town to have been situated between that river and the Ocilla, which empties into the bay of Apalachee.’’ Prince, L. B., History of New Mezico, p. 90, believes Apalache to have been in the vicinity of Tallahassee, or farther north in southwestern Georgia, or near the locality of Chattahoochee. Gatschet, Migration Legend, vol. i, p. 74, says the town ‘‘was north of This was probably the place after which Apalachie provincia Apalachi Bay. He says the word is in the Hichiti dialect of was named in De Soto’s time. This ‘Apalache’ the Maskoki and signifies ‘Those on the other shore, or river.’ was nine days’ travel from Auté, Naufragios, cap. vii, and lay to the north of 60 Bandelier, Mrs. Fanny, says: ‘‘One horseman, him from the horse animal. His death anybody.’’ FIRST The Spanish Conquest of New was drowned with the then we had not lost Mexico, p. 26, note 3; says: ‘‘The exact situation of this place is not known, and it can only be located by conjecture. Narvdez was eight days in marching from the Suwannee to Apalachee, and his course must have been west, or nearly so; and I believe it, surrounded by lakes of which the largest Miccausukee best fills the conditions. lay next it. The location on Lake I think there can be little doubt it was located among the lakes in the northern ends of Leon and Jefferson : a . north of Tallahassee, Florida. ’’ Herrera, Historia General, vol. iii, dec. 6, lib. vii, cap. xii, p. 167. counties, : Bandelier, Ad. F., note to The Journey of Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca, p. ‘‘This Indian village seems to have been situated west of the penin25, says: Without presuming to insist upon its sula of Florida, not far from the coast. location, I would only remark that it might have been on or near what is now the Apalachicola river.’’ |