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Show 60 LEADING FACTS OF NEW MEXICAN remained upon the island; these were led to this course by the many Leaving San advantageous offers made to them by the settlers. Domingo, Narvaez sailed to Santiago, a port on the southern coast of Cuba, where the arrangements for his expedition were completed. Thence he sailed for Trinidad, a hundred leagues distant. Anchoring his fleet at the port of Cape Santa Cruz, he sent forward two vessels, under the command of Captain Pantoja,** for supplies. Pantoja reached Trinidad in safety, but while lying off that harbor a violent storm arose, which wrecked both the vessels and drowned Alvar Nufiez Cabeza de Vaca was in sixty men and forty horses. but having gone ashore with thirty vessels, the of one of command men to secure provisions, they escaped the fate of their companions. Narvaez and his vessels outlived the storm by putting into a harbor near Cape Santa Cruz, where he secured a good anchorage, and, on the 5th of November, joined Alvar Nufiez Cabeza de Vaca at TriniThe weather continued most inclement and the commander dad. The fleet was determined upon spending the winter on the island. sent, under the command of Alvar Nuiiez Cabeza de Vaca, to the port of Xagua, about twelve miles distant, where there was a safe harbor. Here he remained until the 20th day of February, 1528, when Narviez arrived with a brig which he had purchased, supplying m part the place of the vessels he had lost. He also brought with him a pilot named Miruelo ‘‘who was employed because he said he knew the position of the River Palmas, and had been there, and was a thor- Narvdez had also purough pilot for all the coast of the North.’’ chased and left on the shore of Havana another vessel, which he put in charge of Alvaro de la Cerda, with a force of forty infantry and twelve cavalry. The second day after his arrival Narvaez, having made his preparations rapidly, set sail, having a fleet of four ships and a brigantine, Sailing to the carrying in all four hundred men and eighty horses. 48 Hodge, F. W., Ibid, note, p. 15: ‘‘One Juan Pantoja, captain of cross: bowmen and Lord of Ixtlahuaca, accompanied Narvaez on his first expedition to Mexico.’’ Bandelier, Mrs. Fanny, The Journey of Alvar Nufiez Cabeza de Vaca, Pp. 85, in The Trail Makers, A. S. Barnes and Co., New York, 1905: ‘‘ Moreover, on On this Sotomayor, brother 0 ja, who remained as lieutenant, ill-treated them. Vasco Poreallo (the one from the island of Cuba, who had come in the fleet as Maestro de Campo), unable to stand it longer, quarreled with Pantoja, an struck him a blow with a stick, of which he died.’’ THE HISTORY FIRST SPANISH EXPLORERS 61 west, he coasted along the southern shore of the island of Cuba, encountering several very severe storms. After twenty days he rounded Cape San Anton, the westernmost point of the island, and sailed within twelve leagues of Havana. The following day he stood in toward the land, intending to enter the harbor, when a storm suddenly arose and his ships were driven toward the coast of Florida. On the 12th day of April land was sighted, but Narvdez sailed along the coast until Holy Thursday, when the fleet came to anchor at the mouth of a bay, at the head of which some Indian habitations were seen. Alonzo Enriquez, the comptroller, landed upon a small island in the bay and traded with the natives who came to him without fear. The following day, being Good Friday, Narvaez himself went ashore, with as many men as the boats would accommodate, and visited the Indian settlements at the head of the bay, which he found deserted. The habitations were generally small rude huts, but one of them was large enough to hold three hundred persons. The only article of value which was found was a small gold bell. Here he remained over night and on the following morning took formal possession of the country for his royal master. This ceremony was performed with great dignity and according to the forms, rules, and regulations of the Spanish crown.*® 49 Smith, Buckingham, App. iii, 215-217. Relation of Alvar Nufez Cabeza de Vaca (ed. 1871), This is a most remarkable document, bombastic, farcical and yet interesting, as showing how much a Spanish king in that period knew about ‘‘claiming’’ the entire earth. One can readily imagine how much of this was understood by the Indians. This ‘‘summons’’ is as follows: ‘‘In behalf of the Catholic Caesarean Majesty of Don Carlos, King of the Romans, and Emperor ever Augustus, and Dofia Juana his mother, Sovereigns of Leon and Castilla, Defenders of the Church, ever victors, never vanquished, and rulers of barbarous nations, I, Panfilo de Narvdez, his servant, messenger and captain, notify and cause you to know in the best manner I can, that God our Lord, one and eternal, created the heaven and the earth, and one man and one woman of whom we and you and all men in the world have come, are descendants and the generation, as well will those be who come after us; but because of the infinity of off-spring that followed in the five thousand years and more since the world was created, it has become necessary that some men should go in one direction and others in another, dividing into many kingdoms and provinces, since in a single one they could ** All these Peter, that he to be head of ever law, sect and point not be subsisted or kept. nations, God our Lord, gave in might be master and Superior all the human race, wheresoever or belief, giving him the whole jurisdiction. most suited And commanded He whence to rule the him world; charge to one person, called St. over mankind; to be obeyed and they might live and be, of whatworld for his kingdom, lordship, to place his seat in Rome, as a him to so He likewise permitted have and place his seat on any part of the earth to judge and govern all the |