OCR Text |
Show 70 LEADING FACTS OF NEW MEXICAN THE HISTORY Their request was complied with but Narvaez detained one of their chieftains, one who had been most active in stirring up the people The following day the savages returned, against the Spaniards. the troops, but soon made good their upon attack vigorous made a Still another attack escape in canoes upon the surrounding lakes. was made the day following but this also was quickly repulsed. Narvaez remained twenty-five days at Apalache, made frequent excursions into the surrounding country, and satisfied himself that the town was the largest in all that region, and that ‘‘thenceforth were great lakes, dense mountains, immense deserts and solitudes. VG He made frequent inquiries of the captive chief about other towns To the and was informed that Apalache was the most populous. south, he was told, in a journey of nine days, was another town called Auté, where there was plenty of corn, pumpkins, and fish, and that The Indians the inhabitants were friendly with those of Apalache. kept up their attacks upon the army, in one of which they killed a Mexican Indian who had come with Fr. Xuares, Don Pedro by name, a lord of Tescuco.* Narvaez determined to march in search of Auté. In the meantime the Indians from all the surrounding country resisted his march to the south. The second day, after leaving Apalache, while crossing a lake, he was attacked by a large body of savages, who fired upon the army from behind trees and from places of concealment in the tall swampy grasses which grew in abundance. They succeeded in checking his advance and fought with great bravery. Several men and horses were wounded, and the Indians were not routed until the cavalry had been dismounted and had charged them on foot, when the Indians broke and fled into the lake. The Indians were all well armed with bows as thick as the arm and about three and one-half feet long; they were good marksmen and shot their arrows long distances with great accuracy, and with such force as to penetrate the coats of mail worn by the soldiers.** Having crossed three lakes, the Indians stubbornly disputing their advance at two of them, they 62 Naufragios, cap. vii, p. 7, in Historiadores, tomo i. 49 . ees Smith, Relation of Alvar Nufiez Cabeza de Vaca (1871), P- in the Southern United States, pp. 31-32: W., Spanish 64 Hodge, ‘“There were F.those this day Explorers who swore that they had seen two red oaks, each the thickness of the lower part of the leg, pierced through from side to side by arrows. ’’ FIRST SPANISH EXPLORERS 71 came out upon the plain, where they attacked the Indians, killing two and wounding two or three others. They now continued for several days without opposition until they came within a league of Auté, at which place the Indians fell upon the rear guard. In this attack one Spaniard was killed, an hidalgo named Avellafieda, who was struck near the edge of his cuirass with an arrow with such force that the shaft passed entirely through his neck. Having arrived at Auté,* the Spaniards found the village deserted and the huts burned, but there was a plentiful supply of maize, beans, and pumpkins, all beginning to be fit for gathering. The third day after their arrival Alvar Nufiez Cabeza de Vaca was sent in search of the sea coast, but he returned, reporting his inability to find it owing to the fact that the bays and creeks were so large and lay so far inland that it was difficult to examine them, and that the sea shore was very distant. In his absence the Indians had made an attack upon the camp. He found the commander ill and the soldiers worn out. Treachery among the men was discovered about this time. A plot was discovered among the cavalry to desert the governor and those who were sick. Humanity, however, prevailed, and the persons who were engaged in the conspiracy were dissuaded from their purpose. After remaining at Auté seven days, Narvaez resumed his march toward the coast, and on the evening of the first day, he reached the place where Alvar Nufiez CaBOATS ARE BUILT BY NARVAEZ AND beza de Vaca had ceased his HE ATTEMPTS TO ESCAPE BY SEA explorations a few days before. Here the army encamped.* The misfortunes which beset them made it necessary that imme- 65 Davis, W. W. H., Spanish Conquest of New Mexico, says: ‘*The situation of this place is equally uncertain with that of Apalache, but was somewhere in the same region of country.’’ Prince, L. B., History of New : Mezico, p. 90, thinks Auté may St. Mark’s or the great river, the Appalachicola, Ft. Gadsden. and Auté have been on near the site of Ship, in his De Soto and Florida, thinks it was on the bay of St. Mark’s. Hodge, F. W., Spanish Explorers in the Southern United States, p. 33, note, says, ‘‘St. Mark’s River, which flows into St. Mark’s Bay, at the head of which Auté was situated.’’ 66 Smith, Buckingham, Relation, p. 55, says the place was Apalachee bay. Prince, L. B., History of New Mexico, p. 90, thinks so too. = Hakluyt, Voyages, vol. ii, p. 565. It was here that De Soto saw remains of 8 party. Davis, W. W. H., Spanish Conquest of New Mexico, p. 31, note, says. ‘<The |