CHAPTER IV.

THE SPANIARDS IN AMERICA.

Settlement of the West Indies-Discovery of the Pacific Ocean-Voyage of MagellanDiscovery of Florida-Ponce de Leon's Search for the Fountain of Youth-Vasquez de Ayllon Kidnaps a Cargo of Indians-Effort of Pamphilo de Narvaez to Conquer Florida -A Terrible March-The Voyage on the Gulf of Mexico-Fate of the Fleet-Escape of Cabeza de Vaca and his Comrades-Discovery of New Mexico-Ferdinand de SotoObtains leave to Conquer Florida-Sails from Spain-Arrival in Cuba-Departure for Florida-Landing at Tampa Bay-Events of the first Year-De Soto enters GeorgiaDescends the Alabama-Battle of Mavilla-Destruction of Chickasaw-Sufferings of the Spaniards-Discovery of the Mississippi-The Spaniards Cross the Great River-De Soto in Arkansas-Reaches the Mississippi again-Sickness and Death of De Soto-His Burial-Escape of his Followers to Mexico-The Huguenot Colony in Carolina-Its Failure The French Settle in Florida-Wrath of Philip II.-Melendez ordered to Exterminate the Huguenots-Foundation of St. Augustine-Massacre of the French at Fort Carolina-The Vengeance of De Gourges.

HILE the French were seeking to obtain a footing in the north, the Spaniards were busy in the south. In the first years of the sixteenth century the more important of the West India islands were subdued and colonized, and from these expeditions were from time to time sent out to explore the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. The southern part of the peninsula of Yucatan was explored, and a colony was established on the Isthmus of Darien. One of the governors of this colony was Vasco Nunez de Balboa. In 1513, while searching the isthmus for gold, he discovered the Pacific ocean, and took possession of it in the name of the king of Spain. In 1520, a Portuguese navigator named Magellan, employed by the king of Spain, passed through the straits south of Cape Horn, which bear his name, and entered the Western ocean, which he named the Pacific because it was so calm and free from storms. He died on the voyage, but his ship reached the coast of Asia, and returned thence to Spain by the Cape of Good Hope, thus making the first voyage around the world, and establishing its spherical form beyond dispute.

In 1513, Juan Ponce de Leon, who had been a companion of Columbus on his second voyage, and had been governor of Porto Rico, fitted out three ships at his own expense to make a voyage of discovery. He had

heard the reports which were then commonly believed by his countrymen, that somewhere in the new world was a fountain flowing in the midst of a country sparkling with gold and gems, whose waters would give perpetual youth to the man who should drink of and bathe in them. Ponce de Leon was an old man, and he longed to taste again the pleasures and the dreams of youth. He gave a willing ear to the stories of this wonderful fountain, and in March, 1513, set sail from Porto Rico in search of it. He sailed among the Bahamas, but failed to find it, and on Easter Sunday, which the Spaniards call Pascua Florida, land was discovered. It was supposed to be an island, but was in reality the long

southern peninsula of the United States. De Leon gave it the name of Florida-which it has since borne-partly in honor of the day, and partly because of the beauty of its flowers and foliage. The weather was very bad, and it was some days before he could go ashore. He landed near the site of St. Augustine, and took possession of the country for Spain on the 8th of April, 1513. He remained many weeks on the coast, exploring it, and sailing southward, doubled Cape Florida and cruised among the Tortugas. He failed to find the fountain of youth,

and returned in despair to Porto Rico. The king of Spain rewarded his discovery by appointing him governor of Florida, on condition that he should colonize the country. A few years later he attempted to plant a colony in Florida, but was attacked by the Indians, who were very hostile, and driven to his ships with the loss of a number of his men. Ponce de Leon himself received a painful wound, and returned to Cuba to die. He had staked his life upon the search for perpetual youth; he found only a grave.

Between the years 1518 and 1521, the expeditions of Hernando Cortez against Mexico, and of Francesco Pizarro against Peru, were despatched from Cuba. They resulted in the conquest of those countries and their colonization by Spain. These expeditions, however, form no part of this narrative, and we cannot dwell upon them.

The native population of the West Indies died out rapidly under the cruel rule of the Spaniards, and it soon became necessary to look elsewhere for a supply of laborers for the plantations and the mines. In 1520, Lucas Vasquez de Ayllon, at the head of a company of seven Spaniards, fitted out a fleet of two slave-ships from St. Domingo or Hispaniola, for the deliberate purpose of seizing the natives of the mainland and selling them as slaves. The vessels went first to the Bahamas, from which they sailed to the North American coast, reaching it at or near St. Helena sound, in the present State of South Carolina. The Indians had not yet learned to fear the whites, and were utterly unsuspicious of the fate which awaited them. They were timid at first, but this feeling was soon overcome by the distribution of presents among them. Their confidence being won, they received the Spaniards with kindness, and at their request visited the ships in great numbers. When the decks of the vessels were covered with the unsuspecting natives Vasquez made sail, and standing out to sea steered for the West Indies, regardless of the entreaties of the natives who were thus torn from their friends and relatives on the shore. A retributive justice speedily avenged this crime. A violent storm arose and one of the ships foundered with all on board. A pestilence broke out in the remaining vessel, and swept away many of the captives. Returning to Spain, Vasquez boasted of his infamous deed, and even claimed a reward for it at the hands of the Emperor Charles V., who acknowledged his claim, and appointed him governor of Chicora, as South Carolina was called, with authority to conquer that country. Vasquez spent his entire fortune in fitting out an expedition, and reached the coast of Chicora in 1525. There he met with nothing but misfortune. His largest ship was stranded in the Combahee river, then called by the whites the River Jordan, and so many of his men were killed by the

Indians that he was obliged to abandon the undertaking. He returned to Europe to die of grief and mortification for his failure. "It may be," says Bancroft, "that ships sailing under his authority made the discovery of the Chesapeake and named it the Bay of St. Mary; and perhaps even entered the Bay of Delaware, which in Spanish geography was called Saint Christopher's."

In 1526, Pamphilo de Narvaez obtained from the Emperor Charles V. authority to explore and conquer all the country between the Atlantic and the River of Palms. He was very wealthy, and spent his entire estate in preparations for the expedition. There was no lack of volunteers, and many younger sons of nobles joined him, hoping to find fame and fortune in the new world. Among the adventurers was Cabeza de Vaca, the historian of the expedition, who held the second place in it as treasurer. Narvaez sailed from the Guadalquivir in June, 1527, touched at St. Domingo, and passed the winter in Cuba. In the spring of 1528, he was driven by a strong south wind to the American coast, and on the 14th of April his fleet cast anchor in Tampa bay. A week later, he landed and took possession of the peninsula of Florida in the name of Spain.

The natives showed unmistakable signs of hostility, but they exhibited to the governor samples of gold, which he believed, from their signs, came from the north. In spite of the earnest advice of Cabeza de Vaca, he determined to go in search of the precious metal. He directed his ships to meet him at a harbor with which his pilot pretended to be acquainted, and then, at the head of three hundred men, forty of whom were mounted, set off into the interior of the country. No one knew whither he was going, but all believed that each step led them nearer to the land of gold. The beauty of the forest, the richness of its vegetation, and the size of its gigantic live-oaks, filled them with wonder and admiration, and the variety and abundance of the birds and wild beasts of the country excited their surprise; but they found neither the gold nor the splendid cities they had fondly believed they were about to discover. The forest grew denser and more intricate at every step, and the rivers were broad and deep, with swift currents, and could be crossed only by means of rafts, which were constructed with great difficulty. The march lay through swamps, in which the Indian warriors harassed the strangers painfully, and, their provisions becoming exhausted, they began to suffer with hunger. Late in June they reached Appalachee, which they had supposed was a large and wealthy city. They found it only a hamlet of some forty poor wigwams; but remained there twenty-five days, searching the neighboring country for gold and silver, and finding none; suffering all the while from hunger, and the attacks of the Indians.

It was plain now even to the governor that there was no gold to be found in this region, and every nerve was strained to hasten the march to the harbor where they had appointed to meet the ships. There was but one impulse now in the whole expedition-to escape from the terrible country which was proving so fatal to them. After a painful march they reached a bay which they called the Baia de Caballos, now the harbor of St. Marks. The ships could not be seen, and it was resolved at once to build boats and attempt to reach some of the Spanish possessions by sea. The horses were slain to furnish food, and several hundred bushels of corn were seized from the Indians. Subsisting upon these supplies, the Spaniards beat their spurs, stirrups, cross-bows, and other implements into saws and axes and nails, and in sixteen days built five boats, each more than thirty feet long. Pitch for the calking of the boats was made from the pine trees, and the fibre of the palmetto served as oakum. Ropes were made of twisted horse-hair and palmetto fibres, and the shirts of the men were pieced together for sails. been lost on the march, and on the 22d of September the hundred and fifty in number, began their perilous voyage. the shore, encountering many dangers, and suffering greatly from hunger and thirst. On the 30th of October they discovered one of the mouths of the Mississippi, and on the 5th of November a storm scattered the little fleet. Cabeza de Vaca's boat was wrecked upon an island which is believed to be that of Galveston. Castillo's boat was driven ashore farther to the east, but he and his crew were saved alive. Of the fate of the other boats nothing is known with certainty. Of those who were cast ashore, all but Cabeza de Vaca, Dorantes, Castillo, and Estevanico, a negro, died of exposure and hardship. These four were detained captives among the Indians for nearly six years.

Fifty men had survivors, twoThey followed

At the end of this period, Cabeza induced his companions to join him in an attempt to escape. In September, 1534, they set out, naked, ignorant of the way, and without any means of sustaining life. In this condition these men accomplished the wonderful feat of traversing the continent. The journey occupied upwards of twenty months, and extended from the coast of Texas to the Canadian river, and thence into New Mexico, from which they continued their way to the village of San Miguel, in Sonora, near the Pacific ocean. They reached this village in May, 1536, and found themselves again among their countrymen. They were escorted to Compostella by Spanish soldiers, and from that place were forwarded to the City of Mexico by the authorities.

The reports of Cabeza and his companions made the viceroy Mendoza anxious to send out an expedition to explore New Mexico, which was