USA > Louisiana > The province and the states, a history of the province of Louisiana under France and Spain, and of the territories and states of the United States formed therefrom, Vol. I > Part 2
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t "Parescio Francisco de Garay . con licencia de S. M. e a su propria costa, iubio con quatro navios, a descobrir tierras nuevas en su Real Servicio, las quales fueron falladas e descobiertas per gracia de Dios Nuestro Señor, que lo encamino, non tocando a Tierra ni en patre alguna que otra persona oblese fallado nin descobiorto en ningund tiempo, que fue dende Rio del Espiritu Santo, e aun mucha parte de tierra mas abaxo hacia el Norte, hacia el rio que diseen de San Pedro e San Pablo, donde llegaron los navios." The sworn testimony of Francisco de Garay concerning the discoveries made by himself or under his authority and direction at that date and filed in the Archives of the Indias at Seville.
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San Pablo river as far south on the Gulf coast as Tampico, Mex- ico. The Rio del Espiritu Santo is the Mississippi. According to these statements it seems clear that D'Garay, in 1519, coasted, if he did not actually discover, the shore from the Mississippi southwest to within about three score of miles of Vera Cruz. The sworn statement of D'Garay was necessarily short, and was designed merely to embrace the substance of his discoveries, with- out particularizing the two trips back and forth along the coast, nor without entering into an account of his discoveries, such detail not being germane to the purposes of the testimony. The affidavit of D'Garay was no doubt intended to be used as an official docu- ment to establish the right of Spain to the lands discovered under his patent. In his affidavit he says, "Nor was a landing effected (by the expedition) in any land or part already found or disclosed by any one else at any time." This is only saying that he made no landing whatever on land that had been discovered before by any one else at any time; or that all the land that this expedition did discover had not previously been discovered by others. The truth of the above description in the letters patent, may be depended upon ; because the entry was placed there by the regents, who were acting for Charles V, of Spain, in his absence, and who received it fresh from the expedition and inscribed it in per- manent form on the patent itself, a precaution doubtless intended to prevent the separation of the patent and an account of the dis- covery made under its authorization. At the mouth of the Missis- sippi they found a large Indian village, but on which side is not stated. Here they remained forty days, beaching their boats, re-caulking them doubtless, securing fresh water, conversing and trading with the friendly natives, ascending the river to the dis- tance of fifteen miles and observing forty other villages on both sides of the river, and taking possession of the whole country in the name of the king of Spain .*
Of course, the large village which D'Garay stated had been found by his expedition at the mouth of the Rio del Espiritu Santo, must not be regarded as one of fixed habitation and other conditions of permanency. Nearly all of the coast Indians were accustomed to go to the interior during the season of ripe fruits; but when these supplies were unripe or exhausted they sought the
# See Las Casas Lib. II and III; also Herrera; also Navarette.
* It should be borne in mind that D'Garay did not make the voyage himself. De Pinedn comunded the expedition, und Camargo was one of the captains un. der him. These men or their assistants made a full and complete report to D'Garay, who thereupon sent an account of the same to the court of Spain, in ac- cordance with the stipulations of his charter or patent. D'Garay did not witness the events he described.
JUAN PONCE
BIMINI QUE DESCUBRIO
LA FLORIDA, QUE DECJAN
CUBA.
No. XVI
COPY OF THE DE GARAY KAP MADE PROBABLY IN 1621
R° DEL ESPIRITU SANTO
DESCUBRIR FRANCISCO GARAY
DESDE ACQUI COMMENZO A
JUAN PONCE
HASTI ACQUI DESCUBRIO!
R° PADUCO
MASTA AQUI DESCUBRIO FRANCISCO DE GARAY HACIA EL VESTE Y DIEGO VELAZQUEZ FACIA EL LESTE HASIA EL CABO DE LAS HIGUERAS QUE DESCUBRIERON LOS PINZONES Y SE LES HA DADO LA POBLACION.
TAMAHOX PROVINCIA
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SPANISH EXPLORATIONS.
coast for the shell-fish, etc., cast up by the ocean. Consequently, they lived in temporary huts or wigwams, which could be- removed and taken with them on their journeys. They were found here by the Spaniards in July and August, 1519, before the fruits of the interior had become ripe, and before the annual excursion had begun. It would seem at the first glance that forty villages were too great a number to be strung along the Missis- sippi on both sides for the distance of six leagues or about fifteen miles upward from its mouth; but they were unquestionably small collections of wigwams, probably from ten to thirty, with a half dozen occupants to each wigwam, the representatives, no doubt, of some tribe which then occupied the coast near the mouth of the Mississippi.
On the accompanying map the Spanish statement "La Florida, que decian Bimini, que descubrio Juan Ponce," means "The Flor- ida, called Bimini, discovered by Juan Ponce." "Hasta aqui descubrio Juan Ponce" means, "As far as this was discovered by. Juan Ponce." "Desde aqui comenzo a descubrir Francisco Garay." interpreted means "From here Francisco Garay commenced . to discover." "Rio del Espiritu Santo" means "River of the Holy Spirit," and is the present Mississippi. "Rio Panuco" is the "River Panuco." "Hasta aqui descubrio Francisco de Garay hacia el uste, y Diego Velazquez hacia el Leste hasta el cabo de las Higueras (figs), que descubrieron los Pinzones, y se les ha dado la poblacion," means, "As far as this place Francisco de Garay discovered toward the west, and Diego Velazquez toward the east, as far as Cabo de las Higueras, which the Pin- zons discovered, and the country has given it to them to settle." "Co. y Pa. de las Higueras" means "Cape and Beach of the Figs." Thus, according to this map, D'Garay (or Pineda for him) was the discoverer of the coast from what is now probably Pensacola bay, or possibly Appalachicola bay, westward and then southward along the Gulf coast to the vicinity of Tampico, Mexico. The map was entitled, "Traza de las costas de tierra firme y de las tierras nueves," meaning "Tracing of the coast of the main land and of the new lands."*
Apparently in order to avoid conflict between the explorers of the Gulf coast, their spheres of discovery and conquest seem to have been surveyed and apportioned to them by the patents or commissions under which they acted. Thus it was that Pineda, act- ing for D'Garay, directed his movements against Panuco instead
* Historia verdadera de la conquista de la Nueva Espana: Diaz. Also, see Coleccion de los Viages y Descubrimientos: Navarette.
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THE PROVINCE AND THE STATES.
of some other point of the Gulf coast. Thus, also, the map- makers of Europe became aware of their spheres of action, and marked the same on some of the early charts of discovery. On one of these maps published in 1521,* the Gulf coast is traced and the boundaries of the respective spheres of conquest are fully defined. The four explorers who, at this period, were most active on this coast were Leon, D'Garay, Pineda, Grijalva and Cor- dova. By reference to the map herewith, it will be observed that the sphere of action for Ponce de Leon was the coast of Florida, probably as far west as Appalachicola bay; thence to the west about as far as Pensacola bay was a vacant or neutral zone of discovery, ready, doubtlessly, for some ambitious discoverer ; thence to the west and southwest past Panuco was the field con- ceded to D'Garay and his representative, De Pineda ; and so on to the southeast for the others. Within the field of D'Garay and Pineda will be seen marked Rio del Espirito Santo ( River of the Holy Spirit), the only stream named on the map. This was the Mississippi, and was the first term applied to that mighty river. This designation (1521) seems to have been the first unquestion- able notice and naming of the Mississippi. Other earlier maps, showing rivers, cannot be said to have definitely and positively located the Mississippi, nor assigned it a name.
The experiences of Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca and his com- panions, Andres Dorantes, Alonso del Castillo Maldonado and Estevanico, an Arabian, seem to be well authenticated. They accompanied the expedition of Pamphilo de Narvez in 1527 from the West Indies to the Florida coast, were shipwrecked, and afterward sailed westward along the shore in small boats, passing the mouth of the Mississippi, which they noticed poured such a large stream into the Gulf that they took fresh water from the sea. This was in November, 1528. The boat in which was De Vaca was finally cast ashore, either on the western Louisiana or the eastern Texas coast, on an island about thirteen miles long by one and a half miles broad. The island was named Malhado, or Misfortune, by the Spaniards. The Indians at this spot were called Cadoques and Hans. In all, about eighty of the Spaniards reached this island ; but at the end of a year they were reduced to about fifteen by death from disease and from the arrows of the savages. The men mentioned above passed five or six years in this vicinity, living like the Indians and with them. During a considerable portion of the time their only food was the prickly
* Coleccion de los Viages y Descubrimientos: Vol. III .- Navarelle.
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SPANISHI EXPLORATIONS.
pear, which fact alone proves that they were in Texas. The Ata- yos referred to by De Vaca were the Adais of later times. The Huacos were the Wacos, and the Querechos were the Apaches of the plains, all in modern Texas. The mountains mentioned were those of central Texas. The Querechos were the same as those encountered by Coronado a few years later. Having passed north- west through modern Texas, they finally turned southwest and in due time reached the Spanish settlements of Mexico.
With the explorations of Hernando de Soto, these volumes have nothing to do save as they relate to the tract of country embraced within what is now called the "Louisiana Purchase." His expedition to Florida was for the purpose of finding gold and jewels. He expected to find the conditions similar to those of Mexico and Peru, and therefore took with him an army of about 1,000 soldiers and cavaliers, three hundred and fifty horses, many fierce bloodhounds, and a large herd of swine. They left San Lucar in April, 1538, and reached Cuba the latter part of May, where they remained a year, making thorough preparations for the conquest of Florida. They landed at Tampa bay, and afterward marched through Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Mis- sissippi, consuming much time, slaughtering the inhabitants as they advanced, forcing at the point of the sword provisions from the hapless natives, and inquiring eagerly for gold and jewels.
They finally came to a small village called Chisca situated near the banks of the largest river they had ever beheld-no other, in fact, than the mighty Mississippi. So far as known, this was the third discovery by white men of this river .* At this spot the stream was abont a mile and a half in width, and the Spaniards noted that on its vast bosom were borne large quantities of trees and brush-wood. They were wholly unaware of the importance of their discovery. Their dreams of riches had fixed wholly in their minds the thought that every other object than gold was too base and ignoble to be entertained by the nobility of Spain in the expedition. It was to them but another difficult stream to be crossed, only another bar stretched between them and their gossamer dreams of opulence. They recked not that the navies of the Old World might ascend the mighty stream, conveying the commerce of the centuries to millions of civilized beings on its fertile banks. No such visions lighted their weary marches, vigils and battles-the only castle in this New Spain was that of GorD. Across the wide and rolling river the Spaniards saw a fair and
* This spol was probably a short distance below the present city of Helena, Arkansas, and also below the old mouth of the St. Francis river.
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THIE PROVINCE AND THE STATES. ,
fertile land. There, it was hoped, their chances would improve and the expected eldorado be found. The Indians of Chisca liad heard nothing of the approach of the Spaniards, but the excesses of the intruders soon roused them to war. Their province was called by them Chucagua, and the same name was applied by them to the great river. The Spaniards had now dwindled to about five hundred men, from whom the dreams of glory, wealth and fame had long since fled. It was.now almost a solemn pro- cession of warriors, resigned to their fate in the wilderness under the unconquerable De Soto. With great difficulty, permission was obtained from the chief to remain at the village for six days to nurse his sick and wounded .* Peace must be sought at almost . any price, because it was seen by De Soto that about four thon- sand warriors had been assembled in the space of three hours, and there was no telling how soon as many more might be sum- moned. At the end of the stay, De Soto warmly thanked the cacique, as the chief was called by his subjects, and the Spaniards marched up the eastern bank of the river. After four days of passage through almost impenetrable thickets, following the windings of the stream, during which time they progressed but twenty-eight miles, they reached a broad opening on elevated ground, covered with rich grass, at which point the river was about a mile and a half wide. During this time they no doubt passed the mouth of the St. Francis river on the opposite shore. From the hills large numbers of Indians could be seen on the opposite bank, apparently drawn up in battle array, with hun- dreds of canoes lining the shore. Regardless of the hostile array across the river, De Soto resolved to cross at this point. He encamped, and for twenty days was busily engaged in construct- ing four large flat boats designed to carry his expedition to the other side. The Indians on the eastern bank became quite friendly and supplied the Spaniards with provisions; but those on the west side showed their hostility by coming as near to the shore as possible and firing showers of arrows at the intruders.
One day while thus engaged, the Spaniards saw to their sur- prise a fleet of fully two hundred large canoes filled with Indians descending the river, decked in the array of war, with gaudy plumes and military paraphernalia, all gleaming in the sun, and greatly impressing the Spaniards with their fighting strength. The latter made friendly overtures, and the boats drew near the
* This account is taken mainly from the record of the Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, translated from the French version of Pierre Richelet, which was translated from the original Spanish.
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SPANISH EXPLORATIONS.
shore. The Indians were armed with bows, arrows, lances and shields of buffalo hide and were powerfully built and athletic. De Soto stood on the shore to greet them, and was thus addressed hy the leading cacique or chief : "I am told that you are the leading officer of the most powerful Cacique in the world. I have, therefore, come to tender you my friendship and to aid you so far as I am able." But this fair speech had an immediate set- back. Treacherous intentions were discovered among the whites, hostile movements were made, and the Indians drew off, discharg- ing a flight of arrows as they went, and receiving in return a volley from the cross-bows of the Spaniards, which killed several and wounded others.
From this time forward during the process of construction of the boats, it was necessary to guard them night and day to pre- vent their being burned by the savages, who seemed determined to prevent the attempt to cross the river. Four boats were finally finished and launched with one hundred and eighty Spaniards. who upon landing found no one to oppose them on the Arkansas side. Rapidly the trips were made until the entire expedition was safe across. They were the second body of Europeans known positively to navigate the Mississippi and to stand upon the soil
of what later became the "Louisiana Purchase." After demol- ishing their boats and saving the iron therefrom, they set off in a northwesterly direction and after four days of arduous travel through an uninhabited region, saw from an eminence which they had ascended an Indian town of about four hundred houses "upon the banks of a river larger than the Guadalquiver which passes by Cordova." Large fields of corn and many fruit trees were seen spread over the valley. This town was undoubtedly on the St. Francis river, probably in what is now either the county of Cross or St. Francis, Arkansas. It was probably not lower, because the distance traveled to reach it-four days-must be accounted for. The inhabitants had learned of their approach and came out to meet and greet them. They placed their prop- erty and persons under the protection of the Spaniards and sup- plied them with provisions. "The capital, the province and the Cacique were called Casquia or Casquin. The Spaniards stopped six days in the town, because of the provisions which they found there. And after two days of marching they arrived at some small villages where the lord of the country held his court, and which were distant four leagues from the capital in ascending the river."* Here the Spaniards were well received and made com-
* This was still on the St. Francis river, which the Spaniards had not yet left.
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THE PROVINCE AND THE STATES.
fortable, a decided relief from the incessant war they had encoun- tered on the other side of the Mississippi. Thus the inhabitants of the Louisiana Purchase from the start have been friendly and hospitable. The fields of corn, pumpkins, beans, etc., were so large and numerous, that the Portuguese account speaks of them . as "gardens."
While at Casquin (which was probably in either Cross or St. Francis county, Arkansas), the cacique came to De Soto, and after stating that he believed the God of the Spaniards was more powerful than that of the Indians, begged him to ask for rain, of which the fields of the natives stood greatly in need. De Soto agreed, and in order to impress the Indians, directed his carpen- ters to prepare an immense cross from the tallest pine tree they would find in the vicinity, which they planted on a very "high ¿noll on the borders of the river."* The next day a large pro- cession of Spaniards and Indians, marching side by side, mounted the knoll and advanced toward the cross, the priests and the monks chanting their litanies, to which the soldiers responded. Upon reaching the cross, they fell upon their knees, offering their prayers to God, imploring for rain and for the success of the expedition. "On the other side of the river there were about fifteen or twenty thousand persons of all ages and sexes; they raised their hands and eyes to heaven, and showed by their pos- ture that they prayed God to grant to the Christians the favor which they desired. There was also heard among them cries as of people who wept, to obtain from heaven as soon as possible their demand. So that the Spaniards had mnich joy to see their Creator acknowledged and the cross adored in a country where Christianity was unknown. Afterward the clergy sang the "Te Deum,' and the Spaniards and the Indians returned to the vil- lage in the same order that they had come. This lasted in all more than four hours. In the meantime our Lord was pleased to show the subjects of the Cacique Casquin that he heard the prayers of his servants; for toward the middle of the following night it began to rain. Some say that it rained during three entire days and other six ; so that the inhabitants of the province, rejoicing at the favor which God granted them through the means of the Christians, came with the Cacique to render thanks to the general (De Soto) for it."* Whether the rain came as a result of the prayers of these wicked Spaniards, or the prayers of the
* This was no doubt the first formal Christian ceremony In the Louisiana Pur- chase. IL ocenired on the banks of the St. Francis river. It has been maintained by some writers that this ceremony transpired on the banks of the Mississippi. and in order to meet the description they have been obliged to nasmne that the
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SPANISH EXPLORATIONS.
barbarous Indians, has never been satisfactorily explained. But the Spaniards had gained great prestige with the natives, which served them in good stead afterward.
After about ten days, accompanied voluntarily by the cacique and many servants carrying provisions, etc., and by a large troop of armed Indians, who designed to attack their enemies, the inhabitants of the province of Capalia, to which point the Span- iards desired to go, they again set forth in a northerly direction. With five thousand armed Indians and three thousand more car- rying provisions and being likewise armed, the advance was made, the Indians leading, but being constantly in communication with the Spaniards. Early in the morning of the fourth day out, they came to a very large swamp, which divided the two prov- inces, and beyond which the enemy might be expected to be encountered. Having crossed the swamp after great difficulty, and having. traveled three more days,* they reached an eminence from which they saw the capital of the province of Capaha. The town stood upon elevated ground, and comprised about five hun- dred houses, and was distant from the Chucagua or Mississippi river about nine miles. A canal or lagoon extended from the Mississippi to the town and thence completely around it, and was "at least as deep as a pike-staff, and so wide that two large boats abreast could ascend or descend it." This town probably stood in southeast Missouri, near New Madrid. The canal was prob- ably a natural lagoon or bayou, improved somewhat by the Indians. This assumed location meets the requirements of the Portuguese description ; no other supposition will. The ditch which surrounded the town was no doubt a loup of the bayou or canal proper, as it is called by the Portuguese writer, because, as it was very broad, deep and extended, it is not probable that the Indians themselves ever dug it. They simply took advantage of the surroundings by building their village on an island which was surrounded by a deep lagoon or bayou, but which they may have improved somewhat. "The ditch which is filled by the canal, surrounds the town, except in a place which is closed by a palisade of large posts fixed in the ground, fastened by other cross-pieces. of wood, and plastered with loam and straw. There were,
Mississippi was so narrow that the faces of the natives could be seen and their weeping heard by those at the cross. The river where the cross was erected was the St. Francis, four days' journey northwest from their crossing place on the Mississippi. No other assumption meets the description.
. They thus traveled nine days up the St. Francis river and were now very prob- ably in the vicinity of Kennett or Gayoso, Missouri, or perhaps as high as New Madrid.
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THE PROVINCE AND THE STATES.
besides, in this ditch and in this canal such a quantity of fish tliat all the Spaniards and Indians who followed the general (De Soto) fished from it without it appearing that they had taken a single fish from it."
The cacique, Capaha,* perceiving the approach of the enemy, and nearly all his warriors being absent, retreated a considerable distance and took refuge on an island formed by the high waters of the Mississippi, or Chucagua river, where he was protected until the return of his warriors by the inaccessibility and heavy timber of the position. The subjects of Casquin pillaged the town, but were prevented from burning it by the efforts of De Soto. They desecrated the tombs, killed about one hundred and fifty persons, who were unable to escape, pillaged the "temple," and did everything they could to offend and insult their enemies. But De Soto, by . means of messengers, communicated with Capaha, induced him to return, checked the attack of Casquin, which he had not authorized, and ended finally by bringing the two caciques, Casquin and Capaha, together in friendship, or assumed friendship. But this was not accomplished until after a battle had been fought, in which the warriors of Casquin and the Spaniards had emphatically the worst of it. This so alarmed the former that they fled, leaving the Spaniards to shift for them- selves. Thus left to the mercy of probably twenty thousand fighting warriors, who were far more valiant than any he had yet encountered, De Soto very prudently and artfully made peace with Capaha. The wisdom of the latter, who was described as young and very handsome, contributed to the success of this dip- lomatic negotiation. The following remarkable occurrence is narrated, to show the primitive dignity and sense of honor of the natives, reproduced from the original description by the Portu- guese writer, Garcilasso de la Vega :
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