A Narrative of the expedition of Hernando de Soto into Florida published at Evora in 1557Knight of Elvas
History
A Narrative of the expedition of Hernando de Soto into Florida published at Evora in 1557
Knight of Elvas
America -- Discovery and exploration; Florida -- History -- To 1565; Soto, Hernando de, approximately 1500-1542
The Governor answered him, that he believed all that he said was true,
and willed him to tell him that he esteemed his friendship very much.
With this answer they returned to the place where the rest in their
canoes were waiting for them, and from thence all of them fell down, and
came near the Spaniards, shouting aloud, and threatening of them. The
Governor sent _John de Guzman_, which had been a captain of footmen in
_Florida_, with fifteen armed men in canoes to make them give way. As
soon as the Indians saw them come towards them, they divided themselves
into two parts, and stood still till the Spaniards came nigh them, and
when they were came near them, they joined together on both sides,
taking _John de Guzman_ in the middle, and them that came first with
him, and with great fury boarded them: and as their canoes were bigger,
and many of them leaped into the water to stay them, and to lay hold on
the canoes of the Spaniards, and overwhelm them; so presently they
overwhelmed them. The Christians fell into the water, and with the
weight of their armor sunk down to the bottom; and some few, that by
swimming or holding by the canoe could have saved themselves, with oars
and staves which they had, they struck them on the head and make them
sink. When they of the brigantines saw the overthrow, though they went
about to succor them, yet through the current of the river they could
not go back. Four Spaniards fled to the brigantine that was nearest to
the canoes; and only these escaped of those that came among the Indians.
There were eleven that died there: among whom _John de Guzman_ was one,
and a son of _Don Carlos_, called _John de Vargas_: the rest also were
persons of account and men of great courage. Those that escaped by
swimming said that they saw the Indians enter the canoe of _John de
Guzman_ at the stern of one of their canoes, and whether they carried
him away dead or alive they could not certainly tell.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account