Notes on the Floridian Peninsula; Its Literary History, Indian Tribes and AntiquitiesBrinton, Daniel G. (Daniel Garrison)
History
Notes on the Floridian Peninsula; Its Literary History, Indian Tribes and Antiquities
Brinton, Daniel G. (Daniel Garrison)
Florida -- Antiquities; Florida -- History; Florida -- History -- Bibliography; Indians of North America -- Florida
Though the weak and foolish monarch paid no marked attention to this, a
man arose who must ever be classed among the heroes of history. This was
Dominique de Gourgues, a high born Bourdelois, who, inspired with an
unconquerable desire to wreak vengeance on the perpetrators of the
bloody deed, sold his possessions, and by this and other means raised
money sufficient to equip an expedition. His entire success is well
known. Of its incidents, two, histories are extant, both by unknown
hands, and both apparently written some time afterwards. It is even
doubtful whether either writer was an eyewitness. Both, however, agree
in all main facts.
The one first written and most complete lay a long time neglected in the
Bibliotheque du Roi.[41] Within the present century it has been twice
published from the original manuscript. It commences with the discovery
of America by Columbus; is well composed by an appreciative hand, and
has a pleasant vein of philosophical comment running throughout. The
details of the voyage are given in a careful and very satisfactory
manner.
The other is found in Basanier, under the title “Le Quatrièsme Voyage
des François en la Floride, sous le capitaine Gourgues, en l’an 1567;”
and, except the Introduction, is the only portion of his volume not
written by Laudonniére. By some it is considered merely an epitome of
the former, but after a careful comparison I am more inclined to
believe it writen by Basanier himself, from the floating accounts of his
day or from some unknown relator. This seems also the opinion of his
late editor.
The manuscript mentioned by Charlevoix as existing in his day in the
family of De Gourgues, was either a copy of one of these or else a third
of which we have no further knowledge.
Other works may moulder in Spanish libraries on this part of our
narrative. We know that Barcia had access to certain letters and papers
(Cartas y Papeles) of Aviles himself, which have never been published,
and possessed the original manuscripts of the learned historiographer
Pedro Hernandez del Pulgar, among which was a _Historia de la Florida_,
containing an account of the French colonies written for Charles II. But
it is not probable that these would add any notable increment to our
knowledge.
The Latin tract of Levinus Apollonius,[42] of extreme rarity, a copy of
which I have never seen, is probably merely a translation of Challeux or
Ribaut, as no other original account except the short letter sent to
Rouen had been printed up to the date of its publication. This
Apollonius, whose real name does not appear, was a German, born near
Bruges, and died at the Canary Islands on his way to America. He is
better known as the author of _De Peruviæ Inventione, Libri V.,
Antwerpiæ_, 1567,[43] a scarce work, not without merit. On the fly-leaf
of the copy in the Yale College library is the following curious note:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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