The Lily and the Totem; or, The Huguenots in FloridaSimms, William Gilmore
History
The Lily and the Totem; or, The Huguenots in Florida
Simms, William Gilmore
Florida -- History -- Huguenot colony, 1562-1565 -- Fiction
Scarcely had this event taken place, when the war was renewed between
Olata Utina and Potanou. The former applied for assistance to
Laudonniere, who, adopting the policy of the "Spaniards, when they were
imployed in their conquests, who did alwayes enter into alliance with
some one king to ruine another," readily sent him thirty arquebusiers,
under Lieutenant Ottigny. These, with three hundred Indians, led by
Utina, penetrated the territories of Potanou, and had a severe fight,
which lasted for three hours, with the people of that potentate.
"Without doubt, Utina had been defeated, unlesse our harquebusiers had
borne the burthen and brunt of all the battell, and slaine a great
number of the soldiers of Potanou, upon which occasion they were put
to flight." The lieutenant of the French would have followed up the
victory, but Utina, the Paracoussi, had gathered laurels quite enough
for a single day, and was anxious to return home to show his scalps
and enjoy his triumphs among his people. His tribes and villages were
assembled at his return, and, for several days, nothing but feasts,
songs and dances, employed the nation. Ottigny returned to the fort,
after two days spent in this manner with Utina, and his return was
followed by visits from numerous other chiefs, nearer neighbors than
Utina, and enemies of that savage, who came to expostulate with
Laudonniere against his lending succor to a prince who was equally
faithless and selfish. They, on the other hand, entreated him to unite
with them in the destruction of one who was a common enemy. This
application had been made to him before; but his policy had been rather
to maintain terms of alliance, offensive and defensive, with a powerful
chieftain, at some little distance, than to depend wholly upon others
more near at hand. This policy was again drawn from that of the
Spaniard. He was soon to be taught how little was the reliance which he
could place in any of the forest tribes. He was about to suffer from
those deficiencies and evils which were due to his anxious explorations
of the country, when his people had been much better employed in the
wholesome labors of the field, in the very eye of the garrison.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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