Vasquez’s Expedition to Florida.
Habit of a Floridan King.
But after this Florida remained not unvisited; for eight years after the foremention’d Voyage, Lucas Vasquez de Aylom weighed Anchor with two Ships from Hispaniola, to fetch Slaves from the adjacent Isles for the Gold-Mines, which Labor the Natives were not able to perform: therefore steering his Course Northwardly, he Sail’d along the Coast of Chicoa and Gualdape, by them call’d Cabo de St. Helena, and Rio Jordan, where the Natives look’d upon the Ships as Sea-Monsters, and seeing Bearded Men in them, fled: the Spaniards pursuing them, overtook one Man and a Woman; who being well Entertain’d, and Clad in Spanish Habits, made the Strangers so acceptable to their Countrey-men, that their King sent fifty Men Aboard of them with Provisions, and to invite the Sea-men to his Dominions. The King sat with a great Cloth about him, made fast on his Shoulders, covering his Belly, Breast and Back with the Lappet thereof, and being long, was held up by one of his Servants; over one of his Shoulders hung a String of Pearl that came three times about, and reach’d down to his Thighs; on his Head he wore a Cap full of Ribbonds; his Arms and Legs were also surrounded with a double Chain of Pearl; in his right Hand he held a very rich Staff: But the Queen went almost naked, onely a piece of a wild Beasts Skin hung down before her from her left Shoulder to her mid-Leg, and a double String of Pearl about her Neck hung down between her Breasts, and her Hair Comb’d behind reach’d down to the Calves of her Legs; about her Wrists and Ancles hung also Strings of Pearl.
Treachery of Vasquez.
Indians misused.
On the King’s Command, the Spaniards were permitted to make inspection into the Countrey, in which they were every where courteously Entertain’d, and not without Gold and Silver Presents. Returning Aboard, Vasquez invited the Indians to go with him, under pretence of returning them thanks for the Favours which they had bestowed upon him; but no sooner had he gotten a considerable number in his Ships, but he set Sail, and losing one Ship, arriv’d with the other safe at Hispaniola with a few Indians, for most of them with grief and hunger died at Sea, and those that remain’d alive, liv’d on dead Carrion.
Vasquez defeated by the Floridans.
Some few years after, Vasquez receiving Letters Patent from the Court of Spain for the Government of Florida, fitted out a Ship thither in 1620. which brought a good Return of Gold, Silver, and Pearls; whereupon he himself went not long after, and coming into the River Jordan, lost one of his Ships, which proved not the worst Accident; for Landing two hundred Men, they were all of them either slain or wounded by the Inhabitants; so that Vasquez was forc’d to sound a Retreat: And after that the Spaniards were less willingly drawn to that Coast, and the rather, because the Inhabitants seem’d poor, and had little Gold but what they procur’d from the Otapales and Olugatono’s, sixty Leagues Northward up in the Countrey.
Narvaez his Expedition.