These extracts are taken from “The Worthy and Famous History of the Travels, Discovery, and Conquest of Terra Florida, accomplished and effected by that worthy General and Captain, Don Ferdinando de Soto, and six hundred Spaniards his followers.” (Reprinted by Hakluyt Society, 1851.) Pages 9–16, 27–32, 89–92, 120–122, 125–127. This is a translation, made by Hakluyt in 1609, of a narrative by one of the companions of De Soto, first published in 1557.
THE ADVENTURES OF DE SOTO.
I.—How De Soto set Sail.
DE SOTO.
DE SOTO.
CAPTAIN SOTO was the son of a squire of Xerez of Badajos. He went into the Spanish Indies when Peter Arias of Avila was governor of the West Indies. And there he was without any thing else of his own, save his sword and target. And, for his good qualities and valor, Peter Arias made him captain of a troop of horsemen; and, by his commandment, he went with Fernando Pizarro to the conquest of Peru, where (as many persons of credit reported, which were there present) … he passed all other captains and principal persons. For which cause, besides his part of the treasure of Atabalipa, he had a good share; whereby in time he gathered an hundred and fourscore ducatstogether, with that which fell to his part, which he brought into Spain.… The emperor made him the governor of the Isle of Cuba, and adelantado or president of Florida, with a title of marquis of certain part of the lands that he should conquer.…
When Don Ferdinando had obtained the government, there came a gentleman from the Indies to the court, named Cabeza de Vaca, which had been with the governor Pamphilo de Narvaez, which died in Florida,—who reported that Narvaez was cast away at sea, with all the company that went with him, and how he with four more escaped, and arrived in New Spain; and he brought a relation in writing of that which he had seen in Florida, which said in some places, “In such a place I have seen this; and the rest which here I saw, I leave to confer of between his Majesty and myself.”…