|
Route of De Soto's Expedition through Florida. The long sojourn of De Soto in the region bordering upon the Gulf of Mexico and on the banks of the Mississippi, and the remarkable adventures which he encountered, enhanced by his personal character and prowess, have invested the expedition of this gallant adventurer with unusual interest, and it has long been an important subject of inquiry to ascertain the route pursued by him and the localities of the more important events of his journey, beginning upon the beautiful bay of Espiritu Santo and ending with the descent of the great Father of Waters. The task of thus tracing the steps of De Soto is by no means devoid of difficulty. We have to encounter not only the uncertainties of connecting names with localities imperfectly described, but have to be governed in these descriptions by three separate accounts of the expedition, exhibiting very important differences and discrepancies. The most voluminous of these is that of Garcilasso de la Vega, commonly called L' Inca. The next in extent is the work of a gentleman of Elvas, who accompanied the expedition, and who is commonly called the Portuguese Gentleman. The third and briefest is the narration of Lewis de Biedma. The point where De Soto landed is stated by all to have been at Espiritu Santo Bay, on the western coast of Florida, and now known as Tampa Bay, a beautiful sheet of water, some thirty-six miles in length, and the largest bay on the Gulf of Mexico. There are two heads to the bay, one opening northerly and the other easterly. De Narvaez probably landed near and visited the northerly or old Tampa portion of the bay. De Soto, it is likely, landed near Gadsden's Point, where the shoal water begins, and beyond which it was of insufficient depth to carry his vessels. Their first day's march was to the village of Hirrihigua, two leagues northeasterly, and the location of which, as described by L'Inca, corresponds to the present town of Tampa. (1) The village consisted, it is said, of several large houses, built of wood and thatched with palm-leaves. In an opposite part of the village, near the water, upon an artificial eminence so constructed as to serve as a fortress, stood the dwelling of the cacique or chief. From Hirrihigua, proceeding in a northeast course, at the end of two days De Soto came to the village of Mucoso, the chief who had befriended Ortiz. This may have been Hichipucsassa. They next, at a distance of twenty-five leagues from Hirrihigua, reached a town they call Urribarracaxi, which was likely on the Withlacoochee, as they there crossed a river. They next reached a town they name Ocali, which was on the banks of a river. This location is uncertain, but has been supposed to indicate the neighborhood of the present town of Ocali and the Ocklawaha. From Ocali they went to Vitachuco from the description of the adjacent country, indicating a location near Wacahootee. After leaving Vitachuco, they reached a great river, too deep to ford, which must have been the Suwanee (2) Crossing this river, they reached Osachile, which is said to have been ten leagues from Vitachuco. (3) From Osachile they marched three days, and on the fourth came to the Great Morass. (4) Passing this, they entered a fruitful country covered with fields of grain and containing many villages. In four days after passing the Great Morass they came to the village of Anhayea. The line of march from Vitachuco west would carry them to the Suwanee, near Suwanee Old Town ; thence, bearing too far to the west, they were involved in one of the great coast swamps, but thence going northwestwardly they entered the fertile region embraced in the present counties of Madison, Jefferson, and Leon, and their Anhayea is thought to have been in the vicinity of Tallahassee. From Anhayea two exploring parties were sent out, one north and one south. The party which went north returned reporting very favorably of a rich and well inhabited country. The party which went down towards the coast found a sterile country, full of ponds and swamps. These descriptions would correspond very well with the country north and south of Monticello or Tallahassee. The village of Aute was twelve leagues from Anhayea, and not far from the Bay of Apalachee. De Soto sent back to Espiritu Santo and had his vessels brought into this bay. Afterwards he sent vessels coasting westwardly. At a distance of seventy leagues they entered a beautiful and spacious bay, called by them Ochuse, which was evidently Pensacola Bay. They reported that it was land-locked and completely sheltered with bold shores, and large enough for a fleet to anchor in. De Soto does not appear to have crossed the Apalachicola or Chattahoochee River, but, having made an appointment for vessels to be sent from Cuba to meet him in the fall at Ochuse, he determined to proceed to a province to the northeast, abounding in gold, pearls, etc. Leaving Anhayea, he traveled northeast, and at the end of three days came to Copachique; this was probably on the Savannah River. Two days farther travel brought them to Atapaha. This name so closely resembles Alapaha that it is reasonable to suppose they are the same, and that the town was on the river of that name, which, passing through a portion of Georgia, discharges itself into the Suwanee, in Hamilton County, Florida. Traveling still in the same direction, it is supposed they crossed successively the Altamaha and the Savannah River, and reached the region of Middle Georgia between Milledgeville and Augusta. They marched thence northwestwardly to the mineral regions of Upper Georgia, where they had been informed the gold which they saw in possession of the natives had been procured. De Soto then passed to the Etowah River, and visited a large Indian town situated at the confluence of the Coosa and Etowah, called Chiapa, the location now occupied by the present city of Rome, Georgia. He then passed southwardly through a rich and fertile country called Coosa, and eventually reached Maubila or Mauvilla, which was situated, it is supposed, at Choctaw Bluff. He here heard of the arrival of his vessels at Ochuse, on Pensacola Bay, and at first contemplated going to meet them, but, fearing that once near his vessels his men would insist on leaving the country, he determined to pursue his march westward. At Maubila he was not more than one hundred and fifty miles from Pensacola. His course was then northwestward to the Mississippi, and it is conjectured that he crossed a few miles below Memphis. (1) Irving's Conquest of Florida, p. 58.
Table of Contents |
