A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. III. by Robert Kerr

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James Velasquez set out from Salvatierra de la Zavana in November 1511,
and landed at a harbour called _Palina_, in the territories of Hatuey, who
stood on his defence, taking advantage of the woods, where the Spaniards
could not use their horses. During two months, the Indians hid themselves
in the thickest parts of the forests, where the Spaniards hunted them out,
carrying all they took to Velasquez, who distributed them among his men as
servants, not as slaves. Hatuey withdrew into the most inaccessible places
of the mountains, where he was at length taken after inexpressible toil,
and brought to Velasquez, who caused him to be burnt. After this example
of severity, the whole province of Mayci submitted, no one daring any
longer to resist. When it was known in Jamaica that Velasquez had gone
with the command to Cuba, many of those who were with Esquibel asked leave
to go and serve under him. Among these was Panfilo de Narvaez, a gentleman
of a graceful person, well behaved, but rather imprudent. He carried with
him a company of thirty cross-bows, and was well received by Velasquez,
who gave him the chief command under himself. When the Indians of the
province of Mayci were reduced under subjection, Velasquez distributed
them among the Spaniards as had formerly been done in Hispaniola by Obando,
taking the inhabitants of five Indian towns to himself. He likewise
founded a town at a harbour on the north side of the island, called
_Barracoa_ by the natives, which was the first Spanish colony in this
island. From this place Velasquez sent Narvaez with thirty men to reduce
the province of Bayamo, about 50 leagues from Barracoa, a fine open
country, very fertile and agreeable. Of this company, Narvaez alone was
mounted, all the rest marching on foot. The natives of the country came
out submissively to meet Narvaez, bringing him provisions, as they had no
gold, and were very much astonished at the sight of the mare on which
Narvaez rode. The Spaniards took up their residence in a town belonging to
the Indians, who, seeing the small number of their invaders, resolved to
rid themselves of them by surprise. Narvaez was by no means sufficiently
watchful, yet had his mare along with him in the house where he lay, and a
guard posted during the night. Near seven thousand Indians had assembled
from all parts of the province, armed with bows and arrows, who had
resolved to fall upon Narvaez and the Spaniards after midnight, though it
was unusual for them to fight during the night. They gave the assault in
two places at once, and found the centinels asleep on their posts; but
being more eager to plunder the Spaniards than to kill them, as they had
always anxiously wished for clothing ever since they saw the Christians,
they did not observe the time previously concerted, but began their
several attacks at different times, and one of the parties, which was the
most forward, even entered the town shouting. Narvaez awoke in great
consternation, and the Spaniards, who were astonished at the noise, knew
not well what to do in their fright. At length, the Indians whom Narvaez
had brought with him from Jamaica, lighted some fire-brands, by which the
Spaniards were enabled to see their danger; and Narvaez, though wounded by
a stone, found means to come at his mare, which he mounted, and rallied
his Spaniards to their defence. At that time part of the horse furniture
used by the Spaniards was hung with bells; and on hearing the sound of
these, and seeing Narvaez coming towards them at a round trot, with his
sword drawn, they lost heart, and not only abandoned the enterprize, but
fled out of the country, some of them to the distance of 50 leagues,
leaving none but their old and decrepid people behind. After this
Velasquez sent a reinforcement to Narvaez, who became absolute master of
the country.

SECTION IX.

_The Strange Expedition of Juan Ponce de Leon to Discover the Fountain of
Youth, in which he Discovered Florida and the Bahama Channel_.

We have already seen that Juan Ponce de Leon had been restored to the
government of Porto Rico by the interest of his friend Obando, and had
sent his predecessors, Cerron and Diaz, prisoners into Spain. This
circumstance, which he thought a bold stroke in politics, turned much
against himself; for these men presented a petition against him to the
court of Spain, and being strongly supported by the interest of the
admiral, they were sent back to resume their former employments. By this
reverse, De Leon was reduced to a private condition; but he had made good
use of his time, and had acquired a large fortune, which induced him to
attempt recovering his power and credit by means of discoveries. He
accordingly sailed from the port of St German on the 1st of March 1512,
with two stout ships which he had fitted out at his own expence; and
steering through among the Lucayos islands, he discovered land on the 2d
April, in lat. 30 deg. 8' N. till then unknown to the Spaniards. Elated by
this good fortune, he ran along the coast in search of some good harbour,
and anchored at night near the shore in eight fathoms water. Believing
this land to be an island, and because it appeared beautiful, being all
level, with many pleasant groves, he named it the island of _Florida_,
also because discovered at Easter, which the Spaniards call _Pascha de
Flores_. De Leon went on shore at this place to take formal possession of
the country. He sailed thence on the 8th of April, and came to a place on
the 20th, where some Indians were seen on the shore. He here anchored and
went ashore, when the Indians endeavoured to get possession of the boat,
with the oars and arms. This was not at first resented, till one of the
natives knocked down a sailor with a blow on the head, on which the
Spaniards were obliged to fight in their own defence, and had two men
wounded by arrows or darts pointed with sharp bones. The Indians were
repulsed with some difficulty, and received little damage; and at night De
Leon got his men on board and sailed to the mouth of a river, where he
took in wood and water. They were here ineffectually opposed by sixty
natives, one of whom was made prisoner to give them some information of
the country, and to learn Spanish. They called this river _Rio de la Cruz_,
as they left in this place a stone cross with an inscription. On the 8th
of May they doubled Cape Florida, which was named _Cabo de las Corrientes_,
or the Cape of Currents, because they found the currents here stronger
than the winds; and they came to an anchor near a town called _Abacoa_.
All this coast, from Cape _Arracaifes_ to Cape _Corrientes,_ or Cape
Florida, lies north and south, one point east, and is all quite free of
shoals and rocks, with six fathoms water. They found Cape Florida to be in
lat. 18 deg. 15' N. Sailing on to the southward, till in lat. 27 deg., they met
with two islands, one of which, about a league in circuit, they named
Santa Monta[1].

On the 15th of May, they proceeded 10 leagues along a line of small
islands, as far as two white ones, and called the whole group _los
Martyres_, or the Martyrs, because the high rocks at a distance had the
appearance of men upon crosses. This name has been since considered as
prophetic, on account of the great numbers of seamen who have been lost on
these rocks. They held on their course, sometimes north, and sometimes
north-east, and on the 24th were as far to the southwards as some small
islands lying out to sea, yet never perceived that they were going along
the continent. Finding a convenient place for wood and water, they
remained here to the 3d of June, careening one of their ships called the
St Christopher. Here the Indians came out in canoes to see the Christians,
as the Spaniards declined going on shore, though often invited by signs.
One day, being about to weigh an anchor, only to remove it to fresh ground,
the Indians supposing the Christians were going away, came off in their
canoes and laid hold of the cable, meaning to draw the ship away; on which
some men were sent in the long-boat to drive them away, and following the
Indians to the shore, took four women, and destroyed two old canoes. At
times while here, they bartered with the Indians for some skins, and a
small quantity of indifferent gold. On the 4th of June, while waiting for
a wind to go in search of a cacique named Carlos, who was said to have
gold, by some Indians on board, a canoe came off having an Indian on board
who understood Spanish, and was supposed to be a native of Hispaniola, or
some of the islands inhabited by Christians. This man desired them to wait,
as the cacique would send gold to barter. They accordingly waited, and
soon saw twenty canoes coming towards them, some of which were made fast
two and two together. A part of these went to the anchors, and others to
the ships, and began to fight. As those at the anchors were unable to
weigh them, they attempted to cut the cables; but a long-boat was sent out
against them, which obliged them to fly, taking four men and killing
several others. De Leon sent two of his prisoners to the cacique, saying
that although he had killed a Spaniard, he was willing to treat of peace
and friendship. Next day the boats went to sound the harbour, and some of
the men landed. Some Indians brought a message from the cacique, saying
that he would come next day on purpose to trade: But this was merely a
feint to gain time, that they might collect their power; as at eleven
o'clock, eighty canoes full of armed men attacked the nearest ship, and
fought till night without doing the Spaniards any harm, all their arrows
falling short, as they durst not come near, for fear of the cross-bows and
artillery. At night the Indians retired. Having remained here nine days,
they began to think of returning to Hispaniola and Porto Rico, and
discovered some islands by the way, of which they received intelligence
from the Indian prisoners they had on board. They sailed among islands
till the 21st, when they arrived at some small islands which they called
_las Tortugas_, or the Tortoises, as they took 170 of these creatures in a
very short time in one of these islands, and might have had many more if
they would. On the 28th, seeing land, they came to an anchor to overhaul
their sails and tackle, but could not tell whereabout they were. Most of
them thought it was the island of Cuba, because they found canoes and dogs,
with some knives and other tools of iron. On the 25th of July they were
among a parcel of low islands, still ignorant of their situation, till De
Leon sent to examine an island which he believed to be Bahama, in which he
was confirmed by an old woman who was found alone in another island. They
were likewise confirmed in this circumstance by James Miruelo, a pilot,
who happened to be there with a boat from Hispaniola. Having ranged
backwards and forewards to the 23d of September, and refitted their ships,
Juan Ponce de Leon sent one of his ships, commanded by Juan Perez de
Ortubia, with Antonio de Alaminos as pilot, with orders to examine the
island of Bimini, in which the Indians reported there was a spring which
made old people young again. Twenty days afterwards, Juan Ponce returned
to Porto Rico, and not long afterwards the ship returned there which he
had sent to Bimini, but without discovering the famous spring. Ortubia
reported that the island was large, and pleasantly diversified with hills,
plains, and meadows, having many rivers and delightful groves[2].

Besides his main design of making discoveries, which all Spaniards then
aspired to, Ponce was eager to find out the spring of Bimini, and a
certain river in Florida, both of which were affirmed by the Indians of
Cuba to have the property of turning old people young by bathing in their
waters. Some time before the arrival of the Spaniards, many Indians were
so thoroughly convinced of the reality of such a river, that they went
over to Florida, where they built a town, and their descendants still
continue there. This report prevailed so universally among the caciques in
these parts, that there was not a brook in all Florida, nay scarcely a
lake or puddle, that they had not bathed in; and some still ignorantly
persist in believing that this virtue resides in the river now called
_Jordan_, at Cape _Santa Helena_, forgetting that the Spaniards first gave
it this name in 1520, when they discovered the country of _Chicora_.

Though this voyage of Ponce de Leon turned out to no account to him, it
gave him encouragement to go to court to seek a reward for the countries
he had discovered, which he believed to be all islands, and not the
continent, as it afterwards turned out. Yet his voyage was beneficial, on
account of the route soon afterwards found out, by which the ships returned
to Spain through the Bahama channel, which was first accomplished by the
pilot Antonio de Alaminos, formerly mentioned. For the better
understanding this voyage of Juan Ponce, it must be understood that there
are three different groups in the archipelago of the Lucayos. The first is
composed of the _Bahama_ islands, giving name to the channel where the
currents are most impetuous. The second is called _los Organos_; and the
third _los Martyres_, which are next the shore of _los Tortugas_ to the
westwards; which last being all sand, cannot be seen at any distance,
wherefore many ships have perished on them, and all along the coasts of
the Bahama channel and the Tortugas islands. Havanna in the island of Cuba
is to the southwards, and Florida to the northward, and between these are
all the before mentioned islands, of Organos, Bahamas, Martyres, and
Tortugas. Between Havanna and los Martyres, there is a channel with a
violent current, twenty leagues over at the narrowest; and it is fourteen
leagues from los Martyres to Florida. Between certain islands to the
eastwards, and the widest part of this passage to the westwards, is forty
leagues, with many shoals and deep channels; but there is no way in this
direction for ships or brigantines, only for canoes. The passage from the
Havanna, for Spain is along the Bahama channel, between the Havanna the
Martyres, the Lucayos, and Cape Canaveral; and the giving occasion to this
discovery was the great merit of Ponce de Leon, for which he was well
rewarded in Spain.

[1] The account of this voyage is often contradictory, and almost always
unintelligible. In this instance, De Leon is made, with a southern
course, to increase his latitude almost nine degrees to the north.--E.

[2] This account of the island of Bimini is perfectly ridiculous, as its
whole extent does not exceed twenty miles in length, and not exceeding
one mile broad; it is one of the smallest of the Bahama or Lucayo
islands, and the largest of them cannot possibly contain any stream of
water beyond the size of a brook.--E.

SECTION X.

_The Martyrdom of two Dominican Friars on the coast of Venezuela, through
the Avarice of the Spaniards_.

There happened about this time a very singular and melancholy event, which
I find recorded in many Spanish historians, which shews to what a height
corruption had grown in so short a time among the Spanish settlements in
the West Indies. Reports had reached Spain of the harsh and cruel manner
in which the natives were treated by the Spaniards, being distributed
among the proprietors of land as if they had been cattle. This moved some
religious men of the Dominican order to go over to the new world, to try
what progress they could make in converting the Indians by spiritual means
only. Three of these fathers landed in the island of Porto Rico, where one
of them fell sick and was unable to proceed. The other two procured a
vessel to carry them over to the main, where they were landed at no great
distance from the Indian town which Hojeda and Vespucius had seen in their
first voyage, standing in the water, and which therefore they had named
_Venezuela_ or little Venice. The fathers found the natives at this place
very docile and tractable, and were in a fair way of making them converts
to the Christian religion; when unluckily a Spanish pirate, whose only
employment was to steal Indians to sell them as slaves to the colonists,
anchored on the coast. The poor natives, confident of being well treated
by Christians, went freely on board along with their cacique, and the
pirate immediately weighed anchor, and made all sail for Hispaniola,
carrying them all away into slavery. This naturally raised a great ferment
among the remaining natives, who were on the point of sacrificing the two
Dominicans to their resentment, when another Spanish ship arrived in the
harbour, commanded by a man of honour. He pacified the Indians for the
present as well as he possibly could, and receiving letters from the
Dominicans with a true statement of the transaction, he promised to send
back their cacique and the rest of their countrymen in four months. As he
really intended to perform his promise, he immediately made application to
the supreme tribunal at St Domingo, called the royal audience, setting
forth the particulars of the case, and the imminent danger to which the
two fathers were exposed, unless these Indians were sent back in due time.
But it so happened that these very people had been purchased as slaves by
some of the members of the royal audience, and these members of the
supreme tribunal were not so much in love with justice as to release them.
The consequence of this was, that at the end of the four months, the
Indians murdered the two Dominicans, Francisco de Cordova and Juan Garcias,
in revenge for the loss of their prince and relations.

SECTION XI.

_Discoveries on the Continent of America by command of Velasquez, under
the conduct of Francis Hernandez de Cordova_.

After James de Velasquez had reduced the greatest part of the island of
Cuba, and had settled colonies of Spaniards in many districts of the
island, he became desirous of shaking off the authority of the Admiral
James Columbus, by whom he was appointed to the command, and setting up
for himself. By this time the admiral had been recalled into Spain, and
opposed this project of Velasquez to the utmost of his power; but his
credit was now so low; that he could not fully succeed; as, though
Velasquez was still ordered to give an account to Columbus of the exercise
of his authority, the admiral was not allowed to recal him from the
government of Cuba, unless with the concurrence of the crown. This so far
answered the purpose of Velasquez, that he resolved to fit out ships for
discovery. This project was no sooner made known, than numbers of rich
Spanish planters embraced the proposal, and offered to contribute large
sums for carrying it into execution. Among those who distinguished
themselves on this occasion, was Francis Hernandez de Cordova, a rich and
brave man who had Indians of his own, and offered to go as captain on this
expedition. Having received a commission from Velasquez, he fitted out two
ships and a brigantine, with all necessary stores, and listed 110
soldiers[1]. He sailed from St Domingo, in Cuba, to the Havanna, and left
Havanna on the 8th of February 1517. On the 12th, they doubled cape _St.
Antonio_, holding their course to the westwards, as Antony de Alaminos,
their pilot, said that the first admiral always inclined in that way,
having sailed with him when a boy. They encountered a great storm which
lasted two days, during which they expected to have perished. After being
twenty-one days at sea, laying to always at night, they got sight of land,
and could perceive a large town about two leagues from the coast. As they
drew nigh the shore, two canoes full of men came off to the ships, from
which thirty Indians went on board Cordova's ship, having jackets without
sleeves, and pieces of cloth wrapped about them instead of breeches. The
Spaniards gave them meat and wine, and a few strings of beads; and the
Indians before going away, made them understand by signs, having no
interpreter, that they would return next day with more canoes to carry all
the Spaniards on shore. These Indians expressed great admiration at the
Spaniards, their ships, beards, arms, and every thing which they had not
seen before. They returned next day with twelve canoes, and their cacique
continually called out _conez cotoche_, that is Come to my house, for
which reason this place was called Cape _Cotoche_. After the Spaniards had
consulted together, they hoisted out their boats, and went on shore with
their arms, where a prodigious multitude of people waited to see them. The
cacique still pressed them to go to his house, and having received so many
tokens of peace and friendship, they resolved to comply, in order to take
a view of the country. On coming to a wood, the cacique called out to a
great number of armed men who lay in ambush; when there immediately
appeared a great number of men in armour of quilted cotton, with targets,
wooden swords edged with flints, large clubs, spears, bows and arrows, and
slings. These warriors had their faces painted of many colours, and were
all adorned with plumes of feathers. They gave a hideous shout, pouring in
at the same time such a shower of stones and arrows, that they wounded
fifteen Spaniards at the first onset; after which they fell on sword in
hand, and fought with great resolution. The Spaniards had only twenty-five
cross-bows and muskets, which were well plied; but when the Indians felt
the sharpness of the Spanish swords, they soon fled, having seventeen
killed and many wounded. Two youths were taken in this action, who
afterwards became Christians by the names of Julian and Melchior. The
Spaniards returned to their ships, well pleased at having discovered a
more civilized people than any which had been hitherto seen at Darien, or
in any of the islands; more especially as they had houses of stone and
lime, which had not till then been seen in the West Indies.

They held their course along the coast for fifteen days, always laying to
at night, when they came to a large town with a bay, which they believed
to be a river in which they might find water, of which they were now in
great need. They landed, and hearing the Indians call the place
_Quimpeche_, it ever afterwards was called _Campechy_. Being come to a
well of excellent water, of which the natives used to drink, and having
taken what they needed, they were about to return to the ships, when fifty
Indians clad in jackets and large cotton cloth cloaks came up, asking by
signs what they wanted, whether they came from the east, and finally
invited them to their town. When they had seriously considered this, and
put themselves into a good posture of defence, lest they should be
treacherously used as they had already been at Cotoche, they accompanied
the Indians to certain temples or places of worship, built of stone and
lime, where there were many idols of very ugly shapes, with fresh signs of
blood, and several painted crosses, at which last they were much amazed.
Great numbers of men, women, and children, flocked to look at them,
shewing signs of great amazement, though some of them smiled. Soon
afterwards, two parties of armed men appeared in good order, clothed and
armed like those they had seen at Cotoche. In the next place, ten men in
very long white mantles came from one of the temples, having their long
black hair twisted up in rolls behind. In their hands these men held
little earthen fire-pans, into which they cast gum _anime_, which they
call _copal_, with which they perfumed the Spaniards, ordering them to
depart from the country on pain of death. They then began to beat upon
small kettle drums, and to sound their horns, trumpets, and pipes. The
Spaniards, who were rather weak, as two of the men wounded at Cotoche had
died, and the rest were not yet quite recovered, thought it prudent to
retire to the shore, which they did in good order, followed by the armed
Indians, and embarked without any conflict. After sailing six days longer,
the wind came round to the north, blowing with such violence on the coast
that they thought to have been cast away. When the storm abated, they
endeavoured to approach the shore for water, as the casks had become leaky,
and soon ran out. They landed accordingly in a bay near an Indian town,
and about a league from the town of Pontonchan, and filled their casks at
a well near certain places of worship, which were built of stone and lime
like those they had seen formerly. When ready to return to the ships, they
perceived a party of armed men advancing towards them, who asked whether
they had come from where the sun rises? On being answered in the
affirmative, the Indians drew back to some houses not far off, and the
Spaniards, because night was coming on, resolved to remain on shore. A
great noise was heard soon afterwards among the Indians, and the Spaniards
became divided in opinion; some being clear for getting on board
immediately, while others thought it would be dangerous to retreat in the
dark, as there seemed 300 Indians to every one of their small party.