A Narrative of the expedition of Hernando de Soto into Florida published at Evora in 1557   By: A Gentleman of Elvas [pseud.]

OF

LOUISIANA,

EMBRACING TRANSLATIONS OF

MANY RARE AND VALUABLE DOCUMENTS

RELATING TO THE

NATURAL, CIVIL AND POLITICAL

HISTORY OF THAT STATE.

COMPILED WITH

HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES,

AND AN

INTRODUCTION,

BY B. F. FRENCH,

Member of the Louisiana Historical Society; of the American Association for the Advancement of Science; Honorary Member of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania; Corresponding Member of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, etc., etc.

PART II.

PHILADELPHIA: DANIELS AND SMITH.

New York , G. P. PUTNAM; Boston , LITTLE AND BROWN; New Orleans , B. M. NORMAN; London , JOHN CHAPMAN; Paris , GALIGNANI AND CO. 1850.

Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1850, by

B. F. FRENCH,

in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

PHILADELPHIA: PRINTED BY T. K. & P. G. COLLINS.

TO THE

MEMBERS OF THE LOUISIANA HISTORICAL SOCIETY

THIS VOLUME

IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED

BY

BENJAMIN F. FRENCH.

[The following is an excerpt from this volume. (note of etext transcriber.)]

A NARRATIVE

OF THE

EXPEDITION OF HERNANDO DE SOTO

INTO

FLORIDA.

BY A GENTLEMAN OF ELVAS.

PUBLISHED AT EVORA 1557.

TRANSLATED FROM THE PORTUGUESE

BY

RICHARD HACKLUYT.

LONDON, 1609.

CAPTAIN SOTO was the son of a squire of Xerez of Badajoz . He went into the Spanish Indies , when Peter Arias of Avila was Governor of the West Indies . And there he was without anything 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) as well at the taking of Atabalipa , Lord of Peru , as at the assault of the city of Cusco , and in all other places where they found resistance, wheresoever he was 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 a hundred and four score thousand ducats together, with that which fell to his part; which he brought into Spain; whereof the Emperor borrowed a certain part, which he repaid again with 60,000 rials of plate in the rent of the silks of Granada , and all the rest was delivered him in the contractation house of Seville . He took servants to wit, a steward, a gentleman usher, pages, a gentleman of the horse, a chamberlain, lackeys, and all other officers that the house of a noble may require. From Seville he went to the court, and in the court, there accompanied him John Danusco of Seville , and Lewis Moscoso D'Alvarado , Nuño de Touar , and John Rodriguez Lobillo . Except John Danusco , all the rest came with him from Peru : and every one of them brought fourteen or fifteen thousand ducats: all of them went well and costly appareled. And although Soto of his own nature was not liberal, yet because that was the first time that he was to show himself in the court, he spent frankly, and went accompanied with those which I have named, and with his servants, and many others which resorted unto him. He married with Donna Isabella de Bobadilla , daughter of Peter Arias of Avila , Earl of Punno en Rostro . 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.