Narvezexpedition

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Thisarticleisaboutthe16thcenturyexpedition.For
the18thcenturyexpedition,seeJosMaraNarvez.
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andremoved.(November2014)
FromGalvestoninNovember1528,CabezadeVaca,
AlonsodelCastilloMaldonado,AndrsDorantesde
CarranzaandEstevanicotraveledforeightyearson
footacrosstheSouthwest,accompaniedbyIndians,
untilreachingpresentdayMexicoCityin1536.
TheNarvezexpeditionwasaSpanishjourneyof
explorationstartedin1527andintendedtoestablish
somecolonialsettlementsandgarrisonsinFlorida.
Some300wereassignedtoexploreFloridabyland;
theynumbered80bylate1528.Moremendiedasthey
traveledwestalongtheGulfCoastandSouthwestof
presentdayUnitedStatesandintothenorthofMexico;
thefoursurvivorsreachedMexicoCityin1536.The
expeditionwasledbyPnfilodeNarvez,whodiedin
1528.Thesurvivorsofthelandexpeditionwerethefirst
knownEuropeansandAfricantoseetheMississippi
River,andcrosstheGulfofMexicoandTexas.
Thecrewinitiallynumberedabout600,includingmen
fromSpain,Portugal,Greece,[1]andItaly.Making
stopsalongthewaytoFloridaatHispaniolaandCuba,
theexpeditionsufferedahurricane,amongother
storms,losingtwoships.AfterlandingnearSarasota
Bay,theexpeditionwassplit,with300mensent
overlandinsearchofgold.Theyweresubjecttoattacks
byAmericanIndians,andsufferedfromdiseaseand
severelackoffood.BySeptember1528,followingan
attemptbysurvivorstosailonmakeshiftraftsfrom
FloridatoMexico,only80mensurvivedafterbeing
sweptontoGalvestonIsland,Texas.Overthenextfew
years,survivorswereenslavedbyNativeAmerican
tribes;moremendiedfromharshconditionsand
disease.
Onlyfouroftheoriginalpartysurvivedthenexteight
yearstoencounterSpanishslavecatchersinSinaloain
1536.Withthem,thesurvivors,lvarNezCabezade
Vaca,AlonsodelCastilloMaldonado,AndrsDorantes
deCarranza,andhisenslavedMoorEstevanico,finally
reachedMexicoCity.AfterreturningtoSpain,Cabeza
deVacawasnotableforwritingabouttheexpeditionin
hisLaRelacin(TheRelation),publishedin1542asthe
firstwrittenaccountofNorthAmerica.Withlater
additions,itwaspublishedunderthetitle,Naufragios

(Shipwreck).[2]
Contents[hide]
1 Spain
2 HispaniolaandCuba
3 ArrivalinFlorida
4 Narvezsplitsforces
5 MeetingtheTimucua
6 Apalachee
6.1 Aute
7 BayofHorses
8 SouthTexas
9 SouthwesternNorthAmerica
10 Representationinothermedia
11 Seealso
12 Footnotes
13 References
14 Externallinks
Spain[edit]
OnDecember25,1526,CharlesV,HolyRoman
Emperor,alsoknownasCarlosIofSpaingranted
PnfilodeNarvezalicensetoclaimwhatisnowthe
GulfCoastoftheUnitedStatesforSpain.Thecontract
gavehimoneyeartogatheranarmy,leaveSpain,
foundatleasttwotownsofonehundredpeopleeach,
andgarrisontwoadditionalfortsanywherealongthe
coast.
Narvezhadtosecurethefundingfortheexpedition.
Herecruitedinvestorsbymarketingthepromiseof
richescomparabletothosefoundbyHernnCorts.He
alsocalledinmanydebtsowedtohim,andusedthis
moneytopayformajorexpensesoftheexpedition.
AppointedbytheCrownastreasurerandsheriff,lvar
NezCabezadeVacawastoserveastheking'seyes
andears,andwassecondincommand.Hewasto
ensuretheCrownreceived5%ofanywealthacquired
duringtheexpedition.OthermembersincludedAlonso
deSolsasroyalinspectorofmines,AlonsoEnrquezas
comptroller,anAztecprincenamedbytheSpanishas
DonPedro,andacontingentofFranciscanand
diocesanpriestsledbyPadre(father)JuanSurez
(sometimesspelled"Xurez").Mostofthe600men
weretroops,chieflymenfromSpainandPortugal,
includingsomeofmixedAfricandescent,andsome22
fromItaly.[3]
OnJune17,1527,theexpeditiondepartedSpainfrom
theportofSanlcardeBarramedaatthemouthofthe
GuadalquivirRiver.Amongtheforcewereabout450
troops,officers,andslaves.About150otherswere
sailors,wives(marriedmencouldnottravelwithout
theirwivestotheIndies),andservants.

ThefirststoponthevoyagewastheCanaryIslands,
aboutaweek'sjourneyand850milesintotheAtlantic.
Theretheexpeditionresuppliedsuchitemsaswater,
wine,firewood,meats,andfruit.
HispaniolaandCuba[edit]
TheyarrivedinSantoDomingo(Hispaniola)sometime
inAugust1527.Duringthestay,troopsbegandeserting.
Althoughalwaysaproblemonsuchexpeditions,the
menmayalsohavedesertedbecauseofhearingabout
therecentreturnofanexpeditionledbyLucasVzquez
deAylln,inwhich450of600menperished.Nearly100
mendesertedtheNarvezexpeditioninthefirstmonth
inSantoDomingo.Theexpeditionstoppedhereto
purchasehorses,aswellastwosmallshipsforexploring
thecoastline.AlthoughNarvezwasabletobuyonly
onesmallship,hesetsailonceagain.
TheyarrivedinSantiagoinlateSeptember.AsCuba
wasthehomeofNarvezandhisfamily,hehadmany
contactsthroughwhomhecouldcollectmoresupplies,
horses,andmen.Aftermeetingwithhiswealthyfriend
VascoPorcallo,Narvezsentpartofthefleetto
Trinidadtocollecthorsesandothersuppliesfromhis
friend'sestate.
NarvezputCabezadeVacaandacaptainnamed
PantojainchargeoftwoshipssenttoTrinidad,while
hetooktheotherfourshipstotheGulfof
Guacanayabo.Onabout30October,thetwoships
arrivedinTrinidadtocollectrequisitionedsuppliesand
seekadditionalcrew.[4]Ahurricanearrivedshortly
aftertheydid.Inthestorm,bothshipssank,60men
werekilled,afifthofthehorsesdrowned,andallthe
newsuppliesacquiredinTrinidadweredestroyed.
Recognizingtheneedtoregroup,Narvezsentthefour
remainingshipstoCienfuegosundercommandof
CabezadeVaca.Narvezstayedashoreinorderto
recruitmenandpurchasemoreships.Afternearlyfour
months,onFebruary20,1528,hearrivedinCienfuegos
withoneoftwonewshipsandafewmorerecruits.The
othershiphesentontoHavana.Atthispoint,the
expeditionhadabout400menand80horses.The
winterlayovercausedadepletionofsupplies,andthey
plannedtorestockinHavanaonthewaytotheFlorida
coast.
AmongthosehiredbyNarvezwasamasterpilot
namedMiruelo,whoclaimedextensiveknowledgeof
theGulfCoast.Historianshavedebatedforcenturies
hisfullidentityandtheextentofhisknowledge.Inany
case,twodaysafterleavingCienfuegos,everyshipin

thefleetranagroundontheCanarreosshoalsjustoff
thecoastofCuba.Theywerestuckfortwotothree
weeks,whilethemendepletedthealreadymeager
supplies.Notuntilastormcreatedlargeseas,inthe
secondweekofMarch,weretheyabletoescapethe
shoals.
Afterbattlingmorestorms,theexpeditionroundedthe
westerntipofCubaandmadeitswaytowardHavana.
Althoughtheywerecloseenoughtoseethemastsof
shipsinport,thewindblewthefleetintotheGulfof
MexicowithouttheirreachingHavana.Narvez
decidedtopressonwiththejourneyandcolonization
plans.Theyspentthenextmonthtryingtoreachthe
MexicancoastbutcouldnotovercometheGulf
Stream'spowerfulcurrent.
ArrivalinFlorida[edit]
MarkerattheJunglePradaSite
OnApril12of1528,[5]theyspottedlandnorthofwhat
isnowTampaBay.Theyturnedsouthandtraveledfor
twodayslookingforwhatthepilotMiruelodescribed
asagreatharbor.Duringthesetwodays,oneofthefive
remainingshipswaslost.Finally,afterspottinga
shallowbay,Narvezorderedentry.Theypassedinto
BocaCiegaBaynorthoftheentrancetoTampaBay.
Theyspottedbuildingssetuponearthenmounds,
encouragingsignsofculture(andwealth),food,and
water.Thenativeshavebeenidentifiedasmembersof
theSafetyHarborCulture(Tocobaga).TheSpaniards
droppedanchorsandpreparedtogoashore.Narvez
landedwith300menneartheRiodelasPalmasat
whatisknownastheJunglePradaSiteinpresentday
St.Petersburg.
ThecomptrollerAlonsoEnrquezwasoneofthefirst
ashore.Makinghiswaytothenearbyvillage,hetraded
itemssuchasglassbeads,brassbells,andclothforfresh
fishandvenison.Narvezorderedtherestofthe
companytodebarkandestablishacamp.
Thenextday,theroyalofficialsassembledashoreand,
withritual,performedtheformaldeclarationof
NarvezasroyalgovernorofLaFlorida.Heread(in
Spanish)theRequerimiento,whichstatedtoanynatives
listeningthattheirlandbelongedtoCharlesVbyorder
ofthePope.Healsosaidthatnativeshadthechoiceof
convertingtoChristianity.Iftheyconverted,they
wouldbelovedandwelcomedwithopenarms.Ifthey
chosenotto,warwouldbemadeagainstthem.The
expeditionignoredbothpleasandthreatsbyapartyof
nativesthenextday.

Aftersomeexploring,Narvezandsomeotherofficers
discoveredOldTampaBay.Theyheadedbacktothe
campandorderedMiruelotopilotabrigantine(brig)
insearchofthegreatharborhehadtalkedabout.Ifhe
wasunsuccessful,heshouldreturntoCuba.Narvez
neverheardfromMiruelooranyofthecrewofthebrig
again.
Meanwhile,Narveztookanotherpartyinland,where
theyfoundanothervillage.Thevillagerswereusing
Spanishfreightboxesascoffins.TheSpanishdestroyed
theseandfoundalittlefoodandgold.Thelocalstold
themthattherewasplentyofbothinApalacheetothe
north.Afterreturningtotheirbasecamp,theSpanish
madeplanstoheadnorth.
Narvezsplitsforces[edit]
OnMay1,1528,Narvezdecidedtosplittheforceinto
landandseacontingents.Heplannedtohavethearmy
of300marchoverlandtothenorthwhiletheships,with
theremaining100people,sailedupthecoasttomeet
them.HebelievedthemouthtoTampaBaytobea
shortdistancetothenorth(itwassouth).Cabezade
Vacaarguedagainstthisplan,butwasoutvotedbythe
restoftheofficers.NarvezwantedCabezadeVacato
leadtheseaforce,butherefused.(Helaterwroteitwas
amatterofhonor,asNarvezhadimpliedhewasa
coward.)[6]
Themenmarchedinnearstarvationfortwoweeks
beforecominguponavillagenorthofthe
WithlacoocheeRiver.Theyenslavedthenativesandfor
threedayshelpedthemselvestocornfromtheirfields.
Theysenttwoexploratorypartiesdownstreamonboth
sidesoftheriverlookingforsignsoftheships.Withno
sightoftheships,Narvezorderedthepartytocontinue
northtoApalachee.
Severalyearslater,CabezadeVacalearnedwhat
becameoftheships.MiruelohadreturnedtoOld
TampaBayinthebrigantine,andfoundalltheships
gone.HesailedtoHavanatopickupthefifthship,
whichhadbeensupplied,andbroughtthatbackto
TampaBay.Afterheadingnorthforsometimewithout
findingthepartyonland,commandersoftheother
threeshipsdecidedtoreturntoTampaBay.After
meeting,thefleetagainsearchedforthelandpartyfor
nearlyayearbeforedepartingforMexico.JuanOrtiz,
amemberofthenavalforce,wascapturedbythe
Tocobaga.HewasenslavedbythemandlivedatUzita
fornearlytwelveyearsbeforebeingrescuedby
HernandodeSoto'sexpedition.
MeetingtheTimucua[edit]

Fromscoutreports,theTimucuaknewtheSpanish
partywasnearingtheirterritory.Theydecidedtomeet
theEuropeansastheycamenearonJune18.Through
handsignsandgestures,Narvezcommunicatedto
theirchief,Dulchanchellin,thattheywereheadedto
Apalachee.Dulchanchellinappearedpleasedbythis(it
turnedouttheApalacheewerehisenemies).
Afterthetwoleadersexchangedgifts,theexpedition
followedtheTimucuaintotheirterritoryandcr