AJ-021: De Soto & the Discovery of Florida (1539-43)

              

    NARRATIVES OF DE
SOTO


    CHAPTER  &
bsp; XVIII
How THE INDIANS ROSE UPON THE GOVERNOR,
AND
    WHAT FOLLOWED UPON THAT
RISING.

    THE Governor, in view
of the determina-
tion and furious answer of the
Cacique,
thought to soothe him with soft words;
to
which he made no answer, but, with
great
haughtiness and contempt, withdrew to where
Soto
could not see nor speak to him. The
Governor, that he
might send word to the
Cacique for him to remain in the
country at
his will, and to be pleased to give him a
guide,
and persons to carry burdens, that he might
see
if he could pacify him with gentle words,
called to a
chief who was passing by. The
Indian replied, loftily,
that he would not listen
to him. Baltasar de Gallegos,
who was near,
seized him by the cloak of marten-skins
that
he had on, drew it off over his head, and left
it
in his hands; whereupon, the Indians all
beginning to
rise, he gave him a stroke with a
cutlass, that laid open
his back, when they,
with loud yells, came out of the
houses, dis-
charging their bows.
  The Governor,
discovering that if he re-
mained there they could not
escape, and if
he should order his men, who were outside
of
the town, to come in, the horses might
be
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