The Lily and the Totem; or, The Huguenots in Florida

by William Gilmore Simms

  XVIII.

  HISTORICAL SUMMARY.

  We have already mentioned that, with the restoration of Laudonniereto power, and the complete subjection of his mutineers, he resumed bydegrees his projects of exploration and discovery. Among other places towhich he sent his barks, was the territory of King Audusta, occupyingthat region in which Fort Charles had been erected by Ribault, in thefirst attempt to colonize in the country. To Audusta, himself, weresent two suits of apparel, with knives, hatchets and other trifles;"the better," as Laudonniere says, "to insinuate myselfe into hisfriendship." To render this hope more plausible, "I sent in the barke,with Captaine Vasseur, a souldier called Aimon, which was one of thosewhich returned home in the first voyage, hoping that King Audusta mightremember him." This Aimon was instructed to inquire after anothersoldier named Rouffi, who, it appears, had preferred remaining in thecountry, when it had been abandoned by the colonists under NicolasBarre.

  Audusta received his visitors with great favor,--sent back toLaudonniere a large supply of "mil, with a certaine quantity of beanes,two stagges, some skinnes painted after their manner, and certainepearles of small value, because they were burnt." The old chief invitedthe Frenchmen once more to remove and plant in his territories. Heproffered to give him a great country, and would always supply him witha sufficient quantity of grain. Audusta had known the Frenchmen almostentirely by benefits and good fellowship. The period of this visit toAudusta, which was probably in the month of December, is distinguishedin the chronicle of Laudonniere, by expressions of delightful surpriseat the number of stock doves (wild pigeons) which came about thegarrison--"in so greate number, that, for the space of seven weekestogether," they "killed with harquebush shot at least two hundred everyday." This was good feeding. On the return of Capt. Vasseur from hisvisit to Audusta, he was sent with a present "unto the widow of KingeHiocaia, whose dwelling was distant from our fort about twelve leaguesnorthward. She courteously received our men, sent me backe my barkes,full of mil and acornes, with certaine baskets full of the leaves ofcassine, wherewith they make their drinke. And the place where thiswidow dwelleth, is the most plentifull of mil that is in all the coast,and the most pleasante. It is thought that the queene is the mostbeautiful of all the Indians, and of whom they make the most account:yea, and her subjects honour her so much that almost continually theybeare her on their shoulders, and will not suffer her to go on foot."

  The visit of Laudonniere, through his lieutenant, was returned, in a fewdays, by the beautiful widow, through her Hiatiqui, "which is as much asto say, her Interpreter."

  Laudonniere continued his explorations, still seeking provisions, andwith the view to keeping his people from that idleness which hithertohad caused such injurious discontents in his garrison. His barks weresent up May River, to discover its sources, and make the acquaintance ofthe tribes by which its borders were occupied. Thirty leagues beyond theplace called Mathiaqua, "they discovered the entrance of a lake, uponthe one side whereof no land can be seene, according to the report ofthe Indians, which had oftentimes climbed on the highest trees in thecountry to see land, and notwithstanding could not discerne any."

  These few sentences may assist in enabling the present occupants of theSt. John's to establish the location along that river, at the period ofwhich we write. The ignorance of the Indians in regard to the countryopposite, along the lake, indicates equally the presence of numeroustribes, and the absence of much adventure or enterprise amongthem--results that would seem equally to flow from the productivefertility of the soil, and the abundance of the game in the country.With this account of it as a _terra incognita_, the explorers ceased toadvance. In returning, they paid a visit to the island of Edelano--oneof those names of the Indians, which harbors in the ear with a musicalsweetness which commends it to continued utterance. We should do well toemploy it now in connection with some island spot of rare beauty in thesame region.

  This island of Edelano is "situated in the midst of the river; as fair aplace as any that may be seene thorow the world; for, in the space ofsome three leagues that it may containe, in length and breadth, a manmay see an exceedingly rich countrey and marvellously peopled. At thecoming out of the village of Edelano, to goe unto the river side, a manmust passe thorow an alley about three hundred paces long and fiftypaces broad; on both sides whereof great trees are planted, the bougheswhereof are tied [blended?] together like an arch, and meet together soartificially [as if done by art] that a man would thinke it were anarbour made of purpose, as faire, I say, as any in all Christendom,although it be altogether naturall."

  Leaving the island of Edelano, thus equally famous for its beauties ofnature and name, our voyagers proceeded "to Eneguape, then to Chilily,from thence to Patica, and lastly they came unto Coya." This place seemsto have been, at this period, one of the habitations of the powerfulking Olata Utina. In the name Olata, we find an affix such as is commonto the Seminoles and Creeks of the present day. _Holata_, as we nowwrite the word, is evidently the Olata of Laudonniere. It was probablya title rather than a name.[23] Olata Utina received his visitorswith great favor, as he had always done before; and six of them werepersuaded to remain with him, in order the better to see the country,while their companions returned to La Caroline. Some of these remainedwith the Indian monarch more than two months. One of them, namedGroutald, a gentleman who had taken great pains in this exploration,reported to Laudonniere that he had never seen a fairer country. "Amongother things, he reported to me that he had seene a place, namedHostaqua, and that the king thereof was so mighty, that he was able tobring three or four thousand savages into the field." Of this kingwe have heard before. It was the counsel of Monsieur Groutald toLaudonniere that he should unite in a league with this king, and by thismeans reduce the whole country into subjection. "Besides, that this kingknew the passages unto the mountaine of Apalatci, which the Frenchmendesired so greatly to attaine unto, and where the enemy of Hostaqua madehis abode, which was easie to be subdued, if so be wee would enter intoleague together." Hostaqua sent to Laudonniere "a plate of a minerallthat came out of this mountaine,--out of the foote whereof"--such wasthe glowing account given by the Indian monarch--"there runneth astreame of golde or copper." The process by which the red-men obtain thepure treasures of this golden stream was an exceedingly primitive one,and reminds us of the simple process of gathering golden sands inCalifornia. "They dig up the sand with an hollow and drie cane of reed,until the cane be full; afterward they shake it, and find that there aremany small graines of copper and silver among this sand; which giveththem to understand that some rich mine must needs be in the mountaine."Laudonniere is greatly impressed by this intelligence, "and because themountaine was not past five or six days journey from our fort, lyingtowards the north-west, I determined, as soone as our supply should comeout of France, to remove our habitation unto some river more towards thenorth, that I might be nearer thereunto."

  [23] Holata Mico (or Blue King), and Holata Amathla, were distinguished leaders of the Seminoles in the late war in Florida.

  An incident, which occurred about this time, still further increasedthe appetites of Laudonniere. He had suffered, and indeed sent, certainfavorite soldiers to go into several parts of the country, among thesavage tribes with whom he kept terms of amnesty and favor, in orderthat they should acquire as well a knowledge of the Indian languageas of the country. One of these was named Peter Gambier. This man hadrambled somewhat farther than his comrades. He had shared in all themore adventurous expeditions of the Indians, and had succeeded ingathering a considerable quantity of gold and silver, all of which wasunderstood to have been directly or indirectly from the Indians, whodwelt at the foot of the Apalachian Mountains. These were tribes of theCherokee nation, with whom the Indian nations along the sea-board wereperpetually at war. Full of news, and burdened with his treasure, PeterGambier prepared to return to La Caroline. He had made his way in safetyuntil he reached the beautiful island with the beautiful name, Edelano,lying in the midst of but hi
gh up May River. On the same stream whichwas occupied by his countrymen, in force, the thoughtless soldierconceived himself to be quite safe. He was hospitably entertained bythe chief or king of Edelano, and a canoe was accorded him, withtwo companions, with whom to descend the river to the fort. But theimprovident Frenchman, allowed his precious treasures to glitter in theeyes of his host. He had not merely gold and silver, but he had beenstocked with such European merchandises as were supposed most likely totempt the savages to barter. A portion of this stock remained in hispossession. The natural beauties of the island which they occupied hadnot softened the hearts of the savages with any just sense of humanity.They were as sensible to the _auri sacra fames_ as were the Europeans,and just as little scrupulous, we shame to say it, in gratifying theirappetites as their pale-faced visitors. The possessions of the Frenchmenwere sufficient to render the Mico of Edelano indifferent to allconsiderations of hospitality, and the two Indians whom he lent toGambier were commissioned to take his life. Thus, accompanied by hisassassins, he entered the canoe, and they were in progress down theriver, when, as the Frenchman stooped over some fish which he wasseething in the boat, the red-men seized the opportunity to brain himwith their stone hatchets, and possess themselves of his treasures. Whenthe tidings came to Laudonniere, he was not in a situation to revengethe crime; but the large acquisitions of gold and silver procured by hissoldier, as reported to him, confirmed him in his anxiety to penetratethese tantalizing realms, in which the rivers ran with such glitteringabundance from rocks whose caverns promised to outvie all that Arabianstory had ever fabled of the magical treasures of Aladdin.

  Scarcely had this event taken place, when the war was renewed betweenOlata Utina and Potanou. The former applied for assistance toLaudonniere, who, adopting the policy of the "Spaniards, when they wereimployed in their conquests, who did alwayes enter into alliance withsome one king to ruine another," readily sent him thirty arquebusiers,under Lieutenant Ottigny. These, with three hundred Indians, led byUtina, penetrated the territories of Potanou, and had a severe fight,which lasted for three hours, with the people of that potentate."Without doubt, Utina had been defeated, unlesse our harquebusiers hadborne the burthen and brunt of all the battell, and slaine a greatnumber of the soldiers of Potanou, upon which occasion they were putto flight." The lieutenant of the French would have followed up thevictory, but Utina, the Paracoussi, had gathered laurels quite enoughfor a single day, and was anxious to return home to show his scalpsand enjoy his triumphs among his people. His tribes and villages wereassembled at his return, and, for several days, nothing but feasts,songs and dances, employed the nation. Ottigny returned to the fort,after two days spent in this manner with Utina, and his return wasfollowed by visits from numerous other chiefs, nearer neighbors thanUtina, and enemies of that savage, who came to expostulate withLaudonniere against his lending succor to a prince who was equallyfaithless and selfish. They, on the other hand, entreated him to unitewith them in the destruction of one who was a common enemy. Thisapplication had been made to him before; but his policy had been ratherto maintain terms of alliance, offensive and defensive, with a powerfulchieftain, at some little distance, than to depend wholly upon othersmore near at hand. This policy was again drawn from that of theSpaniard. He was soon to be taught how little was the reliance which hecould place in any of the forest tribes. He was about to suffer fromthose deficiencies and evils which were due to his anxious explorationsof the country, when his people had been much better employed in thewholesome labors of the field, in the very eye of the garrison.

  It was the custom of the Indian tribes, after the gathering and storingaway of their harvests, to commence hunting with the first fall of theleaves, probably about the middle of September. The chase, during thisperiod, was seldom such as to carry them far from the fields which theyhad watched during the summer. Near at hand, for a season at least,the game was in sufficient quantity to supply their wants. But, as theseason advanced, and towards the months of January, February and March,they gradually passed into the deeper thickets, and disappeared fromtheir temporary habitations. During this period, they build up newabodes, which are equally frail, in the regions to which they go, andwhich are contiguous to the hunting-grounds which they are about topenetrate. To these retreats the whole tribe retires; and hither theycarry all the commodities which are valuable in their eyes. Their summerdwellings are thus as completely stripped as if the region wereabandoned forever.

  This removal, for which their previous experience should sufficientlyhave prepared our Frenchmen, was yet destined to have for them some verypernicious results. We have seen that certain subsidies of corn andbeans had been procured from various tribes and nations; enough,according to Laudonniere, to serve them until the arrival of expectedsuccors from France. But, calculating on these succors, and confidentof their arrival during the month of April, our Frenchmen had becomeprofligate of their stores. April found them straitened for provisions,and not an Indian could be seen. April passed slowly and brought nosuccor. With the month of May the Indians had returned to their formerabodes; but, by this time, their remaining stock of grain had mostlyfound its way into the ground, in the setting of another crop. Fromthe savages, accordingly, nothing but scanty supplies of fish could beprocured, without which, says Laudonniere, "assuredly wee had perishedfrom famine." Of the incompetence of this captain, and the wretchedorder which prevailed among his garrison, his incapacity and otherincompetence, this statement affords sufficient proof. They neithertilled the earth for its grain, nor sounded the river for its finnytribes; though these realms were quite as much under their dominion asthat of the savages; but they relied solely upon this capricious andinferior race, in the exploration of land and sea, for maintaining themagainst starvation.

  May succeeded to April, and still in vain did our Frenchmen look forthupon the sea, for the ships of their distant countrymen. June came,and their wants increased. They fell finally into famine, of whichLaudonniere himself affords us a sufficiently impressive picture.

  "We were constrayned to eate rootes, which the most part of our menpunned in the mortars which I had brought with me to beate gunnepowderin, and the graine which came to us from other places. Some tooke thewood of _esquine_, (?) beate it, and made meale thereof, which theyboiled with water, and eate it. Others went with their harquebusies toseeke to kill some foule. Yea, this miserie was so great, that that onewas founde that had gathered up all the fish-bones that he could finde,which he dried and beate into powder to make bread thereof. The effectsof this hidious famine appeared incontinently among us, for our boneseftsoones beganne to cleave so neare unto the skinne, that the most partof the souldiers had their skinnes pierced thorow with them in manypartes of their bodies, in such sort that my greatest feare was, leastthe Indians would rise up against us, considering that it would havebeene very harde for us to have defended ourselves in such extreme decayof all our forces, besides the scarsitie of all vittualls, which fayledus all at once. For the very river had not such plentie of fish as itwas wont, and it seemed that the very land and water did fight againstus." In this condition were they till the beginning of June. "Duringwhich time," says the chronicler, further--"the poore souldiers andhandicraftsmen became as feeble as might be, and being not able toworke, did nothing but goe, one after another, as centinels, unto theclift of an hill, situate very neare unto the fort, to see if they mightdiscover any French ship."

  But their watchings still ended with disappointment. Thus was the hopewith which the heart sickens, deferred too long. No ships greeted theirfamishing eyes, and they at length appealed to their commander, in abody, to take measures for returning to France, and abandoning thecolony,--"considering that if wee let passe the season to embarkeourselves, wee were never like to see our country;" and alleging,plausibly enough, that new troubles had probably broken out in France,which was the reason that they had failed to receive the promisedsuccors. Laudonniere lent an easy ear to their demands. He, himself, wasprobably quite as sick of the d
uties, to which he was evidently unequal,as were his followers. It was, perhaps, prudent to submit to those forwhom he could no longer provide. The bark "Breton" was fitted up, andgiven in charge to Captain Vasseur; and, as this vessel could carrybut a small portion of the colony, it was determined to build a "faireship," which the shipwrights affirmed could be made ready by the 8th ofAugust. "Immediately I disposed of the time to worke upon it. I gavecharge to Monsieur de Ottigny, my lieutenant, to cause timber necessaryfor the finishing of bothe the vessels to be brought, and to MonsieurD'Erlach, my standard-bearer, to goe with a barke a league off from theforte, to cut down trees fit to make plankes." Sixteen men, under thecharge of a sergeant, were set "to labour in making coals; and to MasterHance, keeper of the artillery," was assigned the task of procuringrosin to bray the vessels. "There remained now but the principal,[object,] which was to recover vittualls, to sustain us while the workeendured." Laudonniere, himself, undertook to seek for this supply. Heembarked with thirty men in the largest of his vessels, with the purposeof running along the coast for forty or fifty leagues. But his searchwas taken in vain. He procured no supplies. He returned to the fort onlyto defraud the expectations of his people, who now grew desperate withhunger and discontent. They assembled together, riotously, and, with onevoice, insisted that the only process by which to extort supplies fromthe savages was to seize upon the person of their kings.

  To this, at first, Laudonniere would not consent. The enterprise wasa rash one. The consequences might be evil, in regard to any futureattempts at settlement. He proposed one more trial among them, andsent despatches communicating his desire to traffic for food with thesurrounding tribes. The Indians were not averse to listen. But they knewthe distress under which the Frenchmen suffered, and were prepared toturn it to account. They came into the garrison with small supplies ofgrain and fish, enough to provoke appetite rather than to satisfy it.For these they demanded such enormous prices, as, if conceded, wouldhave soon exhausted all the merchandise of the garrison. With one handthey extended their produce, while the other was stretched for theequivalent required. Knowing the desperation of the Frenchmen, they tookcare, while thus tantalizing their hopes and hunger, to keep out ofreach of shot of arquebuse. In this way, they took the very shirtsfrom the backs of the starving soldiers. When Laudonniere remonstratedagainst their prices, their answer was a bitter mockery.

  "Very good," said the savages, "if thou make such great account of thymerchandise, let it stay thy hunger. Do thou eat of it and we will eatof our fish." This reply would be cheered with their open-throatedlaughter. The old ally of the French, the Paracoussi Utina, mocked themin like manner. His subjects followed his example; and, in the end,goaded to madness, Laudonniere resolved on adopting the course whichhis people had counselled; that, by which, taking one of their kingsprisoner, food could be extorted for his ransom. The ingratitude ofUtina, for past services, a recent attempt which he had made to employthe French soldiers in his own conquests, while professing to lead themonly where they should find provisions, and the supposed extent of hisresources, pointed him out to all parties as the proper person upon whomto try the experiment, on a small scale, which Cortez and Pizzarro hadused, on a large one, in the conquest of Peru and Mexico.