The De Soto Chronicles Volume 1

Lawrence A. Clayton is professor emeritus of History at the University of Alabama and author of BartolomÉ de las Casas and the Conquest of the Americas and coauthor of The History of Modern Latin America. Vernon James Knight is professor emeritus of Anthropology at the University of Alabama and author of The Search for Mabila: The Decisive Battle between Hernando de Soto and Chief Tascalusa and Mound Excavations at Moundville. Edward C. Moore was assistant director of the Alabama Museum of Natural History and Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs for the University of Alabama System.

ILLUSTRATIONS

BOARD OF ADVISERS

CONTRIBUTORS

FOREWORD By Lawrence A. Clayton

PREFACE

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

NOTES ON TRANSLATIONS AND NAMES

INTRODUCTION: THE DE SOTO EXPEDITION, A CULTURAL CROSSROADS
By Paul E. Hoffman

THE ACCOUNT BY A GENTLEMAN FROM ELVAS 19
Translated and Edited by James Alexander Robertson
With Footnotes and Updates to Robertson's Notes by John H. Hann

RELATION OF THE ISLAND OF FLORIDA 221
By Luys Hernandez de Biedma
Newly Translated and Edited by John E. Worth
With Footnotes by John E. Worth and Charles Hudson

ACCOUNT OF THE NORTHERN CONQUEST AND DISCOVERY OF HERNANDO DE SOTO 247
By Rodrigo Rangel (drawn from Historia general y natural de las Indias by Gonzalo Fernandez de Oviedo y Valdes) Newly Translated and Edited by John E. Worth
With Footnotes by John E. Worth and Charles Hudson

THE CANETE FRAGMENT: ANOTHER NARRATIVE OF HERNANDO DE SOTO 307
by Eugene Lyon

PARALLEL ITINERARY OF THE EXPEDITION
Originally published as Appendix E in the Final Report of the United States De Soto Expedition Commission
by John R. Swanton
Selected Items from NARRATIVES OF THE CAREER OF HERNANDO DE SOTO IN THE CONQUEST OF FLORIDA
Translated by Buckingham Smith for the Bradford Club, New York, 1866

CONVEYANCE OF DOWER BY THE.WIDOW OF PEDAARIAS DAVILA TO HERNANDO DE SOTO, IN CONSIDERATION OF THE ESPOUSAL OF HER DAUGHTER 357

LETTER OF HERNANDO DE SOTO RESPECTING CONCESSIONS HE DESIRES SHALL BE OBTAINED FOR HIM AT COURT

CONCESSION MADE BY THE KING OF SPAIN TO HERNANDO DE SOTO OF THE GOVERNMENT OF CUBA AND CONQUEST OF FLORIDA, WITH THE TITLE OF ADELANTADO 359

ROYAL CEDULA PERMITTING JUAN DE ANASCO TO TRAFFIC WITH THE INDIANS OF FLORIDA, SO LONG AS THERE ARE NO DUTIES ON IMPORTS IN THAT PROVINCE 365

WILL OF HERNANDO DE SOTO 366

LETTER TO THE KING OF SPAIN FROM OFFICERS AT HAVANA IN THE ARMY OF DE SOTO 372

LETTER OF HERNANDO DE SOTO AT TAMPA BAY TO THE JUSTICE AND BOARD OF MAGISTRATES IN SANTIAGO DE CUBA 375

LETTER TO CHARLES V FROM THE JUSTICE AND BOARD OF MAGISTRATES OF SANTIAGO DE CUBA, GIVING A STATEMENT OF OCCURRENCES ON THE ISLAND 378

EL ADELANTADO DON HERNANDO DE SOTO 383
A short biography, originally published by the Junta de Extremadura (Extremadura Enclave 92) in their Cuadernos Populares, November 1988.
By Rocio Sanchez Rubio Translated by Eduardo Kortright

HERNANDO DE SOTO: A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY 421
By Paul E. Hoffman

SOME NEW TRANSLATIONS OF DE SOTO DOCUMENTS FROM THE GENERAL ARCHIVE OF THE INDIES, SEVILLE 461
Selected and Introduced by Rocio Sanchez Rubio Translated by David Bost

NAMING OF CAPTAIN HERNANDO DE SOTO AS LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR OF CUZCO, 1534 467

CEDULA REAL PERMITTING THE SHIPS GOING TO THE INDIES TO GO IN THE COMPANY OF DE SOTO'S ARMADA

CEDULA REAL REQUIRING THE SHIPS GOING TOWARD THE INDIES TO DO SO IN THE COMPANY OF HERNANDO DE SOTO, 1538 469

AUTHORIZATION FOR DONA ISABEL DE BOBADILLA TO BRING THREE SLAVE WOMEN TO THE ISLAND OF CUBA FOR HER SERVICE

INTERROGATION FOR THE CONCESSION OF THE HABIT OF SANTIAGO TO HERNANDO DE SOTO, 1538 470

POWER GRANTED BY THE ADELANTADO HERNANDO DE SOTO TO HIS WIFE, ISABEL DE BOBADILLA, 1539

INVENTORY OF THE ASSETS LEFT BY THE ADELANTADO HERNANDO DE SOTO FOLLOWING HIS DEATH, 1543

INDIAN PROPER NAMES IN THE FOUR NARRATIVES
Originally published in the Final Report of The United States De Soto Expedition Commission 499
By John R. Swanton

GLOSSARY 503

INTRODUCTION TO BIBLIOGRAPHY OF DE SOTO STUDIES
By Jeffrey P. Brain and Charles R. Ewen 507

BIBLIOGRAPHY OF DE SOTO STUDIES
By Jeffrey P. Brain and Charles R. Ewen 5 I 5

INDEX 551


THE "DE SOTO MAP" Endpapers

HERNANDO DE SOTO, CA. 1495-1542 Vlll

A COIN FROM DE SOTO'S FIRST WINTER CAMP 71

SPANIARDS MEET WITH A MISSISSIPPIAN CHIEF 79

THE HERNANDO DE SOTO EXPEDITION ENCOUNTERS CHIEF TASCALUSA 97

MONOLITHIC AX I02

SPANISH SWORDS I03

DE SOTO'S ROUTE IN NORTH AMERICA BY ROCIO SANCHEZ RUBIO 169

SPANISH SWORDSMAN, ARQUEBUSIER, AND PIKEMAN ABOUT 1540 2 34

SPANISH GLASS TRADE BEADS 286

A "CLARKSDALE" BELL 287

A SPANISH MAN-AT-ARMS 295

DELISLE'S MAP OF LOUISIANE, 1718 419