la buelta del norte, y que tenian hecho un fuerte pero que hera de madera y estavan confederados con los caciques Comarcanos y a ocho de ellos los Comunicaban como amigos y los regalavan mucho y les davan vestidos y herramientas y los mandavan sembrar, sin que los mismos yngleses se ocupasen en esto sino en su fortificacion, y en la parte donde de todo esto se ynformo el capitan eçija Rescato al franzes (llamado Juan corbe) natural de have de graçia y Con el salieron en seguimiento de su Viaje a los 15 de Julio, y a los 25 del llegando a la baya del Jacan (que por otro nombre llaman la Virginia) Reconocio un navio surto en ella y por ser de mucho mas porte que el que ellos llevaban, porque traya dos velas de gavia y una gran bandera de tope, y haver hechado de ver que deseava enpeñarlos en la baya donde pudiese ser señor porque se yba Retirando, no se atrevieron a seguirle ni a cerrar con el, y asi pasaron luego hasta 35 grados y medio de donde por tormentas y estar el tienpo adelante para aquellos mares dieron la buelta para el Jordan, y alli se bolvieron a ynformar de los yngleses, Y Ratificando los yndios en lo que antes havian dicho añadieron que junto a la fuerza de madera hechavan mucha piedra el agua a media pierna y que la trayan con unos barcos y havia muchas mugeres y niños que yban a pasear por los canpos y casas de los yndios cercanos, y que desde el Rio Jordan a la poblacion por Camino derecho por tierra ay poco mas de 50 leguas, y a sant agustin de la florida 100, de manera que desde ella a la parte donde los yngleses se ban fortificando ay 150 leguas, y el françes que Rescataron declaro que de los yndios del pueblo en que estubo cautibo, que yban y venian de Hor• dinario a la poblacion de los yngleses, supo que tenian hecho un fuerte de madera y su pueblo formado de lo mismo y dos navios gruesos artillados a manera de Castillos en guarda del fuerte y otros dos en guarda y centinela de la barra, sin los que yban y venian, y que todos los años yva un navio de ynglaterra Cargados de bastimentos y Municiones; y con esta Relaçion ynvio el governador pedro de yvarra un derrotero del Viaje que Hizo el dicho capitan eçija, hecho Por el piloto que fue con el, diziendo las señas y la calidad de los puertos y bayas que ay desde la florida a la parte donde llegaron, y el governador dize en su carta que le parece que el disignio que llevan estos yngleses, a lo que a podido entender, es fortificarse en la dicha baya del Jacan, que tiene quatro leguas y mas de boca y apartandose de tierra desde su entrada un tiro de piedra veinte brazas de fondo donde menos, y entrar la tierra adentro trayendo para esto gente suficiente hasta llegar a la nueva mexico, nueva galiçia, y Vizcaya y çacatecas, que estan en su misma altura, y pasar a la otra mar del poniente atravesando la tierra, porque de la parte de la florida suben grandes Rios la tierra adentro y de la otra mar tanvien se tiene noticia que salen otros no menores y que ay poca distancia de los unos a los otros, y subiendo el enemigo por los de la banda del este podra abaxar por los del Ueste y fortificarse en los puertos de la mar y hazer alla navios y armadas y correr toda la Costa de la nueva españa, tierra firme, peru y china en gran daño de la Corona y basallos de vuestra magestad, y que antes que se apodere mas de la tierra ymportaria tratar el hecharle della, porque como a los naturales no les quitan nada de sus Ritos, que es lo que ellos mas quieren, y Juntamente los acarician y Regalan, aun que con cosas de poco valor, los tienen muy gratos y contentos y se les ban allegando todos, y en aquella Costa del norte Podran poblar la barra de cayagua que es estremado sitio 70 leguas del presidio de la forida en 33 grados y medio, a donde pueden venir por tierra desde su poblacion y ay Cantidad de yndios muy vien proveydos de frutos de la tierra y otros mantenimientos. y aviendose Visto todo en la junta de guerra, Juntamente con otros papeles que ynçidentemente se llevaron a ella aun que de poco credito, y que vuestra magestad en respuesta de una consulta de 23 de marzo deste año, sobre que se suspendiese la execuçion de la diligencia que por el Consejo de guerra se ynviava a Hazer en rrazon de Reconocer la Virginia y que esto Corriese por la junta pues le tocava y hera materia que estava yntroduçida en ella, manda se Cunpla lo que por el dicho Consejo de guerra tenia resuelto y que si a la junta se le ofreciere otra Cosa que convenga prevenir para la excecuçion de lo que se a de hazer se le consulte, y considerando los daños e ynconvenientes grandes que se prometen de la vezindad destos yngleses y el cuydado en que pondrian a todas las yndias occidentales y contrataçion dellas. mayormente si plantan en aquellas partes la Religion que profesan, a parescido que al servicio de dios y de vuestra magestad y vien universal de sus Vasallos conviene mucho atajarles desde luego sus yntentos, hechandolos de alli antes que echen mas Raizes y se apoderen mas de la tierra y se fortifiquen y tengan mayores fuerzas y se estiendan Por otras partes como lo yran procurando, pues no es otro su disignio, y si esto no se Haze con tiempo sera despues muy dicifil, mas para que se pueda hazer con efecto, porque las noticias que se tienen no se juzgan por bastantes, sera bien Cobrarla çierta y entera de todo lo que ay en la Virginia y para esto, demas del medio que por el Consejo de guerra se tomo y se mando executar, se a ofrecido otro, y es que siendo vuestra magestad servido se podrian ynviar dos Religiosos del seminario de yngleses que mas satisfaçion se tenga para que vayan a ynglaterra y se enbarquen en la Primera ocasion de navios que de alli se ynvian a la Virginia, y enterados de los Vezinos poblacion y fortificaciones y la calidad y disposicion del puerto o puertos donde se ban fortificando se buelban a inglaterra en los mismos navios del trato y de alli a españa Con la mayor y mas entera noticia de todo que se pueda, para que teniendo la necesaria por anbas Vias se ponga en execucion el yr con fuerzas suficientes a Hecharlos de alli. don diego de ybarra y don fernando xiron, presupuesto que conviene mucho no se pierda ningun tienpo en cosa que tanto ynporta, son de pareçer que mientras se Hazen estas diligencias se bayan Juntando (dando yntento que son para otro algun efecto del servicio de vuestra magestad) hasta quatro o cinco mil hombres y los baxeles necesarios para ellos que sean muy buenos y aproposito para este efecto, con marineros platicos de aquella navegacion, que llevando Cabeza de la esperiencia noticia y satisfacion que Conbenga para semejante enpresa Juzgan seran bastantes fuerças para Conseguir lo que se pretende, demas de que si las nuevas noticias que se tubieren obligaren a que sean mayores se podran acreçentar con brevedad, para que estando todo a punto salga a navegar la armada para fin de marzo del año que viene de 612, que es el tienpo mas aproposito para el viaje que an de hazer, porque entrado el verano corren en aquellos mares bientos Contrarios y asi yrian muy aventurados y por lo menos seria ynfructuosa la costa que se hiziese pues no podran hazer ningun buen efecto. Vuestra magestad lo mandara ver y probeher lo que mas se sirva. en madrid a 5 de Mayo 1611. (Hay seis rubricas.) (TRANSLATION.) Council for War in the Indies, March 5, 1611; with what is offered concerning Virginia, which the English are occupying. Don Diego de Ybarra. Don Diego Brochero. Licenciado Don Francisco Arias Doctor Bernardo de Olmedilla. My Lord: Your Majesty, by cédula of November 8, 1608, transmitted through this council for war, commanded Pedro de Ybarra, at that time governor and captain general of Florida, to order Captain Francisco Fernandez de Ecija, or some other that he found satisfactory, to go along the coast northward, and, passing Cape San Roman,51 to reconnoitre all that relates to Virginia and the ports, bays, and reefs along its coast in the places that can be fortified, and see whether the English, or other nations, have gone to these regions, and whether they have set foot and fortified themselves in any, and where and how and with what people and forces, or whether they have settled any place, and by what route they have gone, and of what quality that land is, and what these nations can obtain from it, and with what Indians they communicate, and what is the distance from Florida to Virginia or to that place where they have settled, and with what measures and forces they can be driven from there and frustrated of their designs and punished. In pursuance of which the governor despatched the said captain Ecija2 in a pinnace with twenty-five sailors and soldiers and an Indian woman, a native of those provinces and having their language, married to a Spanish soldier,53 and some hoes and other things of iron which he gave him to obtain the good-will of the Indians and to rescue a Frenchman whom a cacique of those regions had for many years held captive, in order that he also might serve them as interpreter; and by the instructions that he gave him he ordered that he should use the diligence which Your Majesty commanded, until he should come to the latitude of 371⁄2 degrees, which is the place where he understood that the settlement of the English was, and that if he did not find them there he should go on to the gold-mine that is in 44% degrees,54 examining the great Rio de Gama 51 Cape Fear. The various identifications suggested in these notes are made with the aid of the detailed derrotero mentioned in note 23, above, but are not advanced too positively. 52 Ecija was captain of one of the two companies of soldiers maintained at St. Augustine, had been there thirty years, and was a man of about sixty-five; so it appears from depositions in the Lowery Collection, Florida, VI., concerning a certain Alonso Sancho Saez de Mercado and his wife, depositions derived from A. G. I., Sim., Sec., Aud. de S. Domingo, 54-5-9. He had accompanied Ybarra in 1604 to Guale, or the Port Royal region (relation in Serrano y Sanz, Documentos Históricos de la Florida, Madrid, 1912, pp. 169, 176, 182, 185), and had been at the Rio Jordan (Santee) in 1605, as appears from his report here summarized; see note 22, above. 53 Maria de Miranda, wife of Juan d'Espinosa. 54 The notion of a gold-mine at 44° 30′ N. was probably based on Champlain's mention of copper-mines visited by him in 1603 near the present Minas Basin. which is in 43 degrees and the said Captain Ecija went out from the port of San Agustin de la Florida to carry out this undertaking on June 26, 1609. and went along reconnoitring and sounding all the ports and bays that he found along the coast, and having come to the river which they call Jordan on July 8 be there obtained information from an Indian chieftain and others, and was told that at four days' journey. having traversed the plain of San Roman they were at the settlement of the English in a village which is called Grantapeying beside a river which runs into the sea, and it is on an island surrounded by water, which on one side is joined to the mainland, and that ordinarily there are ships in that port, and three months ago seven departed from it, and six of them took the course to the north and the other to the south, and in the harbor there remained always some on guard and every day many others came and went up the coast to the northward, and that they had made a fort but that it was of wood, and they had made a league with the neighboring caciques, and that with eight of them they associated as friends, and they entertained them much and gave them clothes and tools and ordered them to sow grain, although the English themselves did not occupy themselves with this but with their fortification, and in the place where information was had of all this Captain Ecija rescued the Frenchman, called Juan Corbe, a native of Have de Gracia, and with him they set sail, on July 15, pursuing their voyage, and on the 25th, having come to the Bay of Jacan (which by another name they call Virginia) he perceived a ship anchored in it, and since it was of much greater tonnage than that in which they were, for it carried two topsails and a great banner at its masthead, and since he had perceived that it desired to entrap them in the bay where it could be master, because it withdrew before them, they did not venture to follow it nor to close with it, so they went thence to 35 degrees, whence, because of storms and because the season was advanced for those seas, they returned to the Jordan, and there they again sought information respecting the English, and the Indians confirmed what they had said before and added that alongside the wooden fort they had cast much stone into the water, mid-leg deep, and that they brought it in boats, and that there were many women and children who went about through the fields and houses of the neighboring Indians, and that from the Rio Jordan to the settlement by a straight path overland it was little more than fifty leagues, and to Sant Agustin de la Florida one hundred, so that from there to the place where the English are fortifying themIn his Des Sauvages, already published in 1604 (p. 59 of Laverdière ed., Oeuvres de Champlain, II.) he locates the mine "par les 44 degrez et quelques minutes", though in reality the whole basin is well above 45°. Apparently Estevan Gomez's Rio de los Gamos; the Bay of Fundy. Biggar, The Precursors of Jacques Cartier, pp. 187, 193. se They embarked at St. Augustine, in the pinnace La Asuncion de Christo, after mass on Sunday, June 21, but passed the bar on June 26. 57 Santee. The day before, they picked up an Indian Alonso whom Ecija had seen at the Jordan in 1605, and who could talk with Maria. 58 Jamestown. Guandape was the name of the place where Ayllon attempted settlement in 1526. Shea, Catholic Church, I. 107. 59 Havre de Grace. selves it is 150 leagues;60 and the Frenchman whom they rescued declared that from the Indians of the town in which he was kept captive, who frequently went and came to the settlement of the English, he had learned that they had built a wooden fort and a town made of the same and had two large ships with guns, guarding the fortlike castles, and two others as guards and sentinels of the bar, in addition to those that went and came, and that every year a ship came from England laden with provisions and munitions; and with this relation the governor Pedro de Yvarra sent a pilot-book of the voyage, which the said Captain Ecija caused to be made by the pilot that was with him," 62 stating the sea-marks and the character of the harbors and bays that there are from Florida to the place to which they went, and the governor says in his letter that it appears to him that the plan the English entertain, as far as he has been able to learn, is to fortify themselves in the said bay of Jacan (the mouth of which is four leagues and more across, and a stone's throw off from its entrance you have twenty fathoms at least), and to make an expedition into the land, taking for that purpose sufficient people, until they shall come to Nueva Mexico, Nueva Galicia, and Vizcaya, and Çacatecas, which are in the same latitude, and to go across the land to the other sea at the west, since from that part of Florida great rivers go up into the land and from the other sea also it is known that others go up, not smaller, and that there is little distance from the one set of rivers to the other, and the enemy could go up through those of the east coast and go down through those of the west, and fortify themselves in the ports of that sea and there make ships and fleets and overrun the whole coast of New Spain, Tierra Firme, Peru, and China, to the great damage of the crown and subjects of Your Majesty, and that before more of the land is seized upon it would be expedient to manage to drive him from it, since as to the natives they do not deprive them of any of their religious ceremonies, which is what they most cherish, and at the same time they appease and entertain them, though with things of little value, and keep them very pleased and contented and are attaching them all to themselves, and on that northward coast they will be able to settle at the bar of Cayagua, which is a good position, seventy leagues from the garrison of Florida, in 33%1⁄2 degrees,63 to which they can come by land from their settlement, and there there are many Indians very well provided with the fruits of the earth and other supplies. And having examined all this in the council (junta) for war, together with other papers which were brought to it incidentally, though of little credit, and seeing that Your Majesty, in response to a consulta of March 23 of this year (to the effect that one should suspend the execution of the project which had been sent out by the council (consejo) of war to consider a reconnaissance of Virginia, and that this 60 Nearly 200, in a straight line. 61 They could not begin questioning him till July 26, after they had left the Chesapeake, because he "had lost his French speech and spoke Indian and could not be understood ". 62 See note 23, above. 63 Charleston harbor. All Ecija's latitudes, in report and pilot-book, exceed the actual, by about the same amount. 64 In A. G. I., 147-5-16. AM. HIST. REV., VOL. XXV.-31. |