her in a carnal way, but she wanted to get free and run away.

On Wednesday, the 1st of October, the Governor Hernando de Soto, started from Agile and came with his soldiers to the river or swamp of Ivitachuco. There they made a bridge. In the high swamp grass on the other side there was an ambuscade of Indians who shot three Christians with arrows. They finished crossing this swamp on the Friday following at noon, and a horse was drowned there. At nightfall they reached Ivitachuco and found the village in flames, for the Indians had set fire to it.

Sunday, October 5, they came to Calahuchi. Two Indians and one Indian woman were taken and a large amount of dried venision. There the guide whom they had ran away. The next day they went on, taking for a guide an old Indian who led them at random. An Indian woman took them to Iviahica (Anhayca Apalache in the Elvas narrative, and Iniahico in Biedma's "Relation") and they found all the people gone. The next day two captains went on and found all the people gone.

Johan de Anasco started out from that village, and eight leagues from it he found the port where Pamphilo de Narvaez had set sail in the vessels which he made. He recognized it by the headpieces (skulls) of the horses and the place where the forge was set up and the mangers and the mortars that they used to grind corn and by the crosses cut in the trees.

They spent the winter there, and remained until the 4th of March, 1540. During this time many notable things befell them with the Indians, who are the bravest of men and whose great courage and boldness the discerning reader may imagine from what follows. For example, two Indians once rushed out against eight men on horseback. Twice they set the village on fire, and with ambuscades they repeatedly killed many Christians.

Although the Spaniards pursued the Indians and burned them, they were never willing to make peace. If their hands and noses were cut off they made no more account of it than if each of them had been a Mucius Scaevole of Rome. Not one of them, for fear of death, denied that he belonged to Apalache. When they were taken and asked from whence they were they replied proudly, "From whence am I? I am an Indian of Apalache. " They gave one to understand that they would be insulted if they were thought to be of any other tribe than the Apalaches.

The Governor decided to go farther inland because an Indian lad gave great reports of what there was in the interior. The Governor sent Johan de Anasco with 30 horse for Captain Calderon and the soldiers left in the harbor (of Espiritu Santo). There they burned the village and the supplies which they left.

Captain Calderon came by land with all the soldiers, and Johan de Anasco came by sea with the brigantines and boats to the harbor of Apalache.

Johan de Anasco arrived at the harbor on Saturday, November 19 (This appears to be the first error of chronology in Ranjel's narrative as the date given occurred on a Wednesday. The date given by Elvas of Sunday, December 28 is more likely correct.) Immediately Maldonado was dispatched along shore with the brigantines to discover a harbor to the west. At the same time, Captain Calderon arrived with all his force -- less two men and seven horses that the Indians killed on the way.

Maldonado discovered an excellent harbor and brought an Indian from the province adjacent to this coast which was called A ch use. He also brought a good blanket of sable fur. They had seen others in Apalache but none like that.

Captain Maldonado was sent to Havana and left Apalache the 26th of February, 1540. He had the instructions and command of the Governor that he should return to the port that he had discovered and to that coast where the Governor expected to arrive.

PRINCIPAL CLUES FROM RANJEL

1. From Ranjel's account we have many clues regarding the landing place:
2. Land was seen on the "northern" coast of Florida.
3. The fleet anchored two leagues from shore in four fathoms of water or less, unusually extensive shallows even for Florida waters.
4. An Indian village named Ocita was located near the sea shore, another of the same chief was well inland.
5. The channel into the port was narrow enough to require marking with station ships, yet direct enough through the shallows to permit the ships to sail straight in from four or five leagues off.
6. On the way in the fleet encountered "many shallows" and two of the largest ships scraped a sand bottom.