Navigating the American West: A History by Permar Thomas

Author:Permar, Thomas [Permar, Thomas]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The Western Sea Press
Published: 2015-04-14T21:00:00+00:00

The mariners and others with them, having pondered the fact that this man was not a seaman, and indeed he had never embarked in his life except for this expedition, ridiculed him. Then when he learned that they were making fun of him, he threw all of these things into the sea except the astrolabe. But they were rescued by another brigantine which came behind, for the chart and the forestaff were bound together. Thus we traveled, or better said, navigated, seven or eight days, when a storm coming up, we took shelter in a cove (Varner 1951, 600).

The incident provides another telling comment on the character of Juan de Añasco. Even in his anger, he only threw overboard the navigational aids that would float long enough to be rescued, not the heavy brass astrolabe that would have immediately sunk and been lost forever.

The survivors of the de Soto expedition spent three years wandering over much of what are now the southeastern United States searching for the instant wealth of gold and silver. When self-preservation finally overcame greed, they spent another year and a half attempting to escape from that land, traveling overland as far as Texas before retreating to the Mississippi to take the water route to New Spain. By then all had long forgotten the goal of establishing settlements in the new territories. After more than two months in open boats, sailing and rowing down the Mississippi River and across the Gulf of Mexico, what was left of the de Soto expedition reached the Spanish outpost at Panuco, near present-day Tampico, Mexico. What the survivors saw at this shabby little Spanish settlement had a profound effect on how they would view their four-and-a-half-year ordeal in La Florida. At Panuco, settlers, including Spanish gentlemen, lived in hovels and worked unproductive fields like peasants. Only then did the survivors realize what they had left behind in La Florida: fertile lands for farming and ranching, a land teeming with game—a source of hides and pelts that would bring a high price back in New Spain. Most had invested everything they had to join the expedition, and at the end of their travel and hardships, they had nothing left but the ragged animal skins they were dressed in. Feelings ran so high that discipline completely broke down. Soldiers attacked officers who had counseled for the flight from La Florida.

The expedition of Coronado ended with similar results. No gold or other wealth was discovered. After the fact, Coronado, too, was bitterly denounced because he had failed to establish Spanish settlements in the new land. But with the usual twist of human nature, none of the survivors of either expedition, when given the chance to return, took the offer. Some gave up the New World to return to Spain. The more adventurous headed south to Peru, once again dazzled by the lure of gold and instant riches. By the end of these two expeditions, Spanish explorers had traveled over most of the southern half

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