Date published: 1922-01-01
Source: Early History of the Creek Indians and Their Neighbors (ID121)
Author: Swanton, John (ID85)
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Race described: Indian
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Content id: 688
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1609-01-01 - 1609-12-31

Spaniards captured a Frenchman on the Santee riveredit

On his second expedition toward the north, in 1609, Francisco Fernandez de Ecija had as interpreter, "for all that coast," Maria de Miranda, a woman from the neighborhood of Santa Elena, named presumably from the former governor of Santa Elena, Gutierrez de Miranda. In Cayagua entrance (Charleston Harbor) he met a Christian Indian, Alonso, with whom he had previously had dealings and who is spoken of as "interpreter (lengua) of the River Jordan," the Santee, upon which stream his own town was located. Ecija states that Alonso and Maria de Miranda understood one another and even goes so far as to state that " they spoke the same language."...however, it is evident...only that they understood and could use the same languages, for just below Ecija says of another Indian whom he calls "mandador of the River Jordan" that he spoke through the said Maria de Miranda, "because the said Indian understood something of the language of Escamaqu." This indicates that the language of the Santee River people was distinct from that of "Escamaqu" or Santa Elena. While he was on the Santee, Ecija secured the surrender of a French man living among the "Sati" (Santee) Indians. This man declared that he had obtained news of the English colony to the northward from three Indians, and when the explorers were in Charleston Harbor on their return an Indian came down the river who he said was one of those who had informed him. Ecija questioned this Indian, but "understanding that he (the Indian) understood the language of Santa Elena, the said captain (Ecija) commanded that the said Maria de Miranda should speak with him. Then he asked him through her the same questions that the Frenchman had asked him in the language of Sati."1 These facts show plainly that the language spoken on Santee River and that of Santa Elena were not mutually intelligible. (Swanton)

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