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De Soto sent a captain to explore Pensacola
Source: Early History of the Creek Indians and Their Neighbors #121
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In November, 1539, while De Soto was in the Province of Apalachee, Maldonado was despatched westward in the brigantines. He returned reporting that he had discovered an excellent harbor. He "brought an Indian from the province adjacent to this coast, which was called Achuse, and he brought a good blanket of sable fur. They had seen others in Apalache, but none like that." This is from Ranjel's account.3 The Fidalgo of Elvas says that this province, which he calls "Ochus," was " sixty leagues from Apalache " and that Maldonado had "found a sheltered port with a good depth of water." 8 Biedma states that Maldonado "coasted along the country, and entered all the coves, creeks, and rivers he discovered, until he arrived at a river having a good entrance and harbour, with an Indian town on the seaboard. Some inhabitants approaching to traffic, he took one of them, and directly turned back with him to join us." He adds that he was absent on this voyage two months.4 Later the bay in which the De Luna colonists established themselves is called the "Bay of Ichuse," or "Ychuse," but it is uncertain whether this was Mobile or Pensacola.1 Nevertheless, what Biedma says of the river and his later statement, when the army reached what must have been the Alabama, or a stream between it and the Tombigbee, that they considered it to be "that which empties into the Bay of Chuse," 2 along with the further fact that they there heard of the brigantines,5 would seem to indicate Mobile. An interesting point in connection with this expedition of Maldonado is the mention of the "good blanket of sable fur" superior to anything they had seen in Apalachee, because it will be recalled that Cabeza de Vaca noticed in the very same region "a robe of marten-ermine skin" which he believed to be "the finest in the world." 4 The blankets seen by Cabeza de Vaca and the companions of De Soto were probably of the same sort, and it is likely that the Indians of that particular region had peculiar skill in making them. The names Achuse, Ochus, Ichuse, Ychuse recall the Hitchiti word Otcisi, "people of a different speech," and it is not improbable that the term occurred likewise in Apalachee and was applied to this province because the Pensacola and Mobile languages were distinct from those spoken east of them. (Swanton)
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