Our Cat/1olic Heritage in Texas
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Tlze sea,·c/i j,·om Florida, 1686. In May, 1686, French corsairs attacked the town of St. Augustine with such ill success that they were captured by the Spanish garrison. Forty-five of the pirates were summarily tried and executed, together with their leader, Nicolas Brigaut. Before the latter was put to death he made a confession in which he declared that the French had settled on a large river, near Espiritu Santo Bay and that they had a well fortified post about forty leagues above the mouth. Governor Juan Marques Cabrera, who had received copies of the declara- tions of the pirates captured the year before off the coast of Yucatan, concluded that Brigaut's confession corroborated the statements concern- ing the French settlement and decided to send out an expedition to search for the town described. 30 Active preparations for the expedition were begun in June. Marcos Delgado, a veteran soldier of St. Augustine, who knew several native languages, was chosen as leader. His instructions were to explore care- fully all "provinces, lakes, rivers, and bays between Florida and Mexico." Should he fall into the hands of the French, he was to destroy all his papers with the exception of a letter from Governor Cabrera to the viceroy of Mexico, in which it was declared that the expedition had no other purpose than to explore the country. So sanguine was Cabrera in his hope of opening communication between Florida and Mexico, that he offered a liberal reward to any soldier who succeeded in delivering the letter to the viceroy. 31 Delgado, with thirteen soldiers and forty natives, left Apalache, the starting point of the expedition, on August 28, 1686. Resolutely the little band set out to the northwest, literally blazing a trail over unknown territory until they came to Micalusa, the first town of Tabasa, more than one hundred leagues from Apalache, on September 17. The natives appear to have welcomed the visitors and on the following day six other chiefs came to meet the Spaniards. Delgado distributed gifts among them freely, explained to them that he was on an important mission for the king of Spain and asked them for provisions. His supply had been almost exhausted by this time. The Indians replied that on account of the severe drought, they had nothing they could give him. Delgado wrote a report to Governor Cabrera of the success of the expedition up s 0 cabrera to the Viceroy, July 22, 1 686, Delgado Expedie11te, A. G. I., Audiencia de Mexico, 61-6-20 (Dunn Transcripts, 1671-1685, p. 84). s11nstructions to Delgado, June 28, 1686, in Ibid., 62-63; Cabrera to the Viceroy, June 28, 1686, Ibid., 60-61.
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