Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1899-04-27
FLORIDA POCAHOHTAS.

1"S piCASf1 W Eeiat6
over and over the story OF one
event, and leave but bare margi-
nal note, as it were, of 8 like oc-
curence.
For instance, every school-boy
declains the story of how Pocahon-
tas saved John Smith from the
cruel tomahawk of the Indian exe-
cutioner, and every child's history
Of our nation gives Q chapter to the
incident. while the partial Clio
aatsnioHn &C half fosssstsa 4sns,
the mention of how the beautiful
daughter of Uteca, chief of the
Floridian tribes, saved by her en-
treaties the Spanish adventurer,
lean Ortiz.
Seven decades before the plead
ings of the daughter of Powhatan
saved Smith, this drama was being
enacted ih the wilds of Florida.
Ortiz was born fo- many adven-
tures. He was q native of Seville.
When a mere youth, he was daz.
zled by the story of conquest and
wealth in the New World. The
achievements of Spanish conquer
ors in Mexico and Peru had flashed
into everg mind the hope that other
rich surprises waited for the grasp
of bold hands.
In 1928 Pamphilo de Narvaez
fitted an expedition for the eonque:
OF Florida. Jean Ortiz, then
youth, sailed with Narvaez. 1t was
an ill-fated expedition. OF three
hundred men who set sail from
Spain, but four or five survived
famine. fever, pestilence, and ship
wreck to return to their native
land.
In one of the engagements of
Naryaez and his men with the In
dians, always hostile to the invad-
ers on these gulf shores, Ortiz was
taSen captive. He was doomed to
be burned to death, but was saved
by the entreaties Of Uteca's fair
daughter. A light task was as
signed John Smith-the making of
beads and gewgaws for the pleasure
of Pocahontas. Not SO the task
set Ortiz. Though his life was
spared, he was treated with much
cruelty, and was put te guard a
lonely temple, where the Indian
dead were laid. A grewsome task
for the once gay young Sevillian.
to watch day and night in the
house of the dead. amid dense for
ests rife with fever breaths and
haunted by strange and malignant
reptiles.
For twelve years he was a pris-
oner of this tribe. In later years
Of bis captivity his captors grew
more lenient. He became in ap-
pearanoe like one of themselves.
Such attire as they wore, "mats of
ivy" and feathers, he perforce
adopted. His body was like theirs
'-''razed" or tattooed in many
colors. This "razing" gave to the
natives the appearance, so say the
old narrators. of being clad in silk
en- hose and doublet.
Twelve wears passed, and news
reached the tribe of the landing on
their coast of another army of
SPAN. This was the splendi1ly-
equipped expedition of Hernsndo
De Soto, newly appointed governor
Of Cuba and Adelantado OF Florida.
This expedition, into which De
Soto had put all his vast wealth.
acquired IN his service in the con-
quest of Peru, was the most COM
plete and magnificently-equipped
that had ever set foot on American
shores. Ortiz heard the news with
joy, and, accompanying q band of
Indians towards the coast, he eag-
erly anticipated the meeting with
his country men.
The little band soon encountered
detachment of soldiers under Bal
tssar de Gallegos. These detach-
ments were sent from the main
army to capture Indians from whom
their leaders hoped to learn of
stories of gold and wealth of gems.
The Spanish charged the little
band, and Alvaro Neito was bear
ing down with his lance upon one
of the number, when q loud cry ar
rested his charge "Slay NE not
| am q Christian. / am a Chris
tian -
Amazed at hearing his native
tongue in the wilds of Florida,
Neito held hand to the Christian.