where some of it
could be procured, and guided them to the town or village where they
dwelt, where some maize was growing in a field in the environs. In the
same place, they found some Spanish chests, in each of which was a dead
body wrapped up in painted deers skins; and as the commissary Juan
Xuarez considered this to be some idolatrous institution, he ordered the
chests and bodies to be burned. They likewise found some pieces of linen
and woollen cloth, with several plumes of feathers which seemed to have
come from Mexico, and a small quantity of gold. Being interrogated by
signs whence these things were procured, the Indians made them
understand by similar means that there was great abundance of gold in a
province at a very great distance called _Apalache_[129].

[Footnote 129: The name of Apalache is now given to a large bay on the
western coast of East Florida, and towards its northern extremity, the
bottom or northern extremity of which is in lat. 30 deg. N. and long. 67 deg.
13' W. where a small river named St Marks enters the sea. The river
Apalachicola, likewise named R. des Cahuilas, or Catahoche, runs into
the western part of the same bay by two mouths, the easternmost of which
is about fifteen miles S.W. of St. Marts River, and western mouth about
twenty miles farther to the W.S.W. The same name is applied to the south
western extremity of the great range of mountains in the middle states
of North America; dividing the Atlantic country from the western waters
which run into the Ohio, called Blue Mountains, Alleghany Mountains, and
Apalachean Mountains. These last divide North Carolina from the sources
of the Tenassee and Cumberland rivers. A part likewise of Georgia, east
from the Apalachicola river, along the northern boundary of East
Florida, is still named the Apalachi country.--E.]

Twelve leagues from thence they came to an Indian town consisting of
fifteen houses, near which there was great plenty of maize just ripe.
Narvaez and others were of opinion that they should march immediately
into the interior, sending the ships in search of a safe harbour on the
coast; but the treasurer of the expedition, Alvar Nunnez Gabeza de Vaca,
advised that they should all embark till such time as a safe harbour
could be discovered. The other opinion prevailed, and the whole land
forces set out upon their march on the 1st of May, being about three
hundred foot and forty horse, every man carrying two pounds of biscuit,