The Search for Mavila, part 5 or 6 or 7

[E.P. Grondine]

One current hypothesis is that De Soto was looking for a way to the Pacific Ocean, and that is what motivated his search after Mauvilla.

I do not think so. I think that after the battle he was trying to make his way to the Chickasaw, enemies of the Mauvilla.

I think De Soto learned from the Chickasaw that Pakana (the Piankashaw) was the source of their float copper.

As in South America gold and silver had been in association with copper, that fact determined his course to Pakana.

As a consequence, I believe that his route took a turn north up the Tennessee River at Florence, and that he met the Alabama along the Trace there.

That leaves the Tucabachee in the area of Nashville.

[E.P. Grondine]

Let's review. And pardon the typos, I've had a stroke and will try to fix them later.

The Chickasaw Traditional History remembered a part of thier nation being in on the Savannah River at the Atlantic Ocean
when the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1537 hit them.

When De Soto passes through Cofi, he is joined by the War Chief Patosa who attacks a town belonging to Cofatiqui.

From there, when De Soto gets to Coosa, he takes a war party of theirs with him and attacks another town.

Then Tuscalusa, "Death Warrior" shows up. Ooops.

You have to remember that the Spaniards would try to find Native allies, with which to attack the dominant people.
They'd done this in Mexico and Peru.
Particularly in a case like Cofatiqui, where De Soto hoped to find GOLD.

After the battle of Mabila, De Soto heads for another Mushkogean people, the Chickasaw.

Along the way, he first meets the Falaya, who are later a division of the Choctaw.

Then he meets the Moculixa.

He crosses into Chickasaw lands, at which point the Chief of the Chickasaw calls all of his neighbors to a conference.
The Nilco send their War Chief, Nicolusa.
The Alabama show up, and then leave to build their fort along the route De Soto takes to Pakana (the Piankashaw),
where he thinks there is GOLD.

The ChocHouma (located at today's Yazoo City) do not show up at the Chief of the Chickasaw's conference, and the Chickasaw attack them with De Soto's aid.

THEN the Moculixa and also the Falaya from the town of Talipatua (also spelled with other variants) , decide to pay De Soto a visit at the Chickasaw capitol.

Garsilaso's informant thinks that they are part of the Chickasaw, which causes no end of confusion to American English historians.

The Moculixa were the Im-Okla-sha, "the People who are here", one of the major divisions (Swanton's "Moeities") of the Choctaw.

I hope this helps clear things up a little.

[E.P. Grondine]

I want to add that the level of scholarship on De Soto sources is bad enough to make any biblical text scholar either laugh or shudder.

I disagree with both Hudson and Galloway on situation of The Gentleman of Elvas' account.

It appears to me the Rangel got word from his friends in Portugal, if not by his own interaction with Oviedo, as to what purpose Oviedo intended to make of the expanision of his Field Diary which he had done for the Royal Cosmographer (Mapmaker).

Rangwel must somehow have suppressed Oviedo's publication.

At which point Rangel used one of the Portugese horsemen to present their version of events.

Surely there were not so many Portugese horsemen that a search of geneaological records and the use of "us" and "we" can not further identify him.

[E.P. Grondine]

A final gripe from Ye Olde Curmudgeon:

The last time I visited Vincennes, Indiana's management of Pyramid Mound was disgraceful.
It is very strange, considering the role tourism plays in Vincennes' economy.
I hope they have improved.

[Minimalist]

I'd imagine that the recession makes that a forlorn hope, E.P.