Los Sobrevivientes de La Florida


the survivor listed in Smith-298, as being from Portugal, the
border of which is quite near Badajoz or Valverde.

 Alvarez, Juan. Son of Simon Alvarez and Maria Alvarez,
citizens of Valverde, SR-282.

 Alvarez, Rodrigo. Son of Andres Vasquez and Leonor
Rodriguez, citizens of Zafra, SR-307. This man seems to be the
same Rodrigo from Jerez listed as a surviving brother of Alonso
Vazquez in Smith-293. Zafra and Jerez are not more than
twenty-five miles apart.

 Amarilla, Juan de. Son of Juan de Amarilla and Maria
Gonzalez, citizens of Medellin, SR-304. Listed as survivor in
Smith-295.

 Aiiasco, Juan de. Distinguished conqueror of Florida, born in
Sevilla right at the beginning of the sixteenth century. The King
named him contador of the army that would accompany de Soto in
the exploration of Florida. By a royal cedula dated the fourth of
May 1537, he was permitted to trade with the natives of that
province as long as there were no duties on imports there.15 With
those two privileges Afiasco embarked from Sevilla for Cuba
where he remained for a while. Later, he was commissioned to
take a caravelle to the coast of Florida to discover and select a
good port and to bring back to Havana some natives that could
later serve as guides to the Christians. Upon his successful
completion of that mission, he embarked from Havana for Florida
with two male slaves, one female, and many pigs. Afiasco was
quite active during the expedition, especially after it reached the
land of Apalache. After the death of Commander de Soto, he
managed to construct a compass from an old clock, which proved
indispensable in finding the Painuco River in Mexico. In the city of
Puebla de los Angeles in that country, Afiasco made his probanza
in May 1544.16 By this document, which in essence is a list of the
services rendered by any individual to the Crown and usually
made with the purpose of requesting a royal grant or favor, we
learn the most about Afiasco. The rest is taken from Afiasco's own


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