Alvaro Mexia was a 17th-century

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

explorer and

cartographer Cartography (; from , 'papyrus, sheet of paper, map'; and , 'write') is the study and practice of making and using maps. Combining science, aesthetics and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality (or an imagined reality) can ...

of the east coast of

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

. Mexia was stationed in

St Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; ; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430) was a theologian and philosopher of Berbers, Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia (Roman province), Numidia, Roman North Africa. His writings deeply influenced th ...

and was given a diplomatic mission to the native populations living south of St. Augustine and in the

Cape Canaveral Cape Canaveral () is a cape (geography), cape in Brevard County, Florida, in the United States, near the center of the state's Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. Officially Cape Kennedy from 1963 to 1973, it lies east of Merritt Island, separated ...

area. This mission resulted in a "Period of Friendship" between the Spanish and the Ais native population. When Pedro de Ibarra became the Spanish Governor of Florida, he knew the Spanish needed to improve relations with the natives, so he sent Mexia on a diplomatic mission in

1605 Events January–March * January 1 – William Shakespeare's play ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'', copyrighted 1600, is given its earliest recorded performance, and witnessed by the Viscount Dorchester. * January 7 – Shakespeare's play ' ...

to gain knowledge of the lands and populations south of St. Augustine, as well as to assist that year's treasure fleet on its way back to Spain. Mexia wrote about his experiences among the native Ais in a document known as a ''Derrotero'', a self-proclaimed "truthful account" and description of his journey in the land of the Ais. Mexia also created a map in color. His journey completed in 1605, his ''Derrotero'' and map were sent to the King of Spain in a letter from Pedro de Ibarra. His letters and map show native towns and place names south of St. Augustine. These include: *

Surruque The Surruque people lived along the middle Atlantic coast of Florida during the 16th and 17th centuries. They may have spoken a dialect of the Timucua language, but were allied with the Ais. The Surruque became clients of the Spanish government ...

In New Smyrna Beach. Mexia and his party arrived at Surruque on June 6, 1605, and remained in the area for eight days while he waited for orders to proceed to the Ais Indian Nation. * Nocoroco town – mouth of Tomoka River, in Volusia County * After leaving Nocoroco Mexia writes about passing by a ''buhio'', a West Indian (Arawak) word for a native hut. It came to be applied to anything from the family dwelling to the large communal lodge which according to Bishop Calderon, would accommodate 2000 to 3000 people. * Caparca site – New Smyrna (Volusia County) * Potopotoya –

Haulover Canal The Haulover Canal is a waterway north of Merritt Island, Florida, near the former site of Allenhurst, that connects Mosquito Lagoon with the Indian River, and is part of the Intracoastal Waterway. In the early 1960s there were plans to relocat ...

, place where Native Americans crossed land with their canoes * Savo * Lagoon of Sababoche – southern extent of the present-day

Banana River The Banana River is a lagoon that lies between the outer barrier islands and Merritt Island in Brevard County, Florida in the United States. It is part of the Indian River Lagoon system, and connects at its south end to the Indian River; it ...

* Town of Savochequeya – present-day Newfound Harbor on

Merritt Island, Florida Merritt Island is a peninsula, commonly referred to as an island, in Brevard County, Florida, United States, located on the eastern Florida coast, along the Atlantic Ocean. It is also the name of an unincorporated town in the central and south ...

* Lagoon of Ulumay – the Banana River Lagoon north of the Lagoon of Sababoche * Through "Callejon" to Pentoaya (Indian Harbor Beach on the barrier island and Eau Gallie on the mainland), a Distance of * Traverse of the Grand Bay of Ais * Two small islands in the Indian River Lagoon (one of which was Grant Farm Island) * Then to a small fresh water river, now called the Sebastian River * Then to the great Indian town of the Ais 1.5 leagues away (or about 4.5 to 5 miles), now called the Kroegel Homestead, but also called Barker's Bluff (8IR84) prior to the mound being sold for road-fill in the early 1900s Alvaro returned to St. Augustine and made his report to Ibarra on July 11, 1605, more than a month after his departure. The mission was considered a success as on September 2, 1605, the elusive Capitan Grande (an Ais Chief) finally arrived in St. Augustine accompanied by his ''mandador'' (a sort of deputy chief), the chiefs of Surruque and , and twenty Indians. Agreements were made that the Ais Indians would return shipwrecked sailors to the Spanish for a ransom.

References

External links

''The Florida Anthropologist'', Sept-Dec. 2010 http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00027829/00210/7j''The Florida Anthropologist'', March 2007 http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00027829/00200/23j
in

Seville Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Guadalquivir, ...

, Spain
Mexia's map of Florida
in: {{DEFAULTSORT:Mexia, Alvaro 17th-century Spanish explorers Explorers of Florida Spanish explorers of North America People from Cape Canaveral, Florida

References

Further reading

External links