The surviving narratives of Hernando de Soto’s 1539–1542 expedition record several moments when Native Americans mentioned gold (or the Spaniards believed gold was present). Below are all instances found in the primary chronicles of Garcilaso de la Vega, the anonymous “Gentleman of Elvas,” and Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés (based on Rodrigo Ranjel’s diary). Each entry describes what was said or brought, who spoke, and notes the source, location, and approximate date.
- Misheard “Orotiz” as “oro (gold)” (Garcilaso de la Vega) – At the village of cacique Hirrihigua (on the central Gulf Coast of Florida, near modern Tampa Bay, ca. mid-1539), one of Hirrihigua’s vassal Indians was telling his story of Juan Ortiz to the Spaniards. When he spoke the name “Ortiz” with a dialectal slur (“Orotiz”), the eager Spanish listeners (whose goal was “to go in search of gold”) misinterpreted it as “oro” (gold)earlyfloridalit.net. They immediately celebrated the word, even though the Indian had meant Ortiz’s name, not gold. (Source: Garcilaso de la Vega, La Florida del Inca, Book 2, ch.5earlyfloridalit.net.)
- De Soto asks Cacique Mococo about gold (Gentleman of Elvas) – Shortly after landing, at the port of Espiritu Santo (on Florida’s Gulf coast) de Soto questioned a visiting chief, Mococo, “if he had heard of any land where there was gold or silver.” Mococo replied that he had traveled no more than ten leagues from his town and knew of no such land. He added that about thirty leagues inland lived a chief named Paracoxi who might know of “good land,” but nothing about goldearlyfloridalit.net. This brief exchange shows de Soto actively probing for gold, and Mococo’s honest (or evasive) answer that he knew of none. (Source: Gentleman of Elvas, Relaçam Verdadeira, ch.10earlyfloridalit.net.)
- Rumor of “Cale” with gold hats (Gentleman of Elvas) – The very next day, at the same port of Espiritu Santo, thirty Indians sent by Paracoxi came to meet De Soto’s captain Baltasar de Gallegos. When Gallegos asked if there was any “rich land where there was gold or silver,” they told him of a western province “called Cale” whose people paid tribute and were at war with eastern tribes. Crucially, they said that land “had gold in abundance,” and its warriors “wore hats of gold resembling helmets”earlyfloridalit.net. De Soto and his men “received great joy” at hearing thisearlyfloridalit.netearlyfloridalit.net, believing it might be true. Emboldened by this rumor, de Soto marched inland toward the land of Cale in hope of finding gold. (Source: Gentleman of Elvas, Relaçam Verdadeira, ch.10earlyfloridalit.netearlyfloridalit.net.)
- “Yupaha” queen and gold tribute (Gentleman of Elvas) – In early October 1540, after De Soto’s force attacked the Apalachee town of Napetuca in northern Florida, they took many captives. A youth captured there (brought to de Soto by treasurer Juan de Gaytán) claimed to be from a distant land “called Yupaha” far to the east (at the “rising sun” direction)earlyfloridalit.net. He said that this land was ruled by a powerful “queen” who collected tribute from neighboring chiefs – some paid in cloth, others in “gold in abundance”earlyfloridalit.net. He vividly described how the gold was dug from mines, melted and refined. The Spaniards were so impressed by his account (“all who knew anything of this said it was impossible to give so good an account…unless one had seen it”) that they “believed whatever he said”earlyfloridalit.net. In other words, the captive’s tale of the Yupaha queen’s gold made the Spaniards eager to find that distant province. (Source: Gentleman of Elvas, Relaçam Verdadeira, ch.12earlyfloridalit.net.)
- Spaniard’s “trace of gold” and rumors (Oviedo/Ranjel) – In the late spring of 1540, after leaving the town of Cofitachequi (in present-day South Carolina/Georgia), the expedition reached a village called Talimeco near the Alaminos River (likely in Alabama). The chronicler records that “a native of Cuba (although a Spaniard)” had claimed to find a small trace of gold in those partseada.lib.umd.edu. This tidbit passed from man to man, spreading among the soldiers: they began to “believe that it was a land of gold” with rich mines nearbyeada.lib.umd.edu. In short, even a hint of gold set off wild rumors in the camp. (Source: Oviedo (ed. Bourne), based on Rodrigo Ranjel’s diaryeada.lib.umd.edu.)
- Gold-mining signs at Xuala (Oviedo/Ranjel) – Shortly after the above incident, De Soto’s party arrived at the chiefdom of Xuala (in central Alabama) on May 15–16, 1540. The Spaniards were well received there, and upon examining the region the chronicler noted: “in that Xuala region it seemed that there were more indications that there were gold mines than in all the country [they] had traversed in that northern region”eada.lib.umd.edu. In other words, local geology (or perhaps hearsay from the Xuala people) gave the impression of gold prospecting. No actual gold was produced, but the observation reveals how hopeful the Spaniards remained that they were nearing treasures. (Source: Oviedo (Ranjel diary)eada.lib.umd.edu.)
There was a notable instance during Hernando de Soto’s expedition where the Native Americans presented what appeared to be gold, but it turned out to be primarily copper, leading to significant disappointment among the Spaniards.
This event occurred in May 1540 when de Soto’s expedition reached the chiefdom of Cofitachequi, located in present-day South Carolina. The Spaniards were greeted by the Lady of Cofitachequi, who offered them hospitality and gifts, including strands of freshwater pearls and various metal objects. Initially, these items were believed to be made of gold and silver. However, upon closer examination, the Spaniards discovered that the supposed gold was actually burnished copper, and the silver was merely mica. This realization was a significant letdown for de Soto and his men, who were in relentless pursuit of precious metals. Wikipedia+2WNC Magazine+2National Park Service+2Wikipedia+1WNC Magazine+1American Heritage
Despite the disappointment, the expedition did seize a substantial amount of freshwater pearls—reportedly around 350 pounds. However, many of these pearls were of poor quality, being either discolored or damaged. The lack of valuable metals and the subpar condition of the pearls contributed to the growing frustration and disillusionment within the expedition. American Heritage+1Wikipedia+1National Park Service
This incident at Cofitachequi exemplifies the recurring theme of unmet expectations that plagued de Soto’s journey through the southeastern United States, as the expedition repeatedly encountered materials that mimicked the appearance of gold but lacked its value.
Beyond the well-documented disappointment at Cofitachequi, there was another instance during Hernando de Soto’s expedition where the Spaniards were misled by reports of gold, only to find copper instead.
Encounter with the Chisca Tribe:
In June 1540, while traversing the southeastern United States, de Soto’s expedition reached the village of Chiaha, located on an island in the French Broad River near present-day Dandridge, Tennessee. During their stay, the chief of a nearby village named Coste informed de Soto about the Chisca tribe, who allegedly possessed mines of “yellow metal” situated approximately thirty leagues to the northeast. Intrigued by the prospect of finding gold, de Soto dispatched a small party to investigate these claims.Wikipedia
The expedition members journeyed into the rugged terrain of the Appalachian Mountains, reaching the territory of the Chisca. There, they found only minor copper resources, not the anticipated gold. Disappointed, the Spaniards returned to the main expedition, having realized that the “yellow metal” was not the precious gold they sought but rather copper.Wikipedia
This episode underscores the recurring theme of the expedition: the relentless pursuit of wealth based on rumors and secondhand information, often leading to disillusionment and hardship.
Each of the above episodes comes from a primary narrative of the expedition. The table below summarizes them for quick reference.
| Event / Description | Chronicle & Author | Location | Date (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian vassal says “Orotiz”; Spaniards mishear it as oro (“gold”)earlyfloridalit.net. | Garcilaso de la Vega, Florida of the Inca(1605) | Cacique Hirrihigua’s village (SW Florida, near Tampa Bay) | Summer 1539 (Florida) |
| De Soto asks Cacique Mococo about gold; Mococo replies “no,” mentions Chief Paracoxiearlyfloridalit.net. | Gentleman of Elvas, Relaçam Verdadeira(1557) | Port of Espíritu Santo (Gulf Coast, Florida) | 1539 (Florida coast) |
| Paracoxi Indians report a western province “Cale” with abundant gold and warriors with gold hatsearlyfloridalit.net. | Gentleman of Elvas, Relaçam Verdadeira | Port of Espíritu Santo (Florida) | 1539 (Florida) |
| Captive youth from distant “Yupaha” claims its queen has gold in abundance (mines, refining)earlyfloridalit.net. | Gentleman of Elvas, Relaçam Verdadeira | Napetuca (Apalachee Province, NW Florida) | Oct 1540 (Apalachee) |
| A Spaniard (from Cuba) claims to find a trace of gold; army rumors “land of gold”eada.lib.umd.edu. | Oviedo (from Ranjel diary, ed. Bourne, 1922) | Alaminos River region (Talimeco, likely AL) | May 1540 (Cofitachequi) |
| Xuala region “seemed…to have more indications of gold mines” than any land yeteada.lib.umd.edu. | Oviedo (from Ranjel diary) | Xuala (Alabama) | May 1540 (Alabama) |
Each entry above is drawn directly from the 16th-century sources (in translation) and shows how reports of gold – whether true or mistaken – circulated during the de Soto expedition.
Sources: Quotations and details are from the original expedition chronicles: Garcilaso de la Vega, La Florida del Inca(Book?II, trans. Varner)earlyfloridalit.net; the anonymous Relaçam Verdadeira (“True Relation” of 1557) by the Gentleman of Elvasearlyfloridalit.netearlyfloridalit.netearlyfloridalit.netearlyfloridalit.net; and Gonzalo F. de Oviedo y Valdés’s Narrative of de Soto’s Expedition (based on Rodrigo Ranjel’s diary, ed. Bourne)eada.lib.umd.edueada.lib.umd.edu. These are contemporaneous accounts of De Soto’s journey in La Florida and adjacent regions.