Title: The Doomed Journey of Panfilo de Narvaez in Florida
Headings: Explorer Panfilo de Narvaez Found Disaster in Florida
Explorer Panfilo de Narvaez Found Disaster in Florida
The search for riches ended with just four survivors
In Pursuit of Cortes
The Battle of Cempoala
A New Expedition
Narvaez in Florida
The Mission Fails
The Death of Panfilo de Narvaez
The Aftermath of the Narvaez Expedition
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Content: By then, many of the soldiers had deserted, and only about 300 men remained. Narvaez in Florida
Narvaez and his men clumsily made their way inland, attacking every tribe they met. The expedition had brought insufficient supplies and survived by pillaging meager Native American storehouses, which caused violent retaliation. The conditions and lack of food caused many in the company to become ill, and within a few weeks, a third of the members of the expedition were severely incapacitated. The going was tough because Florida was then full of rivers, swamps, and forests. The Spanish were killed and picked off by irate natives, and Narvaez made a series of tactical blunders, including frequently dividing his forces and never seeking allies. The Mission Fails
The men were dying, picked off individually and in small groups by native attacks. Supplies had run out, and the expedition had alienated every native tribe it had encountered. With no hope to establish any sort of settlement and with no help coming, Narvaez decided to abort the mission and return to Cuba. He had lost touch with his ships and ordered the construction of four large rafts.