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[Edited/Revised: June 15, 2000]
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Mabila, Alibamu - Zip Code Unknown
A Research Work
[With Permission from the University of Alabama Press]
Copyright © 2000
by
Robert D. Boyd
rdboyd@aol.com

Translated Texts from the Original Narrations
of
Luis Hernandez de Biedma [participant]
Portuguese gentleman from Elvas [participant]
Garcilaso de la Vega [Interviewer of 3+ participants]
Rodrigo Rangel [participant]

[The only known true sources of the de Soto Expedition]

This work has been extracted primarily from
The De Soto Chronicles
by
Lawrence A. Clayton
Vernon James Knight, Jr.
Edward C. Moore

[ISBN No. 0-8173-0824-5]
[Two Volume Set]

[Relating only to Don Hernando de Soto's Expedition
through Tascaluca's Province]

Copyright © 1993
by
The University of Alabama Press
Tuscaloosa and London

Additional Information Furnished
by
Donald Sheppard
of the
Hernando de Soto Spanish Conquest
of North America

[Refer to related Link Below]

Hernando de Soto's Trail thru southwest Alabama

[Italics are quotes from the main or other sources]

Mabila
[Distance of travel and location questionable but said to be 3 days travel from Piachi]

October 18, 1540

On Monday, the eighteenth of October, the day of St. Luke, the governor [de Soto and his advance horse soldiers] arrived at Mabila having passed that day through some towns. But these towns detained the [remainder of the] soldiers, pillaging and scattering themselves [raping and robbing], for the land seemed populous, thus only forty on horseback arrived in advance guard with the governor, and since the remainder of the army was detained, in order for the governor not to show weakness, he entered in the town with the cacique, and all entered with him. The Indians then did an "areito", which is their kind of ball with dancing and singing [Source: Rangel, The De Soto Chronicles, Vol. 1, Page 292].

While watching this some soldiers [assigned 'spies'] saw the Indians placing bundles of bows and arrows secretively in some palm leaves, and other Christians saw that the huts were filled high and low with concealed people...the governor gathered all the forty on horseback who were there, and they arrived at a large plaza in front of the principal gate of Mabila, and there the Indians came forth, without daring to venture far from the palisade;... [Source: Rangel, The De Soto Chronicles, Vol. 1, Page 292].

We arrived at Mavila one day at nine in the morning. It was a small and very strongly palisaded town and was situated on a plain. There were some Indian houses on the outside of the palisade, but we found that the Indians had demolished all of them to the ground in order to have the field more clear. Some important Indians came forth to us upon seeing us and asked the governor [de Soto], through the interpreter, whether he wished to spend the night there on that plain or if he wished to enter within the town and said that in the afternoon they would give us the Indians [women that de Soto had requested (demanded)] for the burdens [of sexual pleasure]. It seemed to the governor [de Soto] that it was better to enter in the town with them, and he commanded us all to enter in there, and so we did it [Source: Biedma, The De Soto Chronicles, Vol. 1, Page 233].

Having entered within, we were walking with the Indians, chatting, as if we had them in peace, because only three hundred or four hundred appeared there, but there were a good five thousand Indians in the town, hidden in the houses [Source: Biedma, The De Soto Chronicles, Vol. 1, Page 233].

He [de Soto] reached Mavilla on Monday, the eighteenth of October, going in the vanguard with fifteen horse and thirty foot. A Christian, whom he had sent with a message to the chief three or four days before, in order that the latter might not go away, and also in order to see the disposition of the Indians, came out of the town. He told him [the governor [de Soto] that it appeared to him [the messenger] that they [the Indians] were evilly disposed, because when he was there many man [sic] and many arms had entered the town and they had made great haste to strengthen the stockade. [Source: Elvas, The De Soto Chronicles, Vol. 1, Page 98].

[No date given]
As soon as the two soldiers left the camp, the governor [de Soto] ordered a hundred cavalry and a hundred infantry to prepare to go with him and with Tascaluca, both of them desiring to be in the vanguard that day. He left orders that the maese de campo follow immediately after him with the rest of the army. The latter was late in leaving, and his men marched scattered through the country hunting and enjoying themselves [looting and raping], quite overlooking the possibility of a battle because of the undisturbed peace that they had enjoyed throughout the summer, up to that time [Source: Garcelaso, The De Soto Chronicles, Vol. 2, Page 330].

The governor [de Soto], who was marching with more caution, reached the pueblo of Mauvila at eight o'clock in the morning. It contained few houses, scarcely more than eight, but they were all very large and some had a capacity of fifteen hundred persons, others of a thousand, and the smaller ones of more than five hundred [Source: Garcelaso, The De Soto Chronicles, Vol. 2, Page 330].

The pueblo [Mabila] was situated on a very beautiful plain [indicative of having viewed the pueblo from a distance with a vantage over it upon arrival] and had an enclosure three estados [a unit of measurement equal to about 5 or 6 feet X 3 = 15 to 18 feet] high, which was made of logs as thick as oxen. They were driven into the ground [indicative of softer ground in which to place such beams upright] so close together that they touched one another. Other beams, longer and not so thick, were placed crosswise on the outside and inside and attached with split canes and strong cords. On top they were daubed with a great deal of mud [some researches have actually written in their works "lime" or "limestone" substance terms without any such words ever being included in the original narrations of those that were there --although very possibly such mud was indeed limestone, such acts of interpretation are totally unacceptable to both scientists and researchers seeking the truth in knowledge] and packed down with long straw; a mixture that filled all the cracks and open spaces between the logs and their fastenings in such a manner that it really looked like a wall finished with a mason's trowel. At intervals of fifty paces [approximately 150 feet or 50 yards] around this enclosure were towers capable of holding seven or eight men who could fight in them. The lower part of the enclosure, to the height of an estado [a unit of measurement equal to about 5 to 6 feet], which was full of loopholes [circular cut-outs] for shooting arrows at those on the outside. The pueblo had only two gates, one on the east and the other one on the west. In the middle was a spacious plaza around which were the largest and most important houses [Source: Garcelaso, The De Soto Chronicles, Vol. 2, Page 331].
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Important Notation: The details of the Battle of Mabila will be presented on page 5 of this site. Because of the complexity regarding the battle of Mabila it is considered inappropriate, at this point, to present that battle as a part of this examination. If you prefer to continue with the narrations in a chronological order you may wish to continue on to Page 5 and then return back to this location after having done so.
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The number of Indians, men and women, who perished in this conflict by the sword and by fire was thought to exceed eleven thousand persons, because more than 2,500 men were left lying round about the pueblo, and among them they found the young Tascaluca, son of the cacique. Inside the pueblo more than three thousand Indians died by the sword, and one could not walk through the streets for the dead bodies. The fire consumed more than 3,500 souls in the houses, for in one house alone a thousand persons were burned, the fire cutting them off from the door and suffocating and burning them inside without their being able to get out. It was pitiful to see how they were left, and most of them were women [Source: Garcelaso, The De Soto Chronicles, Vol. 2, Pages 351-352].

For four leagues [1 league - 2.64 miles x 4 = 10.536 miles] round about in the woods, ravines, and streams, the Spaniards on going through the country found nothing but dead and wounded Indians, to the number of two thousand persons who had been unable to reach their houses. It was pitiful to hear them groaning in the woods, entirely helpless. [Source: Garcelaso, The De Soto Chronicles, Vol. 2, Pages 351-352].

October 19, 1540 - November 14, 1540
The battle having taken place in the manner stated above, they rested there until Sunday, the fourteenth of November, treating the wounded and the horses, and they burned a great part of the land. From the time that this Governor and his armies entered in the land of Florida up to the time that they left from there, all the dead were one hundred and two Christians, and not all, to my way of thinking, in true penitence [Source: Rangel, The De Soto Chronicles, Vol. 1, Page 294].

[No date given]
Since everything they were carrying for saying mass was burned in the battle of Mauvila, from that time on, by order of the priests, an altar was set up and adorned to be venerated on Sundays and feast days, whenever there was an opportunity to do so. Our Spaniards remained eight days in the rude huts that they erected within Mauvila, and when they were able to leave them they went to those the Indians had built for their lodgings, where they were better accommodated. They stayed there fifteen days longer treating the wounded, which included almost all of them [Source: Garcelaso, The De Soto Chronicles, Vol. 2, Pages 351-352].

In all the pueblos in the surrounding four leagues the Spaniards found many wounded Indians who had escaped from the battle, but they did not find a single Indian, man or woman, who was caring for them. They understood that they came at night to bring them provisions and in the daytime went back to the woods. The Castilians gave aid to such wounded Indians and divided with them the food that they found, rather than mistreating them. Not a single Indian appeared in the open country, and after a diligent search by the mounted men they captured fifteen or twenty from whom they obtained information. Having asked them whether there was any body of Indians being assembled in any place to come against the Spaniards, they replied that inasmuch as the bravest, noblest, and richest men of that province had perished in the recent battle, no one remained in it who could take up arms. This seemed to be the truth because in all the time that our men were in that camp no Indians appeared by day or by night except to make sallies and raise alarms, which simply by disturbing them did them much harm and injury, such was their weakened condition after the battle [Source: Garcelaso, The De Soto Chronicles, Vol. 2, Pages 351-352].

In Mauvila the governor had word of the ships that Captains Gomez Arias and Diego Maldanado were bringing, exploring the coast and learning what was going on there. He received this report before the battle and afterward he verified it by the Indians who were captured, from whom he learned that the province of Acusi [Mobile Bay area?], which the Spaniards were going in search of, and the seacoast, were a little less than thirty leagues [1 league = 2.634 miles x 30 = 79.02 miles] from Mauvila [Source: Garcelaso, The De Soto Chronicles, Vol. 2, Pages 351-352].

November 17, 1540
On Sunday, the fourteenth of November of the aforesaid year, the Governor left Mabila, and the following Wednesday he arrived at a very good river, and on Thursday, the twenty-eight, they went across bad crossing and swamps and found a town with corn, which was called Talicapana [Source: Rangel, The De Soto Chronicles, Vol. 1, Page 294].
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Editor's Comments:
Over these last several years, within the last decade or so, a number of business people in and around present-day Mobile, Alabama have promoted the term "String of Pearls" in their endeavor to advance the area of downtown Mobile, specifically on and around Dauphin Street, as a very beautifully renovated location for all to visit.

Ironically, the original site of Mabila, Alibamu (from which the French and present-day version name of 'Mobile, Alabama' derived it's name) was indeed a "String of Lost Pearls" because it was at this (yet to be re-discovered location) that all of the many thousands of pearls, taken from present-day Florida [Garcilaso XV; An Account of the Wonders found in the Temple and Burial Place of the Lords of Cofachiqui], were lost forever with the torching of it by de Soto and his army during the battle.

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Mabila, Alibamu
City of the Lost Pearls
Indeed!

Summary of Facts Concerning the Location of Mabila

To this day, the location of Mabila has remained a mystery. The original narrators, researchers and writers have offered a number of valid clues that, when placed together, might assist with putting this jig-saw together.

One procedure for obtaining clues to the ancient ruins is by tracing the route of the Expedition carefully, checking distances, time in travel, and descriptions of the various areas passed by the Spaniards. Another procedure is in the study of the Indians habits. Added to these procedures is the study of vegetation, geography and then fitting them all together.

Below are several clues from the original narrators themselves, researchers and relatively recent authors.

01. The palisated town of Mabila consisted of large timbers planted upright into the ground. The timbers were placed close to one another and reinforced with smaller lengths of timber horizontally. These walls were covered in mud and smoothed over in a manner to give an impression of masonry. Pine is the most likely timber that would be used for the construction of the palisaded walls at Mabila.

02. Support to Garcelaso's claims that the walls created by massive upright timbers set into the ground are found in his translated texts of The De Soto Chronicles, Vol. 2, page 346. On that page Garcelaso writes "...a tree that was growing on the wall in the space between the logs, which the Indians had left there as a point to reckon from in enclosing the pueblo. This tree was not the only one growing on the wall, for there were many others like it that they had left there purposely, which greatly beautified the wall." This is strong indication that the fortress city of Mabila was built in a pine forest.

03. There were towers located every 50 feet along the walls. Portholes were cut into the walls at abut the height of a man's chest or waist.

04. There were two main gates, one at the west wall and one at the east wall. One of these two gates was said to be the main gate (from the direction of approach by de Soto and his army on arrival)

05. The Spanish consistently indicated a "plain" or fairly flat terrain on which Mabila was located. It is suspected that Mabila was viewed from a higher elevation upon arrival by de Soto and his army. The entire wooded area around Mabila had been cut down.

06. Palmetto leaves and grass "straw" were said to be in the area of Mabila. The town was in an area near where chestnut (pecan?) trees grew in quantity. There were large Oak trees both inside the walls of Mabila and in the general area where Mabila was located.

07. One or more streams or creeks were said to be in the area near Mabila.

08. Natural springs were reported near Mabila.

09. A pond fed by one or more of those springs were said to be adjacent to Mabila.

10. Hamilton writes that "...although not conclusive, Spaniards were not traveling through those endless [pine] forests near the gulf. And yet the Indians use of Palmetto leaves to conceal their arms shows Mabila to be where that plant is common in the interior. This would not be far in the Limestone Black Belt away from the rivers and swamps, nor was the limestone country at a distance from the water ever chosen by the Indians for a large town." Hamilton says Mabila was near the north boundary of Clarke county.

11. Brewer uses A. J. Pickett's conclusion that Mabila was located on the site near what is now known as Choctaw Bluff in clarke county. Brewer locates Mabila to be near Fort Stonewall situated on that bluff. This is probably incorrect.

12. Lowery states that Mabila was located between the Tombigbee and Alabama rivers, not far from where they converge into the Mobile river. This, also, is probably incorrect.

13. Pickett related that Mabila was not situated on a bluff as many researchers believe and Brewer seems to indicate. This is probably correct.

14. The Indians said that the Mabila area was 40 leagues from the ocean, according to Biedma. Elvas said Mabila was six days distance from the Achuse port (suspected to be present-day Mobile Bay).

15. Subsequent settlements by both the native Mabilian Indians and the de Luna expedition offer additional very valuable clues as to the whereabouts of Mabila.

One such location is very commonly known among both historians and archaeologists alike: "Nanacapana" located at or very near to the present-day location of Prairie Bluff which is on private property. The other location known to have been a settlement (later found by the French) of the Mabilian descendants was located at the present-day Gee's Bend area near Miller's Ferry.

There is very little doubt that Mabila is most likely located in either Wilcox or Dallas counties although the possibility of it's location being found at the upper portion of Clarke county, as well as on the east side of the Alabama river, can not be totally excluded at this time.

Finally; expect Mabila to be located on a fairly elevated area but not exceedingly so...expect it to be situated in an area near a pond with nearby creeks and springs and probably viewable from nearby elevated locations. Expect it to be sitting there in a very unobtrusive and subtle manner...so much so that many millions or billions of footpaths might have already crossed it in a daily manner.

Otherwise, expect Mabila (as I do) to be located submerged under the swampy waters of a backed-up dam or buried below accumulated geographical changes over these last four and one-half decades.

Thank You for Visiting!

If you have any comments or questions regarding this or any page located at this site please contact me at the address below:

Source
rdboyd@aol.com
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