VI.
OLOTOCARA.
Satouriova, surrounded by his kinsmen, his allies, and subordinatechiefs, appeared in all his state on the banks of the river, almostwith the rising of the sun. There were, in immediate attendance, theParacoussies or Cassiques. Tacatacourou--whose tribe, living along itsbanks for the time, gave the name to the river--Helmacana, Athoree,Harpaha, Helmacape, Helicopile, Mollova, and a great many others. Wepreserve these names with the hope that they may help to conduct thefuture antiquary to the places of their habitation. Being all assembled,all in their dignities, each with his little band of warriors, numberingfrom ten to two hundred men, they despatched a special message tothe vessels of Gourgues, inviting him to appear among them. By aprecautionary arrangement the escort of our chevalier appeared withouttheir weapons, those of the red-men being likewise removed from theirpersons, and concealed in the neighboring woods. Gourgues yieldedhimself without scruple to the arrangements of his tawny host. He wasconducted by a deferential escort to the mossy wood where the chiefs hadassembled, and placed at the right hand of Satouriova. The weeds andbrambles had been carefully pulled away from the spot--the place hadbeen made very clean, and the seat provided for Gourgues was raised,like that of Satouriova, and nicely strewn, in the same manner, with amossy covering. With his trumpeter and Pierre de Bre, the captain ofthe French found no embarrassment in pursuing the conference. It wasprotracted for some time, as is usually the case with Indian treaties,and involved many considerations highly important to the enterprise;the number of the Spaniards, the condition of their fortresses, theirvigilance, and all points essential to be known, before venturing toassail them. Much time was consumed in mutual courtesies. Gifts wereexchanged between the parties; De Gourgues receiving from Satouriova,among other things, a chain of silver, which the red chief graciouslyand with regal air cast about the neck of the chevalier.
It was while the conference thus proceeded, that a cry without washeard from among the great body of the tribes assembled. Shouts full ofenthusiasm announced the approach of a favorite; and soon the Frenchmendistinguished the words, "Holata Cara!" "Holata Cara!"[25] which we maytranslate, "Beloved Chief or Captain," and which preceded the suddenentrance of a warrior, the appearance of whom caused an instantaneousemotion of surprise in the minds of the Frenchmen.
[25] The name is usually written Olotocara; but, to persons familiar with the singular degree of carelessness with which the Indian names were taken down by the old voyagers and chroniclers, and the different modes employed by French, Spanish and English in spelling the same words, there should be nothing arbitrary in their orthography; nothing to induce us to surrender our privilege of seeking to reconcile these names with well-known analogies. My opinion is, that Olotocara was a compound of two words, the one signifying chief or ruler, the other indicative of the degree of esteem or affection with which he was regarded, or as significant of his qualities. Olata, or Holata, was a frequent title of distinction among the Floridians, and Holata Cara, or Beloved Chief or Warrior, is probably the true orthography of the words compounded into Olotocara or Olocotora. It may have been Olata Tacara, and there may have been some identification of this chief with him from whom the river Tacatacourou took its name. Charlevoix writes it Olocotora; Hakluyt, Olotocara. It will be seen that our method of writing the name makes it easy to reconcile it with that of Hakluyt--Olotocara--Holata Cara--and with that of the title familiar to the Floridian usage, past and present. Thus Olata Utina occurs before in this very chronicle; and no prefix is more common in modern times, among the Seminoles, than that of Holata; thus, Holata Amathla, Holata Fiscico, Holata Mico. It is also used as an appendage; thus, Wokse Holata, as we write _Esquire_ after the name.
The stranger was fair enough to be a Frenchman himself. His complexionwas wonderfully in contrast with that of the other chiefs, and therewas a something in his bearing and carriage, and the expression ofhis countenance, which irresistibly impressed De Gourgues with theconviction that he was gazing upon one of his own countrymen. Thefeatures of the stranger were smooth as well as fair, and in this,indeed, he rather resembled the race of red than of white men. But hewas evidently very young, yet of a grave, saturnine cast of face, suchas would denote equally middle age and much experience, and yet wasevidently the result of temperament. His hair, the portion that wasseen, was short, as if kept carefully clipped; but he wore around hisbrows several thick folds of crimson cotton, in fashion not greatlyunlike that of the Turk. There were many of the chiefs who wore asimilar head-dress, though whence the manufacture came, our Frenchmenhad no way to determine. A cotton shirt, with a falling cape and fringereaching below to his knees, belted about the waist with a strip ofcrimson, like that which bound his head, formed the chief items of hiscostume. Like the warriors generally, he wore well-tanned buckskinleggings, terminating in moccasins of the same material. He carrieda lance in his grasp, while a light macana was suspended from hisshoulders.
"Holata Cara!" said Satouriova, as if introducing the stranger to theFrenchmen, the moment that he appeared, and the young chief was motionedto a seat. In a whisper to the trumpeter, Gourgues asked if he knewanything about this warrior; but the trumpeter looked bewildered.
"Such a chief was not known to us," said he, "in the time ofLaudonniere."
"He looks for all the world like a Frenchman," murmured Gourgues.
"He reminds me," continued the trumpeter, "of a face that I have seenand know, Monsieur; but, I cannot say. If that turban were off now, andthe paint. This is the first time I have ever heard the name. But theboy, Pierre, may know him."
Gourgues whispered the boy:
"Who is this chief? Have you ever seen him before? Do you know him?"
"No, Monsieur; I have never seen him. I have heard of him. He is theadopted son of the Great Chief, adopted from another tribe, I hear. Buthe is as white as I am, almost, and looks a little like a Frenchman. Ican't say, Monsieur, but I could swear I knew the face. I have seen onevery much like it, I think, among our own people."
"Who?"
"I can't say, Monsieur, I can't; and the more I look, the more I amuncertain."
Something more was said in an equally unsatisfactory manner, and, inthe meantime, the stranger took his seat in the assembly withoutseeming concern. He betrayed no curiosity when his eye rested upon theFrenchmen. When it was agreed that two persons should be sent, one ofthe French and one of the red chiefs to make a _reconnaissance_ of theSpanish fortress, he rose quietly, looked towards Satouriova, and,striking his breast slightly, with his right hand, simply repeated hisown name,--
"Holata Cara!"
"It is well," said the chief, with an approving smile; and Holata Cara,on the part of the Indians, and Monsieur d'Estampes, a gentleman ofComminges, on the part of the Frenchmen, were sent to explore thecountry under the control of the Spanish usurpers. Holata Caraimmediately disappeared from the assembly. A few moments after he wasburied in the deepest of the neighboring thickets, while a beautifulyoung savage--a female--who might have been a princess, and wore, likeone, a fillet about her brow, and carried herself loftily as became aqueen, stood beside him, with her hand resting upon his shoulder,and her eye looking tenderly up into his; while she said, in her ownlanguage:
"I will follow you, but not to be seen; and our people shall be nigh towatch, lest there be danger from the Spaniard."
The chief smiled, as if, in the solicitous speech to which he listened,he detected some sweet deceit; but he said nothing but words of parting,and these were kind and affectionate. It was not long before Holata Carajoined Monsieur d'Estampes, the boy Pierre de Bre being sent along withthem, on the _reconnaissance_ which the allies had agreed was to bemade. In the meantime, the better to assure Gourgues of the safety ofD'Estampes, Satouriova gave his son and the best beloved of all hiswives, into the custody of the French as hostages, and they wereimmediately conveyed to the safe-keeping of the ships.