“C” is for Chicora, Francisco de

“C” is for Chicora, Francisco de. Indian captive. Born in the early sixteenth century, the man Spaniards baptized as “Francisco” was a native of the present-day South Carolina coast. In 1521, he was captured by Spanish slave traders and taken to Santo Domingo. There, he was purchased by Lucas Vàzuez de Ayllón and taken to Spain. In Spain, chroniclers (including Peter Martyr) heard Francisco’s tales about the wealth and marvels of his homeland and circulated them widely in Europe. Ayllón used the Indian’s tales to obtain a royal contract to conquer and settle Francisco’s homeland. In 1526 Francisco accompanied a Spanish expedition to the southeastern coast as a translator and guide. However, as soon as the ships arrived in the area of Winyah Bay, Francisco de Chicora fled inland with the expedition’s other captives—and was never seen again.