The Most Beautiful Woman in the World

A Daufuskie Island historical tour with Wick Scurry is an unforgettable experience. There are few (if any) individuals on the planet who know more about Daufuskie Island's history than Wick Scurry. Take a listen to this Lowcountry & Coastal Empire story about when DeSoto met the Most Beautiful Woman in the World

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I'm Wick Scurry on the way to the Daufuskie and I want to tell you about the most beautiful woman in the world. This was the Indian princess that controlled a large portion of South Carolina in the early 1500s when de Soto came up and found a mystical city that was on the Savannah river. And the story goes... and by the way, seven people wrote about what I'm telling you:


They all said that they found the city and they guessed the population was 20,000 people and all the buildings were octagonal and they said it was immaculate, the city was immaculate. And then a woman long black hair is carried on a, like a litter, like they carried pharaohs down to the Savannah roof. All she had on was a black bear skin around her shoulders and then she wasn't put in a canoe. Now, de Soto was on the other side of the river on the Savannah side. She wasn't put in the canoe, she was put in a barge that was covered with bear skin. And she was pulled across the river to meet de Soto. And when she got across the river she gave de Soto a present of 167 pounds of pearls.


My God, what would that even look like, right? I don't know. Well here's what de Soto did, he burned the city and took her captive. From then on the Indians in South Carolina hated Europeans, they hated them for it and I don't blame them. And they actually ran Spain out. They literally ran Spain out because of that [inaudible 00:02:30]. If you're into history and history that's just not down straight lines, come to Daufuskie and let us give you a tour and show you the history of the whole  country, but especially Daufuskie because it is a beautiful, beautiful piece of property.

DeSoto, Daufuskie, and Almost 200lbs of Pearls

In 1540, De Soto pillaged his way from Florida to the Gulf Coast before heading west into Georgia and Cofitachequi. On May 1, the army reached one of Cofitachequi's major towns, which is now called Mulberry Village. They spoke with a delegation of the ruling class, during which De Soto learned of a beautiful woman living further up the river. The conquistador was so taken with her that he decided to march his army there, regardless of the fact that his men were exhausted from the journey.

When the army came to her village on May 5, it was empty. Shortly after De Soto's troops erected camp, a lady who was carried on a white cloth appeared. The chroniclers noted that she was extremely gorgeous.

Perico told De Soto this woman was the niece of the female paramount chief of Cofitachequi, and she gave De Soto gifts of animal skins, fabric, and 167 pounds of freshwater pearls before inviting him to stay. She then set aside half of the community for the use of the army and informed the people that they were free to go wherever they pleased.

What came next? DeSoto captured the woman and his followers began to burn down the city. This is why the indigenous people hated the Spanish explorers so much that they drove them out of the region.

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Explore Daufuskie Island in 2022

The history of Daufuskie Island is fascinating and the Lowcountry is a place that should be visited sooner than later. Wick Scurry is a perfect guide to show you around the island and teach you about the rich history and culture that is found there. From the DeSoto expedition to the present day, there is so much to learn about this place.

Don't miss out on an opportunity to explore the island with Wick Scurry in 2022!

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